HANDLING THE PRESIDENT’S PHONE 25 -ASK

Yesterday happened to be my birthday. And as was unanticipated, the wishes were completely overwhelming. Last year was massive, but this year’s wishes were massive and humongous making it extremely difficult staying to acknowledge each and everyone who sent me a birthday message. I say a big thank you to all of you for making a mark in my life.

While responding to messages on the various social media platforms, I had a few calls from friends and well wishers. Key among the calls were four very outstanding calls from 4 comrades; three in Ghana and one from the United Kingdom.

To put it just as I would wish, they were extremely motivating. Much so because for two, we had walked this political journey for many years together. In the end, our resolve to keep up the work was resounding, and that is the motivation.

Permit me to also use this opportunity to express gratitude to the woman who brought me into this world and made sure she did her best to give me what I needed to coexist; tolerance, respect, love and above all, focus. Yesterday was her 8th anniversary since her passing. Rest in peace mom.

Have we forgotten this year is Hajj in any way? It appears so because the game changer, John Dramani Mahama had made the exercise of Hajj no longer a burden to warrant news. Indeed, the exercise this year has been a smooth one resulting in citizens losing sight of the fact that Pilgrims for Mecca have been departing from Ghana since Friday.

Since coming to power, the NDC had consciously made steps to ensure some level of dignity was accorded participants of this Holy exercise recognized in the tenets of Islam.

The famous Hajj Village became associated with Hajj every time Ghanaian Muslims were preparing for Hajj. Though not perfect, it was better than the situation where our Muslim brothers and sisters had to rely on their own fate and in the scorching sun to be able to make their journey to Mecca.

Then the administration, realising that majority of the pilgrims are from the three northern regions; Northern Region, Upper East Region and Upper West Region, decided to expand the Tamale Airport into an international status to enable direct airlifting of pilgrims of the northern sector from Tamale, thereby doing away with the challenges at the Hajj Village.

Through the visionary leadership of the president, on Friday, images and videos made the rounds of the first flight that left the Tamale Airport to Mecca for the first time, an exercise that was fronted with skepticism from his detractors who basically have no focus.

This is a significant intervention considering the unfortunate comments by the running mate of the opposition who only though Ghana needed a Muslim vice president to address issues of Muslims in the country.

If for nothing at all, under the previous NPP administration, we had a Muslim vice president who couldn’t bright forth any ideas aimed at ameliorating the perennial difficulties associated with Hajj. It took John Dramani Mahama and John Evans Atta Mills both Christians, to birth the idea of a Hajj Village, a solution that was broadly appreciated by the Islamic community.

Today, it took another Christian ticket, John Dramani Mahama and Amissah Arthur to initiate this huge intervention to bring relief to our Muslim brothers and sisters. This defeats the notion that the Islamic community in Ghana can only thrive peacefully and be recognized only when a certain Bawumia, a Muslim, is given a space in the Flagstaff House.

It is a fact, and undeniably so, that the statutory holidays established for the our Muslim brothers and sisters were instituted under the presidency of Fl. Lt. Jerry John Rawlings a Christian. I wouldn’t doubt if their forebears present at the time had opposed the idea. Don’t forget President Rawlings told us they had been in the system for long but only engaged in name changing.

That explains how the NDC had committed itself towards advancing the course of every Ghanaian irrespective of tribe, race, religion, colour, and what have you.

What have they resorted to this time round? Attacks on the First Lady Mrs. Lordina Mahama. One may be wondering why they would go after the first lady leaving the man they are contesting in the 2016 elections.

Every election year, their flagbearer gives enough reasons for his competence to be disputed. He is incoherent, appear confused, and clearly act as someone who had seen the future as unfavorable to him. A man born to kill elephants would not waste time visiting rat holes remember?

The NDC has in president Mahama, a formidable candidate who had appeared consistent, coherent, tough, focused, tolerant, compassionate, and intelligent. To this end, anything that would distract the attention of the NDC from projecting the president they are contesting, must be activated.

What do you expect from people who are seeing YAMAHA as MAHAMA? It is no longer about what makes sense. The battle had become tough, and so, throw in anything for the discussion. Let’s see if that would give us a chance, has become the language of the opposition.

The First Lady has been known to have engaged in philanthropic activities long before her husband became president. On the other hand, her supposed ‘in waiting’ is not known for anything except for some recent activities to woo voters to vote for her husband.

“This matter, is not want to talk plenty” as someone would say. What we must understand is that, a waste of time on these people is an effective way to prevent you from showcasing the Green Book. A waste of time on them is a way to prevent our discussion of the successful campaign launch. A focus on them apparently is a way of getting us off discussing the launch of our manifesto that would change the game plan.

Let us stay focused. Let us carry our old testament which is contained in the Green Book, chronicling our achievements while we wait for the new testament to be outdoored on Saturday 27th August, 2016 for us to go evangelising.

May God Bless us all!

…………to be continued …………

ASK