Feature Article, by Nana Akyea Mensah, The Odikro.

Just like the infamous e-mail hoax "Rawlings hit-list" that emerged towards the end of the 2008 Presidential elections, was designed to give the impression that President Mills could not be trusted to be his own man, when everyone who cared to know, knew that he was his own man, today, we know the truth. In much the same vein almost everyone knows that our President may be guilty of other sins, but corruption is not one of them! It is this reputation that has proved unassailable for the NPP because even some of their own gurus, such as Mr. Kwame Pianim, have come out to attest to the integrity of President Mills.

There is no point to insult our intelligence in an attempt to resolve, what appears a difficult problem for the authors of this mischief. In insulting the intelligence of the public, people normally expose their own lack of it! This is how I see this weak-minded attempt to smear the President. I am very happy that I was certain the information was false. It is not simply because I have been proved right, and the feel-good effect of being vindicated. I am someone who likes to learn a lot from the past so that I am not easily deceived in the future. My happiness stems from the fact that the spinners behind such dangerous lies did not succeed in deceiving me.

For starters, it did not sound so intelligent to expect Mr. Anyidoho to claim that a whole mansion was a gift, when the President had even publicly refused Christmas gifts! The plot's contrivance lies in such an unintelligent lie. I was certain no Presidential spokesperson would say that even if the mansion were really to be a gift! It would have been far more credible if anything but a gift had been assigned to the Presidential spokesperson.

Secondly, it is not like this is the first attempt. And here, there is the need to underline the real motives behind these malicious lies. They have found the growing recognition of the President's honesty by a significant segment of the Ghanaian population, which vehemently abhor the type of corruption that was associated with the NPP Administration.

Most of the characters who featured in the grab of state bungalows are still around. Some have even been promoted by their party. Apart from the Speaker of the NPP-led Parliament who was reported to have barely stripped his residence of whatever could be removed, including ceiling fans and air-conditioners! As for the refrigerators and other house-hold matter even during the last minute campaign in November 2008, without any shame, and without honour, such as Mr. Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey, who is still leading the NPP today as its National Chairman!

It is the attempt to cover up their own corrupt records, and break even at the level of public opinion that is forcing them to concoct these lies. I was not surprised at all to read the denial of Mr. Anyidoho as follows:

"The Director of Communications at the Presidency, Koku Anyidoho, has denied media reports that President Mills has accepted a mansion as a gift from Regimanuel Gray Estates."

In other words, PeaceFM News is in the eye of the storm. Mr. Kofi Anyidoho insists there was no interview, and he never said to anyone that it was a gift, so what warranted the following account, other than plain mischief? PeaceFM News reported :

"...in an exclusive interview with PeaceFM News, Director of Communications at the Presidency explained that the building is a gift to President Mills as a token of appreciation from Regimanuel Grey Estate Limited."

The report went further to specifically quote Mr. Anyidoho as saying, “…It’s not true that he has constructed a new building for him as it is being alleged. It was a building that was given to him as a gift…they themselves decided to do it as a token…”.

(See: Prez Mills’ 'New Mansion' Is A Gift – Koku Anyidoho, General News of Tuesday, 16 August 2011,* Source: *peacefmonline).

What left no doubt in my mind as to the main intention behind these lies were the following words in the story:

"Previously it had been assumed that the new edifice was going to house the security men guarding the president. But the magnitude and beauty of the new structure has put paid to any such suggestions…with many wondering at the extreme funds that is suddenly available to our humble president, who has stated publicly that he cares so much for Ghanaians that he is not going to receive his per diem.”

For someone who has been in competitive politics for years, the fact that his opponents have failed to unearth a single stain of corrupt practice in his long career must speak volumes. The only conspicuous aspect of the latest attempt to smear the President points to the fact that his opponents are becoming desperate.

My immediate reaction was simple:

"If really the facts of the matter turn out to confirm that President John Evans Atta-Mills has accepted a house as a gift, I shall not only feel completely deceived and disappointed, I shall be very angry. I hate hypocrites and liars! And I do not like to be taken for a fool. I support the President because, among other reasons, I sincerely believe that he is an honest person.I really do not believe a bit of this story which looks more than a psy-ops than anything else!" I am happy I was proved right. And to get the full picture, I looked a little bit around to see what else in the news could have a bearing on this insight. It was then that I saw a curious piece of information in the General News of Tuesday, 16 August 2011, same day, with the title: “I’m a nice person”- Nana Akufo-Addo, Source:* *Joy Online. I read what appeared to be a very elaborate campaign by the NPP flag-bearer, Mr. Nana Akufo-Addo, "to demystify all the wrong perceptions people had about him":

“One of the things that amuse me to some extent is comments from my critics. The propaganda machine of the people on the other side is geared towards painting me as some sort of a mad man and a man who is out of touch with realities of our people; these are absurd attempts to demonize me. It’s not true, I’m a nice person”.

At least, for now, we all know who is being carefully presented as an angel, and who is being demonized! This is very important. The reason why this is very important is very simple. It determines how the story back fires!

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*Forward Ever! Backwards Never!!!*

*Cheers!*

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*Nana Akyea Mensah, The Odikro*

*E-Mail: nanaakyeamensah@gmail.com*

*Twitter: http://twitter.com/TheOdikro*

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