Opinions of Friday, 23 December 2016

Columnist: Baidoo, Philip Kobina

NDC should remind themselves of Ama Benyiwa-Doe’s rants

Ama Benyiwa-Doe Ama Benyiwa-Doe

By Philip Kobina Baidoo Jnr

Ghanaians spoke on 7th of December with the power of a pneumatic sledgehammer. It was sharp and decisive. It appears the incumbent party never anticipated such an outcome from the look of things. The proverbial blame game has started in earnest; kicking mud and dust in all directions.

As expected, the political pathologists are not making things easy for them either. The most revealing part is that I never knew the NDC have so many coroners, however they are awful at it, and it has rather opened the Pandora box.

They have lost an election that they honestly believed it was in the bag.

Whether it was a genuine belief is not for me to say. However, their perceptions and those of Ghanaians were on different frequencies. They pushed on with their infrastructural development as if it was the only thing Ghanaians cared about. Besides, if they had kept the cost down and not inflate them beyond acceptable levels the electorates would have probably danced to their tune.

As the screams of Ghanaians went into crescendo, they kept promoting their infrastructural agenda and even deceived themselves that Mahama was at par with Kwame Nkrumah. It was a fatal historical amnesia. It’s unforgiveable for them not to have incorporate into their thinking that regardless of all his impressive achievements, the patron saint of Ghanaian socialism was booted out violently with relish.

Nkrumah never listened when Ghanaians started complaining bitterly about the state of affairs during his time. But to his credit, at least, he admitted when he had been administered with the coup de grâce that had he known it was milk that Ghanaians wanted he would have constructed milk taps in their homes. This is the indefensible arrogance of the progressives, which led to the death of millions in China, Russia, Cambodia etc., because they think their perception of development is the ultimate.

Ama Benyiwa-Doe once said, and I am paraphrasing because she burst out in Fanti. She said that we do not fill our stomachs with roads when NPP was touting Kufuor’s achievement of improving our road infrastructure. Lo and behold, they repeated the same mantra to the surprise of those who dabble in Ghanaian political soundbites.

Even what further confuses me and electrified my shock is when they went on about what NPP did under President Kufuor’s administration. The point is why were they punished in 2008 and perhaps 2012? If they cannot understand this simple fact, then their ignorance cannot be defined. So, are they trying to tell Ghanaians that after SADA, Woyome, SUBA, GYEEDA etc. we should still vote for them? This is pride and impunity that stinks to the high heavens.

Why should Ghanaians reward the babies with sharp teeth who do not pay homage to our culture that put premium on the respect of the elderly. Why should we give children who spit on the fabric of our culture with vengeful maliciousness another chance? To administer the euthanasia pill or spray acid into our eye? Please! Ghanaians are not that stupid and ignorant.

The Akans have a saying that you cannot trample on the balls of a fool twice. It is possible the first time, but pain will make anybody wise up including a fool. Ghanaians trusted their precious testicles to President Mahama and his cohorts, and they trampled on it mercilessly.

Ghanaians want the best for their body politics and sterling management of their finances. If that is their main reason for punishing NPP in 2008 and 2012, why should the NDC be treated differently for the same behaviour. It’s Mahama and his cronies of insatiable vampires who will advance this argument, or someone who takes Ghanaians as fools.

Writer's e-mail: baidoo_philip@yahoo.co.uk