Accountability is a complex and multifaceted concept. It is one of the hallmarks of democracy. But despite its importance, many people fail to utilize such a powerful tool. Ironically, in the case of Democratic Ghana, there is no such thing called accountability.

Due to unbridled devoted attachment, we routinely decline to hold public officials accountable, in spite of their persistent dereliction of duty and irrevocable shenanigans. Paradoxically, the incontinent loyal Ghanaians are always ready to pounce on whoever takes it upon her/himself to criticise their ‘Moses’. Shockingly, the uncritical followers have been indoctrinated to reject the truth. For instance, they have been brainwashed to pronounce ‘a cow as a sheep’ and, ‘a white sheep as a black cow’; that is not clever. Is it? Do you blame these uncritical followers ? I don’t blame them. Because even people like Adolf Hitler, Saddam Hussein and Osama Bin Ladin had followers who strenuously propagated their masters’ evil agenda.

Following the publication of my umpteenth article titled ‘Mahama is not humble, he is disrespectful’; which appeared on Ghana web on Monday 26 November 2012, it has become necessary for me to ‘set the records straight’.

Actually, in the said article, I held our President, Mahama accountable for his frequent use of abusive language, e.g. “baloney”. As expected, the incontinent loyal supporters of President Mahama mulishly poured insults and curses on me. I don’t blame them, because they are not familiar with the word ‘accountability’.

In fact, in the said article, I put forth some intemperate quotes from President Mahama, which I do not expect them to come from the lips of the President of Ghana. For instance, President Mahama once said to his parliamentary colleagues, “baloney”, meaning ‘useless or nonsense. He also told Ghanaians that they are engaging in useless discourse for debating on suitable burial place of late President Mills. President Mahama uncharacteristically abused Ashanti Parliamentarians in one of the sittings. He bantered: ‘Ashantis cannot pronounce ‘L&R’. President Mahama again cut a slur on visually impaired people. He said:”Only people who cannot see criticise NDC government”. I also recall President Mahama cheekily told former president Kuffour: “We will kill a fly with a bulldozer”. Honestly, the list of President Mahama’s intemperate language is not exhaustive. However, time and space will not allow me to elaborate on all of them.

In practice, I held our President accountable in my article for his use of abusive language. I exercised my democratic right by making use of the quintessence of democracy- accountability. But, as I have stated earlier, the word accountability is unknown to many Ghanaians. Therefore the squinty sympathisers of President Mahama misconstrued my intention as a mere crude caricature on their “Moses”.

Astonishingly, ‘Probity and Accountability’ supposed to be Ndc party’s ‘slogan’, but the party sympathisers are not familiar with their own ‘slogan’.’Wonders shall never end’ indeed, they say. ‘And, for lack of knowledge, my people perish’, says the holy book (Bible).

So, after perusing the said article, the unreflective thinkers of NDC party went ahead and hurled insults on me. One of them chastised me euphemistically:”You bloody cleaner, concentrate on your cleaning job in UK and leave the affairs of Ghana to Ghanaians”. Though, I do not intend to squabble over the ‘cleaner’ banter, I have decided to illuminate the abuser’s benightedness, that is, I intend to educate the individual.

Yes, when I arrived in UK some Methuselah years’ ago, I engaged in cleaning job. I am not used to crime, so cleaning job was appropriate at the time. Unfamiliar to profligacy, I saved a lot of money out of my cleaning wages. I then decided to upgrade my knowledge. I have since acquired enviable skills and qualifications. You see, engaging in cleaning job is better than ‘stealing’. If I had resorted to crime, I would have probably been in prison by now. So my friend, always choose ‘a cleaning job over ‘crime’.

Ghana, your country, my country, will never see prosperity unless ‘you and me’ begin to learn how to take our irresponsible officials to task. For instance, NDC party promised ‘one time NHIS premium payment’, but reneged on the implementation. In this instance, you would expect Ghanaians to hold NDC government accountable for reneging on such policy. Likewise, if NPP party wins power in the forthcoming general elections, and fails to implement the expedient free ‘SHS’ policy, Ghanaians must do the honest thing by holding NPP government accountable.

So my friend, henceforth, learn, and hold your leaders’ accountable for their endless nonfeasance!

K. Badu, UK.