OPEN LETTER TO THE PRESIDENT (PART 2)
I bring you greetings from the streets of Ghana Mr President. Your Excellency, this is my third in a series of letters to you. The first was my famous petition against the wholesale implementation of the Free SHS program in August 2017, followed by an open letter to you in early 2018. Unlike the first two, this letter is an unfettered expression of disappointment, frustration and dismay.
Mr President, just as I stated in my first open letter, you took over power at a time in Ghana’s political history when public confidence in the presidency and state institutions was at the ebb. The euphoria that greeted your election attested to this. 2016 Christmas might go down in history as one of the most memorable moments in the life Ghanaians, not because they had everything life could offer. It was simply because a wind of change had brought a refreshing many had craved for but did not fully believe it were possible.
I am a floating voter who refuses to become a partisan bigot. Most Ghanaians voted for you not because of your oratory prowess and well crafted campaign messages and manifesto. People like myself generally voted for you primarily because Mr JD Mahama and his apparatchiks had become nightmare to most Ghanaians. There were diehard NDC members who could not have voted for NPP but refused to vote in the elections. In short, NPP might not have won the 2016 so overwhelmingly as many have thought but NDC lost the elections miserably. It was a vote of no confidence in the existing administration. One lesson I drew from 2016 elections is that the so-called ordinary Ghanaian cannot be taken for granted. They may be ordinary but they have brains.
It is against this backdrop that I write to remind you of the grave responsibility on your shoulders as probably the oldest person to have ascended the seat of the presidency. To many of us, you have unfortunately betrayed the trust and confidence many well meaning Ghanaians reposed in you in 2016. Mr President, your high ratings have plummeted considerably over the past two years. In 2017, NPP apologetics, communicators and surrogates used to taunt the opposition NDC that NDC could return to power after 32 years. However, gauging the political atmosphere currently, even your own intuition tells you all is not well. Is it any wonder that you have had to traverse the length and breadth of the country all in the name of tour many times because in the depths of your heart you know that NPP might have to conjure magic to win 2020 elections? You have indeed disappointed many well meaning Ghanaians.
Your Excellency, I am of the firm opinion that you might have gone to your grave a better person with better credentials if you had not become Ghana’s president. To many of us who belong to the younger generation, we grew up to learn of your legal credentials, human rights activism, fearless defense of Ghana’s democracy, impeccable reputation internationally and an astute anti corruption apostle. These among other accolades placed you among great statesmen in Ghana’s political history. Many of us knew before 2016 as a no nonsense individual who tells it as it is without fear or favour. In fact, upon assumption of office when you publicly declared to your appointees that those who want to mass wealth should go into private enterprise because you were in to protect the public purse. We believed you. We took your word seriously. We were excited because it resonated with the cry of the so-called ordinary Ghanaian.
These assurances were almost neutralized when simmering corruption allegations began filtering the airwaves and social media. These were brushed as initial glitches. Then insiders of your party including Hon. Ken Agyepong and Kwame A Plus alleged massive rot at the seat of government. Nothing became of these allegations because the damning allegations were swept under by an acting CID BOSS, who got embroiled in the whole quagmire and she was recorded by Kwame A Plus. The recording became a subject of police investigation which to date is probably pending. The same officer was surprisingly promoted from ACP to DCOP and finally to COP in record time. She was equally confirmed as the substantive CID BOSS.
To date, Mr President, the CID BOSS has served you well but as to whether she has served Ghana well, Ghanaians are better judges. The CID investigations of Mr Kwasi Nyantakyi, the Takoradi kidnappings and Mr Charles BISSUE exoneration are few of her exploits. Allegations after allegations of corruption have rocked your government but I think you have sanctimoniously adopted “hear no evil, see no evil approach” as your response and tactics. Treating corruptionists with kid gloves does not do your political image any good and the earlier you woke from your slumber the better for you particularly and the country as a whole.
I am certain that the face saving responses you offer to your appointees are complicit in corruption and avarice such as summary sacking, suspension and covert scrutiny which are kept under lock and key. Time is running out for you because our democracy limits your tenure to four years subject to renewal once. The plethora of corruption allegations is choking some of us to death. Nothing has changed since you took over as president of Ghana. The status quo has not changed regarding the fight against corruption. Things have actually worsened. Corruption is so rife especially among Ghanaian officials because corruptionists still feel safe and comfortable under your watch.
Mr President, you have appointed a minister solely responsible for monitoring and evaluation. Sometimes I shudder to think that that particular minister is sleeping on the job together with many ministers who are woefully failing to deliver to the delight and satisfaction of Ghanaians. If you should succeed as president, please crack the whip when duty calls if you mean business with Ghanaians. You have lost the fight against corruption so far but all is not lost because you still have more than one year to redeem yourself.
The quantum of loans your administration has taken, the sheer elephantine size of government in terms of the number of ministers you appointed, the good will you enjoyed from the onset of your administration and your lax in dealing decisively with the canker of corruption, Ghanaians would never forgive you neither would generations unborn. It is time to walk the talk Mr President. Remember what the Dutch Ambassador to Ghana said “your official policy is Ghana beyond aid; why not Ghana beyond corruption,”.
Finally, remember you have a reputation to salvage, a party interest to satisfy and most importantly a national interest to serve and safeguard. All in all, this is a make or break period in your life and your high office as president of this great country.
Thank you Mr President.
(The Crusader, Clement Adjei Sarfo, sarfo22@yahoo.com)