Invitation To Nana Akuffo Addo's Retirement Party

“Thank you for your Service Nana. You earned my Medal.”

Frank Goka

Fellow Ghanaian, it is said that whatever goes up must certainly come down either in its original form or transformed. On that same platform, our elders say, there is time to be hired and there is of course, a time to be fired or retired (whichever comes first)! Per our customs and courtesies, we believed in the saying that “Onipa ye adee a, ose ayeyi”, which literally means, credit should be given unto whom it befits.

To me, Nana, Akuffo, Addo-Dankwa, Addo, William (Help me count and feel free to add “Freeman”) has done a yeoman’s job in the political arena of Ghana and deserves an indelible Retirement Package as a token of our deepest genuine appreciation from every cardiac cell in our body. I therefore avail myself to be the Organizer of this hilarious Party which comes off January 7th, 2013. I know some of you will be tempted to question my rationale behind this philanthropic tendency towards Nana. But let me quickly take the wind out of your balloons before it bursts: Undoubtedly, Nana Freeman like all others,also has the right to use the word “unprecedented” to enumerate his records in Ghana. Foremostly, he has been the only Presidential Candidate who had trod the length and breadth of Ghana for the umpteenth times for 3 good years to campaign for votes amidst “fufu” pounding, Yam eating feast, walking through quagmires like Chuck Norris in flooded areas, being a “Trotro” Driver’s Mate amongst others. He added classic international touch to the campaign by visiting USA, Germany and UK with a spectacular interview with Mr. Stephen Sackur on BBC’s “Hard Talk” where he “costed, and costed and costed…” until he touched the sacred Western Wall in Jerusalem, Israel for spiritual strength. Those were colossal achievements worthy of praises!

He’d been in Ghana’s Parliament for 12 years serving the good people of Abuakwa South from 1996-2004. Akuffo Addo’s “good works” is not only known to me but also “Wikipedia” which polished him as “Akufo-Addo used his law practice to champion the cause of human rights, rule of law, justice, freedom, and democracy”. Yes, the champion of human rights, rule of law and democracy invariably and inversely became that robust figure that demonstrated a scintilla of his trait at Atiwa by-election and redefined “democracy” to mean non-public concession of defeat to then Prof Mills in 2008; and to him, “rule of law” meant winning election “AT ALL COST” through “ALL DIE BE DIE”. Those utterances rather unfortunate show how bombastic the man has been. But the Bible said it all, that “whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted” Matt 23:12. Little did Nana realized that as he carried himself to the zenith of “All die be die and at all cost” Nature has nurtured the identical twin brother of “All fall be fall” to bring him to the nadir as occurred in Kumasi. Well, we all have our ups and downs and I believe Nana has learnt his lessons.

Nonetheless, the man has done what I cannot do and thus deserve my approbation. Indeed, not all of us could stand the agoraphobia or the claustrophobia in either the Debates or “Hard Talk” BBC interview without sweating in the air-conditioned room. Therefore let’s all join hands irrespective of our party affiliations to RETIRE Nana Akuffo Addo in dignity and with pomp and pageantry on January 7, 2013. The Program is as follows:

VENUE: African Regent Hotel (Formerly: Hotel Waa-Waa. We may have about 90% Discount)

DATE: 7Th January, 2013

STAR ATTRACTIONS: Kwabena Kwabena, DL (with another Special Retirement remix), B-Minus, Socrates Movies, Awam SHS Choir, etc.

FOOD: Only Fufu (Nana’s choice) pounded by Sammy Awuku (as evidenced by lots of disused pestles “Woma funu” littering around)

SPONSORS: Ayarecough Cough Mixture, Snow-White Nasal Powder, Ayisoba Herbal Medicine, Firmaglu Dentures.

MEDIA: Oman FM, Chronicles, Daily Guide.

ATTENDANCE: Open to the general public for FREEEEE! Also, for our generosity anything you lay hand on is yours for FREE on the said day.

My revered Nana, I have a beautiful card for you with the inscriptions “Retirement has been a discovery of beauty for me. I never had the time before to notice the beauty of my grandkids, my wife, and the tree outside my very own front door. And, the beauty of time itself” as authored by Hartman Jule. Relax and refresh yourself with some Azontos. Congratulations Mrs. Akuffo, for your new full time job!

Frank Goka, Frango2001@yahoo.com