Opinions of Friday, 17 August 2012

Columnist: Mubarik, Abu

An Open letter to President John Mahama.

PMB

CATLE-OSU

GHANA

Dear sir

,

Firstly, I sincerely express my profound sympathy to you, and the government you head for the demise of your boss and former president of the republic of Ghana, Professor John Evans Atta Mills.

His sudden demise was indeed a big blow to the NDC, Ghana and the entire world at large. We have indeed lost a great academician, sportsman, and leader in all spheres of life. He was a man of integrity, peaceful and humble in the sight of all manner of people.

Secondly, I humbly congratulate you as the commander-in-chief of the Ghana armed forces and President of the Republic of Ghana.

I chose to congratulate you as the Commander-in-chief forehand because as at 2:15p.m, we had no commander-in-chief and security expect will tell you it implications. Thankfully, we had professional Armed forces who were not overly hungry for power, democratic and civil in nature.

Sir, you have taken over the leadership of a country that the populace overly depends on the president and the government. The vast majority of Ghanaians look up to government for employment, basic social amenities that I sincerely believe you are aware.

We northerners are elated to see one of our own as the President which am sure every tribe or region would be proud. Since the treacherous overthrow and demise of President Hilla Limann, Northerners have been relegated to the Vice presidency position. God in his own infinite wisdom has transferred the mantle of power to you as you claim which I concur.

The North, which you hail from, has seen little development yet can boast of the nation’s finest politicians, academicians, civil servants, public servant, religious leaders, and journalist.

In the north, we don’t read about poverty- we live it, feel it and experience it as part of our daily routine. Yet we have a fertile land at the mercy of resources. We have a very energetic idle youth, thankfully that are ready to work.

In effect, Mr. President am calling for government policy that will emancipate the north from the clutches of poverty. My impatient to see development in the north is my greatest weakness and I can seem to get over it.

The least we expect from you is our greater fair share of the nation’s cake.

Still on the north, there were some media reports that you were meddling in chieftaincy politics. You couldn’t overly support your faction because the armed forces were not under your command. Now, they are under your command. The abuse of this privilege position if care is not taking can escalate tension, not forgetting the historical fuss between the Dagombas and the Gonjas.

Sir, as president and now leader of the National Democratic Congress, you have a clean slate to patch up the seed of disunity within your party the late president couldn’t deal with satisfactorily.

In the 2010 NDC congress, you told the rank and file of your party a folk story popularly known as “Tika, taka, ganga-ley”

In that folk story, you told a story of three birds who felt their individual contribution was the reason why they were showed with gifts from passer-byes who admired their style of singing. The praises and the gift got into them so they went their separate ways thinking they’d succeed individually. Their individual tunes were so annoying that they were stoned and lampooned by the same passer-byes. In the final analysis, they realized that it was their collective strengthen (skills) that made them who they were and not their individual skills.

You told this story to drum home unity in the party. You now have a fine opportunity to materialize this beautiful folk story.

People with distractive tendencies who benefited from the bitter rivalry between the Castle and Ridge are still around you. If the late Mills had his way, he’d have patched up his bitter relationship with papa J. However, those people made sure in all their might not to allow that to happen for the simple reason that, they were profiting from it.

Your numerous supporters out there are now looking up to secure them peace and unity under the umbrella.

Sir, I glowed with pride when you called on the youth to support you because you are youthful. However, my joy in that statement was short-lived when you slapped us in the face with a gold coaster as your vice president and a possible running mate. I describe you action as “paradox of our time.”

Sir, you action remains me of a preacher who told his congregation not to opine on his awkward life style but listen to the word of God he’s communicating.

The harm has already been done and there’s nothing we can do about it because the December election is drawing nearer.

I sincerely wish you success in office.