By Iddi Muhayu-Deen
The NPP victory in the 2016 polls was certainly one that did not come on a silver platter. It took the hard work and legendary sacrifices of a lot of people including students, kayayes, teachers, nurses, spare part dealers, masons, artisans, market women, bankers, lawyers, pastors, imams, drivers, chiefs, hairdressers, accountants, musicians and many others to ensure that the then opposition NPP won the elections against [ads1]all odds.
It took the sacrifices of ordinary Ghanaians who were desirous of seeing a REGIME CHANGE in order that this country would be SALVAGED from the bondage of incompetence, joblessness, hopelessness, corruption and economic servitude that had characterized the John Mahama-led NDC government. It took the sacrifices of thousands and millions of NPP sympathizers including party executives and footsoldiers to deliver victory to the NPP.
So you can see clearly that the victory chalked by the NPP at the last polls was a culmination of the efforts and sacrifices of many stakeholders including ordinary Ghanaians. It was not an Akufo-Addo victory per se; it was not a Bawumia victory; it was not a John Boadu victory; it was not a Mustapha Hamid victory; it was even not an NPP victory. It was a GHANAIAN VICTORY (emphasis mine). It was a victory for the Kayayes who had legitimate issues with the kayaye taxes and the prevailing unbearable cost of living;
it was a victory for students and parents who were desirous of seeing a Free SHS regime; it was a victory for trainee nurses and teachers who were desirous of seeing the restoration of their allowance; it was a victory for the businessmen whose businesses were collapsing because of the debilitating dumsor crisis; it was a victory for the discerning Ghanaians who were fed up with the corrupt practices of the Mahama government and were desirous of a new Ghana; it was a victory for the people of Zongo who were desirous of seeing the roll out of a Zongo Development Fund to have their lives transformed.
It is therefore unconscionable that one man, only one man, a musician, who was part of the over 8 million Ghanaians in the famous 2016 CHANGE bandwagon would think that he was indispensable in the NPP campaign and therefore ought to have his way in the Akufo-Addo government at all times. And that, anybody that attempts to stop him would have his/her reputation destroyed beyond repairs. This man so referenced, A-Plus, he is called, was not the 2016 NPP flagbearer; he was not the Running Mate; he was not a parliamentary candidate; he was not a party executive at any level. He was not a polling agent.
He was an entertainer/musician (I’m not a fun of his music though, likewise my grandmother in Kete-Krachi). A-Plus essentially forgets that the 2016 election was won NOT on the basis of which political party entertained Ghanaians the most or had the best of musicians. A-Plus should be told that Ghanaians were much concerned about the draconian living conditions and the general feeling of hopelessness at the time and that, same influenced their votes against the NDC to usher in an NPP government. The 2016 elections thus, had everything to do with a choice between solace and suffering and Ghanaians rightly opted for the former. A-Plus should be told therefore that he CANNOT shutter the Ghanaian dream.
He cannot destroy what we all suffered to build. He did NOT better than any of our hundreds and thousands of polling agents, youth activists, polling station executives, constituency executives, regional and national officers. Even if he campaigned better than everybody, that doesn’t give him the license to destroy the collective struggle of all. A-Plus should count himself lucky that he has been ‘settled’, at least, he is winning lucrative contracts at BOST and making millions of Ghana cedis. What about us? What about you and me?
What about the thousands and millions of Ghanaians including NPP footsoldiers who are yet to find “descent jobs” to do in the Akufo-Addo government? The least we expect from A-Plus is to show gratitude to President Akufo-Addo and his appointees including the two Deputy Chiefs of Staff, whom he is seeking to destroy. A-Plus should know that he cannot destroy these two respected individuals of our great party who are very close to the President without destroying the President himself and the NPP government for that matter. A-Plus must be stopped before he stops us. You cannot bite the finger that feeds you.
I wish to use this opportunity to respectfully ‘caution’ government appointees to be weary of the character called A-Plus. He comes to you for certain favours and if he doesn’t get, he goes to town and accuses you of being corrupt through social media. That is his modus operandi. Be warned, my people. Remember, today, he is doing it to Abu Jinapor and Asenso Boakye, tomorrow, it may be you. The sheer incompetence with which he accuses people of corruption is not only sickening but most absurd.
How can an educated person, properly so called, allege that because the two Deputy Chiefs of Staff, upon a petition, intervened, with recourse to the Health Minister, in asking the authorities of Korlebu Teaching Hospital to open up a bidding process to allow all parties including UniBank to participate, that makes them corrupt? How can you accuse somebody who is calling for OPENNESS of corruption?
Does A-Plus have any knowledge of our procurement laws? Even if he doesn’t have any knowledge in matters of procurement, wouldn’t commonsense tell him that one way of fighting corruption in a bidding process is to open up the process for all participants? I just can’t ‘think madness’. I’m not also sure that he has faculty problems. That leaves me with only one conclusion, which is MISCHIEF.
I also hold serious grudge with the current CEO of Korlebu, Dr. Anyaa [interestingly, he is also an appointee of the President] who, from all indications, is using A-Plus (his de facto Personal Assistance) to fight his case against the Deputy Chiefs of Staff. Their offense being that, they are seeking to prevent him from violating our procurement laws by singling out only Stanbic Bank (a 100% foreign bank) for the award of the said contract. What a crazy world we live in! I leave Dr. Anyaa to his own conscience because I know he has one.
Now, guess what? After failing to provide any evidence to prove his damning allegations against the respected duo, A-Plus now says he is sorry. He now says Asenso Boakye and Abu Jinapor should forgive him for all the unwarranted career damaging allegations he made against them and making them go through an incalculable trauma. This guy certainly has no shame. If I were them, I would ensure he rots in jail, using due process, of course. People who have no respect for reputation deserve no sympathy. Once again, A-Plus CANNOT destroy what we all laboured to build. The Akufo-Addo government must succeed and would succeed Insha Allah.
Assalamu Alaik
Iddi Muhayu-Deen
#ForGodAndCountry
