On Unbridled Sarcasm: President Mahama Mustn’t Claim God

President Mahama’s recent monkeyshines are really getting out of hands. Just a few days ago, he decided to tag the opposition NPP’s press conference as ‘rabbit’. He then went ahead frolicking by giving epithet to the acting chairman of the NPP. He sarcastically referred to the gentleman as ‘OPANA’, (literally means ‘trouble maker’). It was indeed uncalled for and must be condemned with no uncertain terms.

Actually President Mahama has been creating a niche of sarcasm for himself over the years. For example, it is on record that apart from the humongous corruption allegations that were bothering late President Mills, he was also worried about the ceaseless shenanigans of his then Vice President, Mahama.

According to reliable sources, late President Mills (The ‘Asomdwehene’) did not appreciate Mahama’s acerbic tongue. In fact, late Mills was disgusted with Mahama’s sheer impishness and the relentless monkeyshines.

It must also be noted that it was not only late President Mills who was unhappy about Mahama’s shenanigans, other decent people in NDC like Mr. Martin Amidu showed concerns as well.

For example, Mr. Amidu averred that in 2010, he told the late President Mills and the Chief of Staff that if the late President could advise his appointees to reduce corruption, abuse of office and arrogance for the remaining two years, the NDC would win the 2012 elections hands down.

It is worth mentioning that President Mahama can indeed be pugnacious. Thus I find it really difficult to understand why he is being labelled with the appellations: ‘Humble, respectful, peacemaker etc. I do not think President Mahama deserves those cognomens.

Let us remind ourselves of his recent condescending comments on Alhaji Dr Mahmoud Bawumia. In one of his recent ‘changing lives’ speeches, President Mahama sarcastically suggested that Bawumia has not been a vice president before and therefore cannot impugn incompetence on his government. President Mahama went ahead and uncharacteristically asserted that only our two former Presidents, Kuffour and Rawlings have the pedigree and therefore may criticise him.

Deductively, the rest of Ghanaians do not have the right to criticise him and his government. Obviously, such thought process is extremely dangerous and undemocratic and does not fit the lips of a humble president.

I recall not long ago, President Mahama went to Kumasi and castigated the entire people of Ashanti region. He referred to Ashantis as ungrateful lots who would never even be content with gold plated roads. How bizarre?

Without any iota of doubt, it was ignoble on the part of a supposedly humble President to impugn that all Ashantis are unappreciative.

I recollect in one of the Parliamentary sittings, President Mahama had the cheek to insult Ashantis indiscriminately. He openly said: “People of the Ashanti origin have problem with letters L&R”. In other words, Mahama was implying that Ashantis cannot pronounce words that have letters L&R. That was impertinent boldness from a supposedly submissive President! Do Ghanaians call such a bigot as humble and respectful?

Again, in the wake of the public discourse on the suitability of the proposed burial place of our departed president Mills, President Mahama incoherently stated that Ghanaians who took part in the debate both on radio, television and even in their private homes and work places engaged in a “USELESS” discourse. That was uncharacteristic of a President who is being tagged as humble, respectful, God fearing etc. With due respect, Mahama’s use of intemperate words is out of this world. He is simply not submissive.

As a matter of fact, President Mahama has a predilection to abuse those who show divergent views to his. I recall during a debate on the STX Housing deal, President Mahama, then Vice President, abused our Members of parliament who opposed the deal. He told them: “BALONEY”. In other words, President Mahama was implying that the Parliamentarians were engaging in “foolish discourse”. How bizarre? Humble indeed!

I also remember when the Attorney General’s office charged Kennedy Agyepong with Treason, Terrorism & genocide and former President Kuffuor humbly appealed for calm, and suggested that we should avoid ‘killing a fly with a Sledge Hammer. President Mahama replied instantaneously, and lividly: “We will kill a fly with a Bulldozer”.

Honestly speaking, that incoherent remark can only come from the lips of a bellicose, but it should never come from the lips of a supposedly submissive and peaceful President.

Again, during the Launch of the NDC government’s Green Book volume 2, the then Vice President, Mahama, shamefully discriminated against visually impaired people indirectly. He impolitely said: “It is only those that are blind that do not see the good work of the NDC government”.

Well, what can I say here; I am really struggling to find less euphemistic language to condemn the preceding insolence. In fact, President Mahama was really indiscreet. With such a discriminatory statement coming from no lesser person than the President of the nation, I can daresay President Mahama is indeed naive. How on earth can a President, who is being tagged as humble, respectful and God fearing abuse disabled people in that way? May the God President Mahama claims to worship forgive him!

Actually, President Mahama comes across as an insolent person. Let us remind ourselves that we (Ghanaians) have been taught to respect the dead. So I was extremely befuddled when after the death of Professor Mills, I heard President Mahama impoliticly suggesting: “God in his own wisdom has taken the old man, Professor Mills away to pave the way for youthful Mahama to take over the mantle”. How bizarre?

And, following his ‘God in his own wisdom declaration’, President Mahama went to the Northern region and indicated clearly that it is about time ‘Northerners’ took over the mantle of Presidency, because they (Northerners) have been serving in the Vice Presidency post for far too long. Really?

If that is the case, my question to President Mahama then is: For argument sake, if we still have Professor Mills around as President, and ‘fed up Northerner’ Mahama as his Vice President, and as you have shockingly revealed that you have been fed up for some time now being ‘a mate’, were you then going to resign from your post or depose the President anyway?

Fellow Ghanaians, we must not and cannot keep a President who is fond of ‘talking plenty and delivering less’ ; we rather need a President who would ‘walk the talk’.

K. Badu, UK.