Aliu Mahama: The Right Man At The Right Time.

?Anybody can grow up to be President.? But, not every everybody is cut out to be President. It takes a special kind of person, someone tough, smart, competent, experience, dynamic leadership qualities, and driven, just to run for the job. It takes still more talent and character to hold up under the pressures of life in the Castle.?

?The Presidency should be occupied by real men and women who have gone through the mill, tried and tested and found approved to handle the challenges of the Presidency , ability and capacity to direct the demanding affairs of Ghana by championing and inspiring change through quality and dynamic leadership. The Presidency is definitely not for boys who think they are men who will use the Presidency as a work experience.?

As a nation, we cannot afford to mortgage our future and the future of our children and grand children to a leader who has not been tried and tested, lacks practical experience of the Presidency and lacks the hallmarks of quality and dynamic leadership.

The most gifted athletes rarely make good coaches. The best violinist will not necessarily make the best conductor. Nor will the best teacher necessarily make the best head of department. It is critical to distinguish between the skill of performance and the skill of leading the performance. For me, the Vice President, Alhaji Aliu Mahama is the best candidate to lead the performance because, he exhibits strength of character, proven leadership skills, passion, general maturity, wisdom, common sense, trustworthiness, reliability, creativity, competence, capacity and capability, a symbol of hope and offers opportunity for all to lead the NPP party in the 2008 general elections. According to the Book of Proverbs, the qualities of good leadership are hard work, good listening skills, wise planning and common sense, ability to stand adversity and pressure and openness to new ideas. Fortunately, these are the character traits of Alhaji Aliu Mahama.

Leadership is getting other people to follow you towards a common goal. A leader is a person who has something to offer or that he can make an existing situation better. Initiative and vision are the pillars of leadership. The desire to lead, though essential, is not enough to make one a dynamic leader. One has to have a firm grasp on knowledge, a well-horned and appropriate skills, and relevant experience that makes the Vice President, Alhaji Aliu Mahama a giant among minnows in the NPP party presidential race. Having the skills and knowledge about the Presidency makes one the obvious choice for the NPP presidential flagbearership position. But this is not enough. Having the knowledge is one thing, but putting it to use in the interest of the people is another. One?s knowledge is then only useful if it is used to enhance a common goal. The question is, has the Vice President, used his vast knowledge for the betterment of Ghana?. Empirically, the answer is an unequivocal yes. For example, he has been responsible in providing direction to government in areas such as strategic planning of the economy and security of our country. This presidency, is by far the most successful presidential partnership ever witnessed under the Busia,Danquah and Dombo group. Under this presidential partnership, Alhaji Aliu Mahama is seen as the anchor, chieftain and heart beat of this administration.

The Vice President, Alhaji Aliu Mahama exhibits the characteristics of quality and dynamic leadership because, he has challenged and continues to challenge the status quo via promoting and determining new directions (popular or otherwise), championing change, doing things differently, and proposing novel solutions to problems. People and aspirants who are locked in the status quo are not leaders hence; the NPP delegates should avoid them like a plague. A past history of leadership is the best predictor of competent leadership of the future. Even though he is his own man and believes in his own abilities to lead and inspire change, as Vice President, he has supported President Kuffour by virtue of his knowledge and experience to bring forth innovative policies and strategies which has championed and continues to champion and inspire change in all our developmental spheres that today, Ghana is a success story and a beacon of hope for all Ghanaians and for Africa. Ever since Alhaji Aliu Mahama assumed office as Vice President, he saw his position as a challenge but due to his experience and leadership qualities, he was able to turn a challenge into an opportunity to serve the good people of Ghana excellently well. A person who does not feel the thrill of a challenge is neither a leader nor a potential leader.

The presidency comes with knowledge, enormous responsibilities, challenges and a history of decision making and my candid question to the noble and respected delegates of the NPP party is whether they are willing to bequeath this great nation of ours to a novice who does not have the rich experience of leading 22 million ethnic diverse people, no hands on experience of the responsibilities and challenges associated with the presidency, no prior knowledge and experience of the diplomatic and negotiation skills required for the number one job in the land and a person who is not tried and tested to withstand the huge pressures associated with the presidency or the delegates will elect an aspirant who have been there at the presidency as the number two man in the land who has acquired vast experience and on the job leadership training and skills, has over the past seven years turned the challenges of the presidency into opportunities, mental toughness, bathing in knowledge and expertise of the presidency and has character, strength and integrity to withstand and has over the seven years withstood the pressures of the presidency.?

Respected and matured delegates of the NPP party, my appeal to you is not to leave our future and the future of our children and grand children to faith and chance by electing a presidential aspirant who is a novice and inexperienced. With leadership comes responsibility. The presidency comes with carrying responsibilities that only Alhaji Aliu Mahama can carry. For the Vice President, carrying responsibility does not intimidate him because, the joy of accomplishment-the vicarious feeling of contributing his quota and fair share for the development of Ghana is what drives him to succeed. Please do the right thing by voting for the Vice President, Alhaji Aliu Mahama who has a history of service to the people of Ghana and mankind.

Empirically, the dynamic, quality and selfless leadership qualities of the Vice President, Alhaji Aliu Mahama talks less and yet very productive, unassuming but efficient and effective and importantly, getting the task and job at hand done to the admiration of many with less ?frills and fuss.? The Vice President brings to the table over thirty years experience of leadership spanning the private and public sectors, at the local, regional and national levels. Throughout his illustrious career, the Vice President has been preoccupied with his dedication of service to the people and in the last seven years, he has served the good people of Ghana with distinction. He has demonstrated his leadership skills locally as an assembly man and nationally as a Vice President. He has gained invaluable experience through such exposure and this has toughened him as a person who does not compromise on ethics, values, discipline, vision and his convictions on moving Ghana forward to achieve the MDGs and middle-income-status. The Vice President has practical ideas which are workable and implementable and these are the kind of solutions which are slowly turning Ghana into an emerging economy and driving Ghana towards middle-income-status by 2015. Under the stewardship of Alhaji Aliu Mahama, his government will govern people on the basis of national unity regardless of tribe and political affiliation. The Vice President, being a good and dynamic leader is receptive to the ideas of others and creates an atmosphere of mutual respect and trust which opens the avenue for dialogue between government and all stakeholders. The Vice President has travelled the length and breadth of Ghana and has interacted with the good people of Ghana on several occasions.

How a leader interacts with the people carries a lot of weight because, it speaks volumes of the qualities of the leader. By Alhaji Aliu Mahama getting in tune with people?s emotions, needs, and obstacles, he has effectively mobilized the forces towards national goals. For optimum results, the Vice President believes that, the people must understand the national goals and be enlightened to alternative strategies and ways of attaining them. As a good leader, he is the teacher that inculcates this information. The ability to keep people focused on the national goals and tactfully steer them in the attainment of those goals is what the leadership of Alhaji Aliu Mahama is all about. He believes in development by the people and for the people or in other words, ? bottom to top approach type of development.? His inspiration to do good for the people and passion for the nation has been contagious and caught on with the good people of Ghana like wild fire.

Now the consensus among NPP delegates and Ghanaians is that, Alhaji Aliu Mahama is a confidence-inspiring leader in his own right and is well equipped, both temperamentally and intellectually, to hold the reigns of Ghana?s government. Since rising to his present position of Vice President, Ghana?s No. 2 man has been actively involved in the day-to-day operations of governing Ghana. In the process, he has proven himself as an able administrator, shrewd negotiator and imaginative politician, precisely the kind of virtues which make NPP supporters, floating voters and Ghanaians sleep easier at the thought of a future Alhaji Aliu Mahama presidency. Many Alhaji Aliu Mahama watchers both in Ghana and in the Diaspora agree that the Vice President is the logical choice to succeed President Kuffour. After assisting Moses for many years, Joshua was well prepared to take over the leadership of the nation. In lay mans? language, the Vice President, Alhaji Aliu Mahama is well equipped with the necessary leadership tools and technical know how to take over the leadership mantle from President Kuffour. Smooth leadership transitions and continuity are essential for the establishment of new administrations.

Continuity in government under the stewardship of the Vice President will boost investor confidence, stock market, and continuity of current reforms, boost the confidence of our development partners and will ensure peace, security and economic stability. Alhaji Aliu Mahama knows that, he cannot lead the nation single-handedly. Rather than handle larger responsibilities alone, he will look at innovative ways of sharing the loads of the nation so that, competent, experienced, seasoned men and women of high intellect and wisdom are brought on board to exercise their God-given gifts and abilities in leading Ghana to the promised land. A good leader (Alhaji Aliu Mahama), as per the Book of Proverbs (11:14), needs and uses wise counsellors. The Vice President is a committed Statesman who has handled the affairs of the nation with decorum and distinction and with such huge experience and insight, I have no doubt that giving the opportunity, Alhaji Aliu Mahama will perform very well as President. The Vice President is running for the highest office in the land because, he wishes to secure a better future for our children and grand children and build a Ghana that we can all be proud off. As per Abraham Lincoln ?a Statesman is he who thinks in the future generations.? He is driven by his passion to bequeath unto future generations a better Ghana where poverty is made history and every child has an equal opportunity in life. Remember, tomorrow begins today.

The Vice President, has over the past seven years championed change and has worked hand in hand with the people of Ghana because, Ghanaians want a leader such as Alhaji Aliu Mahama who will take this country in a new direction, share their values, understand their needs and respect their intelligence. The Vice President stands tall among all the supposed aspirants. He is humble, which is a unique and rare quality because; you can only serve the people in humility and with humility. He is the best and respectable candidate to bring about a united and peaceful Ghana. Those who know Alhaji Aliu Mahama talk about a man who is very dedicated and highly focused on his duties as Vice President with the sole aim of serving the people of Ghana. He is a complete candidate, a man of delivery, a winning candidate, a rich history of winning elections (1990 as assemblyman and 2000 and 2004 as Vice President) and a valuable asset to the NPP party and Ghana. Due to his sterling performance as Vice President, he has endeared himself to many who belong to different political persuasions. The Vice President is the only candidate who will be able to win floating voters but most especially, he has the ability and capacity to win votes from voters from different political persuasions. The only candidate who can make this lauded vision achievable is Alhaji Aliu Mahama.

In Alhaji Aliu Mahama, we have a fine and well cut gentleman who is a man of resilience, tough minded, a team player, assertive and achievement oriented. For me, experience is one paramount criterion that the delegates should never compromise. The NPP party and Ghana deserves to have a President who has vast experience and knowledge about the Presidency because, sound and good judgement comes from experience and there can be no substitute for experience. When Alhaji Aliu Mahama says that he has extensive knowledge and the required skills needed to ascend to the presidency, he knows exactly what he is talking about because, the only source of knowledge is experience. Experience is one thing you cannot get for nothing. Continuity of government through experience will ensure a smooth transition and a smooth setting up of government machinery. He stands for creating a society based on equity, decency and fairness.

My message to the delegates is that, vote for a candidate who is popular because he is a symbol of integrity, marketable because, he is sixty percent marketed already by virtue of his position as Vice President and vote for a candidate who will make your job easier because, in Alhaji Aliu Mahama, you have a product that you can easily sell to the electorates via the market and have a ?win win situation? for the NPP party and Ghana. In all the four corners of Ghana, Alhaji Aliu Mahama is in demand because, all that the delegates and Ghanaians are saying is that, he is the best President in waiting to lead Ghana to the promised land. The best ever Christmas gift that the NPP delegates can give the NPP and Ghanaians will be to resoundingly vote to endorse the candidature of the Vice President, Alhaji Aliu Mahama because, he stands for ONE GHANA, ONE PEOPLE, ONE DESTINY, PROSPERITY FOR ALL, SOCIAL INTEGRATION, OPPORTUNITIES FOR ALL, PEACE AND SECURITY FOR ALL GHANAIANS, QUALITY AND DYNAMIC LEADERSHIP.

Finally, my little advice to the Vice President, Alhaji Aliu Mahama is that; keep your dreams alive because, to achieve anything requires faith, vision, hard work, determination, dedication and belief in yourself. Remember all things are possible for those who believe. As the Vice President rightly said, we have the ?goodwill so let us ride on it.?