There is a needless argument going on in Ghana now as to whether President John Dramani Mahama is in his first or second term in office. This needless argument has been brought about by the New Patriotic Party, the party that describes itself as the party of rule of law and the party of true democracy. These are the same people who needlessly took Ghana to the Supreme Court and wasted our 8 good months.
On myjoyonline.com, dated January 8, 2015 there is an article under the title “Mahama is in his seventh year – Kwabena Agyapong.” I want readers to know that this Kwabena Agyapong is the General Secretary of the NPP. In the said article, Kwabena Agyapong was quoted as saying on Fox FM in Kumasi that it would be highly unfair on the part of the NDC to attribute their inefficiencies to the fact that President John Mahama has not been in office for long, stressing that the NDC and President Mahama have entered the twilight of their second term.
After the General Secretary of the leading opposition party had made the above reckless statement on Fox FM, the communicators and serial callers of the NPP did not see the fallacy in the statement but went from radio station to radio station repeating the same mistake that Kwabena Agyapong did. How could intelligent people in the party of rule of law begin a needless debate that President John Mahama is in his second term? Because of their ignorance, they have started writing and saying the Mahama/Amissah-Arthur ticket for 2016 as NDC/Mahama ticket for 2016. If you were President John Mahama, you would always pray for patience to be able to deal with these types of people.
The NPP in their desperate attempt to come to power at all cost and by any means, have suddenly forgotten that the constitution of Ghana grants a President, not a party, a 2 term of 4 years each. In other words, a President, not a party, has 4 years to finish his or her first term and then go back to the people for another term of 4 years. The NPP has begun to plant in their minds that the constitution of Ghana grants a PARTY a 2 term in office. So the NDC has been in office for 8 years and therefore President John Mahama has also been in office for 8 years. Can you believe strong lawyers with good academic and practical achievements making such argument? Can you believe the party of true democracy losing its way and making such arguments? At what level of commonsense will you place this argument?
The motive behind this needless argument is to tell Ghanaians who think like them to believe that President John Mahama has been in power for 8 years and so it is time to change him logically. If the NPP think and want some Ghanaians to believe the President has been in power for 8 years and still campaigning to be retained in power, they should take the President to court or impeach him because he is doing something clearly against the constitution of Ghana. On the other hand, if the President is doing what is right, don’t the NPP see themselves as stupid beings in the eyes of Ghanaians? Instead of the NPP giving Ghanaians messages of hope, they are rather falsely reminding us that President John Mahama has been in office for 8 years. They say that with confidence as if Ghanaians don’t know the constitution.
Take the Nayele’s cocaine case and the politics of petrol that the NPP has engaged themselves in. You could see clearly that the NPP has no message for Ghanaians going into the 2016 elections. Seriously, we have just two years into the elections and the NPP has not been able to put their house in order. Immediately after their national delegates’ congress in Tamale, some people advocated for early congress to elect their flag bearer so he can have enough time to campaign. Six months after the flag bearer was elected, all he has said to Ghanaians is that the voters register is boated, and so the Electoral Commission should start a fresh voters’ registration for election 2016. What a joke!
Ladies, and gentlemen, when you look at all that is going on with the NPP and Ghana, it clearly shows that the NPP is not ready for 2016. Even Nana Akufo-Addo is campaigning to support the NPP’s Agenda 2020. He left for London to visit his grandchild and he stayed there for over a month. Is that how a serious leader who wants to become a President should do? Listen to Nana Akomea, the Director of Communications saying that the NPP will use Nayele’s cocaine saga as a campaign tool against the NDC. He also said all the good projects the NDC has put on the ground across the country is called “jack, where are you projects” Mr Boakye Agyarko, the 2012 Campaign manager of the NPP called the good projects as “waste.” Nana Addo arrived in the country from his London trip on a Wednesday. The following day (Thursday) Nana Akomea was asked on PeaceFM when Nana was arriving from London, he answered that when Nana arrives, all Ghanaians will know about it. Which means the Communications Director of the NPP did not even know when Nana Akufo-Addo arrived into the country. Simply put, the NPP lack good and responsible leadership. In Ghana since 1957, no party has won elections with bad and irresponsible leadership. If you disagree, wait until December 2016 and bring me my stone.
Meanwhile, Friends of John Dramani Mahama (USA Chapter) is still accepting applications for membership. Registration is free for now. If you have not registered, call the number below or send an email and someone will welcome you warmly. Membership is open to all Ghanaians world-wide.

Lawrence Appiah-Osei (Protocol)
Chairman
Friends of John Dramani Mahama (USA Chapter)
Appiah65@Hotmail.com
703-400-1621