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Opinions of Wednesday, 28 August 2024

Columnist: Justice A. Newton-Offei

Let's look into the windscreen and not the rear mirror; no ‘abaaba se’

NPP's flagbearer Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia NPP's flagbearer Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia

While on a trip in Tanzania recently, I was informed credit on my ECG prepaid meter had run out, and I was able to buy credit on my phone, over 5000km away.

Today, over 99% of Ghanaians do their banking transactions on their phones or mobile money platforms. As a result, the days banking halls were jammed, are gone.

Personally, I don't even remember the last time I walked into a banking hall for any purpose. And when it's critical, my personal relationship officer is reachable 24/7.

Even the good old chequebooks are now fast becoming outmoded, and shall soon be extinct. Now casanovas can't hide since they can be taxed 24/7 Momo.

But before 2016, my house would've been plunged into darkness, and my wife would've had to go and queue at the ECG office, for hours, just to give cash to the State.

These days, when my NHIS subscription expires, I pick up my phone, and at the touch of a button, renew it. But in years past, we used to queue for days, to do the same.

And the icing on the cake is the abolishing of Ghanaians filling forms indicating place of abode and postal address, upon arrival at Kotoka International Airport.

Doing away with such an age-old unwarranted nuisance has been possible through the innovative Ghana card, by swiping it over a device and simply walking off.

And all these forward-looking and highly developmental innovations have been through the digitalization handiworks of HE Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, the NPP flagbearer.

This is why I've been admonishing Ghanaians to be extremely careful not to be hoodwinked by honeycomb fairytales of a visionless bunch, to mortgage our future.

And as the popular Akan axiom goes "nyimpa orefow dua papa no, na wopia n'ekyir" to wit, "one that is climbing a good tree deserves a push". The choice is very clear.

Four years of a person's life can either break or make you, depending on the choice you make when presented with the opportunity. So, let's think future and not the past.