Opinions of Monday, 13 February 2017

Columnist: Adofo, Rockson

For the attention of His Excellency the President of Ghana

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo

Dear His Excellency the President,

Peace of God be unto you. I am very much aware of the fact that you are very busy, working against the clock, and probably losing sleep over finding solutions to the numerous and varied socio-economic problems confronting the nation at the moment.

However, we should not lose sight of the idiomatic expression, all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.

Subsequently, I would like to take you off your busy schedule for a second but onto a playful questions and answers game where getting the answers correct will deliver a magic key to the winner to unlock the room that holds the solutions to some major problem his nation is confronted with.

Every electrician must have a tools box. Among his tools are testers, screw drivers of various sizes and shapes, a hammer, a pair of pliers, a torch, an electricians knife etc. An electrician is faced with fixing an electric socket or switch onto a wall-embedded plastic box meant for the socket or switch. The two screws on the socket or the switch have four-star heads.

To be able to fix the socket onto the embedded plastic box, the electrician, although has screw drivers; he will need a right screw driver of the right size. However, among his many screw drivers he has not the type that can perfectly fit onto the star-shaped screws although he can struggle with the sizes that he has. However, it may take him a bit of effort and time to successfully carry out the job.

A man happens to pass by. He realises the problem faced by the electrician. He looks into his own tools box and offers the electrician the right type and right size of the screw driver he needs for the job at hand. He advises the electrician to keep it as he may need it in future. The man is not a friend of the electrician. The man does not come from the same town as the electrician. The man is from say, a town that is not too friendly with the people of the electricians town.

His Excellency the President, in case you were the electrician, would you accept the timely offer by the stranger? If your response is in the affirmative, explain why. If your response is negative (no), please give reasons as to why such an answer.

No, I had better cite an example from your own field of study. A defence lawyer was preparing to go to court to argue a case in favour of his client (defendant). He was relying on say, an out-dated document or book for most of his facts. A person happened to come by who had an updated book with all the up to date amendments attached or incorporated. This person is ready to assist you by giving to you the book from which you can always quote your case references and relevant supporting facts likely to win you court cases.

The person is neither from your town nor is he your friend although he is a fellow Ghanaian. He associates with your rivals, let me put it mildly that way. Will you accept his book or not?

Before you proceed any further, could you please either write down your answer as to yes or no, or tell yourself what the answer you are choosing is.

Having chosen your answer, please let it be known to you that both questions on being whether an electrician or a lawyer demand same answers. They are two in one. They are both parables.

As Jesus Christ was at times required to explain his narrated parables, so shall I explain mine to my dear His Excellency President Nana Addo Dankwah Akufo-Addo. The stranger coming your way is Brother Martin Amidu, the Citizen Vigilante. The plastic electrical box embedded in the wall is the problem of the institutional corruption faced by mother Ghana and Ghanaians. The nonstandard screw drivers the electrician has signify the non availability of proven men and women of integrity in the eyes of the public to help fight or uproot the corruption successfully. The new star screw driver being offered by the stranger is the expertise and the proven resolute determination through acts of honesty by the stranger to rid Ghana of corruption. The stranger not coming from your town signifies Brother Martin Amidu not being a core member of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) but a known and pride National Democratic Congress (NDC) cadre.

I will not go any further but to leave His Excellency the President to muse about it. If Brother Martin Amidu has the potential to help you fight corruption, the bane of Ghana's socio-economic advancement, why not engage his services as you would to the new screw driver or the updated book?

This idea came into my mind when I was sleeping with something urging me to convey the message to His Excellency the President. Could it be that I was dreaming about what I had on my mind since it is said, we dream about what we have on the mind most?

No, it was not a dream but a real mental feeling of being instructed to act.

Brother Martin Amidu does exhibit the same characteristics as one former Divisional Police Commander Paul Avuyi. Because of Paul’s honesty, firmness and dedication to be of selfless service to his people and nation, the Rawlings NDC-led government could not contain him, neither was President Kufuor’s NPP. He was frustrated to a point where he decided the best option was to proceed on retirement although he still had a few years that he could serve in the police service. Darkness and light are highly impossible to stay in the same compartment. Many police officers throughout Ghana know or have heard about DCOP Paul Avuyi (Dada Paul).

His Excellency the President please be aware that God has chosen you for a purpose which He expects you to fulfil very faithfully. He has given you abundant tools to help you to achieve the set goal. Please, use the services of the experts, technocrats and the honest people He has abundantly made available to you.

I shall reiterate here again that it does not belong to he who is leading to redirect their steps hence my preparedness to point you in the right direction as and when my intuition tells me.

Yours Faithfully,

Rockson Adofo

(Written on Sunday 12 February 2017)