.... in our educational system under the NDC.

Before embarking on this journey, I crave your indulgence to permit the late Krobo Edusei to entertain you when he appeared before the Commission of Enquiry into the assets of certain senior public officers and specified CPP Ministers after the February 23, 1966 Coup. The Chair person of the Commission was He Lordship, Mrs. Justice Annie Jiagge, First Female Magistrate and Judge in the country.

“My Lord, my Lord, here comes my beautiful wife, Mary. Allow me to consume her beauty before you continue. Eh, Mary, mafe wo papa. Ahoofe nie” (Reproduced in the Daily Graphic of Friday, November 3, 2006),

But can someone please tell me which of the NDC MPs said that “the cedi was appreciating the dollar”?

Anita de Souza is an educated illiterate: It was touted to be the mother of all rallies. It was an occasion to outdoor all the NDC parliamentary candidates in Greater Accra. The venue was Mantse Agbonaa. Anita de Souza, that troubler of Abomoso Township, that cruel, uncouth woman who is the very embodiment of Lucifer mounted the platform and in full glare of everybody, including the President ‘butchered’ the English Language and joined the likes of Krobo Edusei and D.C. Kwakye, former District Commissioner for Oda under Dr Nkrumah’s CPP Government as the worst assailants of the oyibo language.

You see a little learning is a dangerous thing. It is either you drink deep or taste not. We are not all that perfect in many of the things we do or say but one would have expected that if she is deficient in the ‘oyibo’ language she should acknowledge that fact and take measures to improve herself or at least use the language she is conversant with. But what she did that day was unpardonable. A whole women’s organizer was caught hands down but couldn’t extricate herself from the web which she has woven around her self. When she fell, all the womenfolk in the NDC also fell.

I recall an event involving the ace afro-juju musician, Shina Peters. His mentor, King Sunny Alade, another juju musician had fallen sick. It was the Annual Award Night of the Performing Musician Association of Musicians Union. Shina Peters, who had won an award decided to dedicate it to Sunny Alade. In a brief speech to the discountenance of all present, the Afro Juju musician decided to ‘dissect’ and ‘crucify the oyibo language. “I wish King Sonny Ade a speedy recover”. As soon as he finished his ‘speedy recover’, somebody shouted “Bullet” and another responded “take cover!” Before one could ask what was happening, almost every body including the invited guests, was looking for the nearest hiding place to take refuge from the speeding bullet.

On that very day, before our very eyes and in the presence of the leader of their party, Anita de Souza decided to show how lettered she was. There was no need to have brought in that topic, but mischievous as she was, she decided to tread where men at times fear to go. She said the Chief Executive Officer at Komfo Anokye Hospital in Kumasi had engaged himself in some financial malfeasance but has ‘refunded back’ part of the amount. I could discern the look of disapproval, unbelief and surprises on the faces of some top gurus in the NDC. A friend of mine (an NDC stalwart, who was watching television with me but couldn’t stand the shame retorted “ So out of the many women in the party, it is this educated illiterate they elected to take charge of the women in our party? I am ashamed”. You see the rot in our educational system. The NDC has virtually destroyed everything about education in the country, and Anita has used a knife to cut the only cohesive force in the system. If Gold rusts, what then will iron be? If a whole women’s organizer of a political party is destroying the oyibo language like a bush fire in the harmarttan, what will happen to children from poor homes who don’t have access to qualitative education? Let them play back the tape for all to hear. In this era of bugging and wire tapping, Anita should go back to Primary Two or enroll herself in some mass literacy classes to equip herself for the greater task ahead. I recommend Abomoso Presbyterian Primary where the Class Two daughter of one of the men she nearly sent to his untimely death will have an opportunity to settle personal scores with her. I bet, that girl can bamboozle Anita and make her look like a mere novice.

Is Anita a role model for the female child? Not at all! Added to this NDC Akua Sena Dansoah’s utterance that Kufuor ‘s free maternal care for pregnant women has led to the escalation of teen – age pregnancy, and you cannot but conclude that another vote for the NDC will put our collective destiny in the hands of incompetents, delinquents, comedians, destroyers, throat cutters and misfits. Vote them out and usher in Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo and his free Senior High School Education. Wommpe eyi na wope die ewo he?

Daniel Danquah Damptey (damptey_daniel@yahoo.com) 0243715297.