Opinions of Thursday, 15 November 2012

Columnist: Nkansah, Derek

Would Mahama listen to Pastor Otabil?

By: Derek PK NKansah

I would like to congratulate Pastor Mensah Otabil on taking a stand against the soiling of his well earned reputation and against that of the good people of Ghana. He is someone I had always admired as a disciplinarian who speaks his mind without any fear whatsoever. He is a good man and has shown he is indeed a good shepherd. I am very worried that people in power will sink to such low level, even with the many examples that we have had of people/governments/personalities that lost what they desperately wanted to acquire through illegal means by resorting to unorthodox means.

And even more worrying, President Mahama doesn't seem to see or hear anything. What has happened to your Oath of Office, Your Excellency, Mr President? Why are you so silent? Have you lost control of the party? Are they shunning you and doing their own thing?

How pro-active are you? And you want 4 more years? No! no!! no!!! no!!! no!!!! no!!!!!!

Mr President, Your Excellency, the pastor didn't say this, nor did he imply what I am about to write so before you start attacking him, please note, these are my own opinions. Do not attribute these private comments to him. I don't think you or the NDC should be given another four years. You and your NDC would have to do some sober reflection in opposition, re-group with the right leaders and then come back. You are certainly out of your depth and you have definitely overstayed your welcome.

Ghanaians, enough is enough! We need some sanity in our political discourse, some level of maturity. The NDC has displayed time and again that it doesn't matter who you are and what you are, if you criticize or "offend" them, they will send their arsenal after you, in whatever form, physical and spiritual, and yes I mean physical as well as spiritual.

Ghana is a fine country, politics is a fine art. It's about people; it's about what they want, where they want to be and how they want to get there. The NDC has brought a very negative reputation to our politics unknown and unparalleled in this our fine country. It is a shame and worse, the president doesn't seem to understand what is happening in his party. Get grips on! Mr President. Can we have some decency, please, and can the president display some leadership of his party at least if not of the country? Your quest for four more years, Mr President, depended on delivery to the country and the people, but so far, you haven't delivered. Have you, Mr President? Isn't this the reason why your people, very desperate to hang on to power, have done this evil and continue to plot evil against this fine country and its fine people?

You are to show leadership of your party, for "charity", as they say, "begins at home". If you can't manage your house, how do you manage others?

Pastors have been attacked for saying what they would always say, "the right things". You may not like what they say, but they have a duty to say it regardless. King David had to humbly accept what he was being told when Nathan showed up and not only rebuked him for what he'd done but also to tell him what would befall his house for the sin again Uriah.

I believe his punishment was lessened when he accepted it in good faith and he was later to regain great strength and his crown.

Albert Einstein said, "The world is a dangerous place, not because of those who do evil, but because of those who look on and do nothing". He had repeated Edmund Burke's "the necessary thing for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing".

Good men, like the Pastor and many others before and after him will continue to do what they do best, to speak about things they think aren't right ought to be corrected. If you are a leader and can't take criticisms, then perhaps you should not be in that role. And in fact you should not be there because you seem not to be able to control your party.

General Mosquito made the famous “the pastors should take their Bible and we will take our constitution" statement. No one reprimanded him. Today, it has been taken to different levels, to "evil" levels, stopping at nothing. This is a case of "Saaayooooo, onukpa b3 shia lo"? to wit, "there's a fight, there's a fight, isn't there an elder in the house". Your men are running riot!

No one owns Ghana but Ghanaians. The decision as to who rules over us will always be made without fear or favour, every four years at the ballot box on the 7th of December. We shall not be cowed or coerced into making that decision by anyone, especially the NDC. This is our right and if that in power right now cannot understand this simple right, then "tough".

I repeat - the NDC is out of its depth, it has run out of promises; it is intellectually bankrupt and has overstayed its welcome.

At this point, their desperado politics will not save them today, tomorrow or ever. They need a sober reflection in opposition. They need to pay for the sin of deceiving Ghanaians and that deceit is at its height when a Pastor's messages are joined totally out of context, spliced, diced and then joined together to cause harm, mischief and evil. It is tantamount to treachery of the highest order and certainly, that cannot be the alternative that wants to govern us. Heck no!

Ghanaians, arise! Take down this government at the ballot box on the 7th December 2012. Take it down and let some decency return to our politics. When they come with their money, take it, because it isn't theirs but Ghana's. Take the money, but do not vote for them.

The current NDC is a big, fat, scary, intolerant and gobbling wolf in sheep clothing and they will eat us all alive if they get another 4 years.

Arise Ghanaians, listen to reason, please let's all together get rid of the NDC. Ghana will be better without them.