By Kwame Okoampa-Ahoofe, Jr., Ph.D.
Garden City, New York
Feb. 28, 2015
E-mail: okoampaahoofe@optimum.net

Under these extremely trying "Dumsor" circumstances, it was not at all surprising that quite a remarkable number of prominent and not-so-prominent Ghanaian politicians and activists who went to Parliament House last Thursday, to bear witness to President John Dramani Mahama's 2015's State-of-the-Nation Address, were widely reported to have fallen asleep through most of the presentation (See "Akufo-Addo Went To Parliament To 'Take A Rest' - Okudzeto-Ablakwa" Adomonline.com / Ghanaweb.com 3/1/15).

One New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament was even reported to have nicknamed Mr. Mahama "The 'Promisedent' of Ghana." In other words, for Dr. Anthony Akoto-Osei of the main parliamentary opposition, the Ghanaian leader has become a veritable laughing stock whose stock-in-trade, these days, is to simply pile one promise upon another, wth absolutely no intention of fulfilling any one of these promises. Indeed, in the absence of presenting his countrymen and women with any politically refreshing ideas or new ways of constructively resolving the myriad problems facing the nation, about the only choice left to seasoned and robust politicians like the 2016 New Patriotic Party Presidential Candidate, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, was to nap through the largely pro-forma Mahama prolix.

In other words, contrary to what Deputy Education Minister Samuel Okudzeto-Ablakwa would have his audiences believe, Nana Akufo-Addo had graciously elected to nap through the President's all-too-perfunctory address, in show of solidarity, rather than rudely absent himself. Which was all well and good, because even the barely adult notorious Mahama communicator, Mr. Sam George Nettey, who not very long ago had taunted Nana Akufo as a "Grandpa" who was too exhausted in both strength and ideas, was also widely reported to have been fast asleep in the public gallery of Parliament House, and also to have been only four seats away from Ghana's main opposition leader.

Indeed, it would not be the least bit surprising if it should turn out that it was, in fact, Butterball Sam who put Nana Akufo-Addo to sleep. But what is even more fascinating to learn is the fact that even Vice-President Kwesi Bekoe Amissah-Arthur, Mr. Mahama's second-in-command, was also photographed supporting his head on one hand and dozing off hopelessly in his chair. Now, if the latter act of patent recklessness does not constitute high treason, I don't know what else is.

For Mr. Okudzeto-Ablakwa, Nana Akufo-Addo's dozing off in parliament was a prime signal that the most formidable challenger to his boss in the 2012 presidential election and presumably Election 2016, barring any unforeseen circumstances, woefully lacked the requisite stamina to direct and coordinate the affairs of our nation. And this is precisely and characteristically where Mr. Okudzeto-Ablakwa demonstrates his abject naivety and downright political vanity and vacuity. For the presidency is not an athletic contest, inasmuch as the health of any would-be president deserves our utmost scrutiny as a nation.

Rather, it is the intellectual agility, creativity and administrative competence of any would-be president of Ghana that matters. And it is, sad to say, in these very critical aspects of great and ideal leadership skills and qualities that President Mahama may be aptly envisaged to be eerily lacking. And this is what earnest, albeit novice, hirelings like Mr. Okudzeto-Ablakwa ought to be worried about in the leadup to Election 2016.

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