I could not hold back, but to write a rejoinder to the above titled article that appeared on this website and was written by one Abdul Samiu Nuamah. It’s unfortunate when a learned Ghanaian like A.S. Nuamah allow himself to be fooled by President J.A. Mills to vote for the NDC, because of his “love and respect” for the Islamic religion, but not for the substance of his message and the NDC manifesto. I’m not sure where the learned Muslim brother was during the elections. For those of us in Ghana during the election, we know for a fact that Ghanaian Muslims did not allowed themselves to be fooled into voting for President JAM as Mr. Nuamah allowed himself to, but rather for the substance of his message and the wind of CHANGE that was blowing across the world, starting with Pres. Obama in USA.

Mr. Nuamah should have checked the Prof. JAM’s pre-presidency records about his love and respect for the Muslim community before he wrote his article. His utmost respect for the National Chief Imam, Council of Ullama, Ghana National Muslim Council and the Zongo community was exceptional and surpassed that of the sitting Muslim Vice-President. Where was the Vice- President A. Mahama when Prof. J. A. Mills was serving food and giving pep talk to stranded Ghanaian Muslim pilgrims at the airport? The least said about Prof J.A.M not selecting a Muslim for a vice-president the better. Wasn’t Alhaji A. Mahama a Vice-President under President J.A.Kuffour? Yet he was not a presidential candidate good enough for J.A. kuffour to endorse, just as J.J Rawlings’ “Swedru Declaration”. Because he’s Muslim and highest office a Muslim could get to in Ex-President JAK world is the VEEP.

Can Mr. Nuamah prove one contribution or achievement of the last Muslim Vice-President before asking for more? How many new schools did Alhaji A Mahama help built in the Zongo or Muslim community during his tenure as a Veep? How many mosques did he help built or renovated? Did he help improve the predicament of the annual Hajj Pilgrims? This was the first ever Muslim VEEP who could not even buy a carpet or help get fund for the central mosque. All he cared for was his family, friends and political affiliates being on the first possible flight to Hajj and the rest of the Muslims can go to HELL. Ghanaian Hajj Pilgrims suffered the worst experience in the history of Ghana under Alhaji A. Mahama.

The VEEP could not use his influence to get fund and help improve the Zongo community when he traveled to all those Middle Eastern countries. If the likes of Sheik Mustapha Ibrahim of Nima can solicit for funds from rich Arab/Muslim citizens from Middle East to build mosques, bore-hole and schools, why can’t a Muslim VEEP? We also would not like to see another Muslim VEEP’s son whose only headline in the media is about corruption or when he duped his fellow citizens, especially his Muslim brothers.

I thought my learned Muslim brother will use the exemplary leadership of President Mills, to encourage and educate the Zongo community about the importance of education. So that the next time the learned Professor/President Mills wants to nominate a woman from the Zongo community to his cabinet, we wouldn’t send a WAAKYE seller. Did Mr. Nuamah ask himself if that’s all WE, the Zongo Muslims, could offer the President? A waakye seller? If the likes of Nuamah can’t be grateful and thank the President for his historic choice of nominating a Muslim Waakye seller, when there are a lot of Christian waakye and kenkey seller, then he should consider that as being Fooled.

Since MR. Nuamah lives in London, how many Muslims Ghanaians does he meet on the streets as compared to those in the universities? We Ghanaian Muslims should bow our heads in shame than blame the President for the limited number of Muslims in his cabinet. Most of us came to these foreign countries looking for greener pastures, but ended up in the universities. But my question is, are the likes of Mr. Nuamah ready to give up the thousands of dollars and pounds we earn a week, to pack our bags and go back home, take a pay-cut and help build mother Ghana? I don’t think so. If not, how do we maximize the number of educated loud-mouth Muslims in the cabinet? Illiteracy is a major epidemic in the Muslim community. It will be nice if the Zongo community have more of the likes of the young Minister of Youth, the Hon Alhaji Muntaka Mohammed Mubarak. But how can we, when 70% to 80% of our youth are either drop-outs or never been to school? But rather waiting for a miracle to travel to Europe or America to work as security guards, nurse’s aides and house-keeping (no disrespect for any of these jobs) and the educated Muslims back home will always tell you that “politics is a dirty game”.

I will advice Mr. Nuamah that, the next time he gets the opportunity to vote, he should vote for the substance in a politician’s message, but not for his appearance or religious affiliation, so that he does not FOOL himself and blame the one he voted for. It’s about time we educate our Muslim brothers in Ghana about getting involve in the day-to-day governing of mother Ghana and stop sitting on the fence. Or else we will always be sitting on the back-bench or eventually on the floor behind the back-benchers. How about educating and making our parents aware that, a woman does not only belong in the kitchen? And also stop them from shopping for husbands for our little sisters from the age of sixteen, but rather encourage those little sisters to continue with their education to the highest possible level. So that we would have educated women for the next President, anytime he knocks on the Zongo door for a patriotic Muslim woman to serve the country in his cabinet.

Muhammed S. S. Jawando, LRT. New York Presbyterian Hospital mjawando@verizon.net / mjawando@yahoo.com