AN OPEN BOOK! WHO WILL OPEN THE BOOK? -ASK

In the word achievement are two extremes. Less achieved and more achieved. In between, there is the need to measure who had achieved more and who had achieved less. On the pendulum is the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP).

Over the past week, I have noted a very interesting response from the former president John Agyekum Kufour. While some Panama papers were lingering, he chose what to dwell on. He chose to clarify and to lay bare his achievements in the Volta Region in his 8 year rule.

Founded on a supposed statement that the president had stated that the NPP did nothing in the Volta Region under his government. That was a blatant untruth. What the president stated was that, they had 8 years; let them tell us what they had done for the people of Volta region.

In an attempt to address what the NPP had done, the former president John Agyekum Kufour ended up with an expensive untruth. He claimed the New Patriotic Party built the Ho Polytechnic a school that was long converted into a polytechnic in 1986 predating the NPP coming to power.

It is important to set the records straight and to put out facts that would stand the test of time. In so doing, you must be guided by truth as a single lie would shift the entire focus.

In another swift attempt to augment the untruth of his boss, the former Volta Regional minister opined that the road from Worawora to Dumbai was constructed by the NPP. This is an untruth, calculated to through dust in the eyes of the general unsuspecting public.

I have lived, and have witnessed the Worawora – Asukawkaw stretch of the road. Between 2001 and 2003, I lived in Asukawkaw where I acquired my secondary school certificate. I later went back in August 2008 and the state of the road remained deplorable.

It would not have required an article of this nature to tell the story. It would not require a radio interview from anyone to tell the difference.

However, that there are first-time voters some of whom may turn 18 in the near future becoming eligible to vote, some of whom may dwell on what politicians would say to make their choice, it would be appropriate to leave no room for lies to dwell.

The individual who would turn 18 this year, and who would be voting in the November 2016 elections, was just about 10 years when the NPP exited power. That today, the road from Kpando through Kwamekrom, through Worawora, through Asukawkaw to Dumbai is tarred, should an 18 year old potential voter use that route in his or her travel, there is the likelihood of believing the NPP constructed that road if the facts are left hanging

A first time voter, who gains admission into the Ho Polytechnic today, seeing the beautiful school that would soon turn into a Technical University, is likely to believe the NPP built that school and would be tempted to risk his or her vote.

Not too long ago, the running mate of for NPP flag bearer, Dr. Bawumia, was reported to have stated that the University for Development Studies (UDS) was built by the New Patriotic Party. We cannot risk allowing people to lie their way to power.

That, even in opposition, they have started branding toilets in NPP colours, we cannot expect anything less. They would seek to mark national properties as such just to drive home a point.

One great and unforgivable mistake a government in power and for that matter, a political party that has formed government can make, is to achieve greatly like the NDC government of today, and fail to tell the story to the people.

By assuming the achievements of government is an open book for all to see, we would be making a great mistake. The man who lives at Kwamekrom in my constituency, and who sees the construction of one of the Community Day Senior High Schools and who has not travelled out of the constituency, has no way of accessing that open book.

All he does might be to rise to the farm each morning, only to return in the evening. He might only rest on a Friday. Meanwhile, while on his way to the farm, he might carry his radio set as his Companion. All he would hear, would be via radio. There is the need to occupy that space and to recount the unparalleled achievements of His Excellency John Dramani Mahama.

Many might not be aware, the basis upon which they may feel shy to stand up to be counted as people who voluntarily would stand to speak for the NDC. The NPP, in its entire 8 years, does not have any project as huge as the ridge hospital in their record of achievements. Ask the NPP to show you a single project like that of the Legon Teaching Hospital and see if they have any such record to point at.

The NPP, in its entire 8 years, has no school structure as huge and the Community Day Senior High School which has 24 classrooms, a physical science laboratory, a biology laboratory, a chemistry laboratory, and a general science laboratory, a computer laboratory, a library, 8 teachers rest rooms, washrooms and office for the headmaster. Ask them for any secondary school structure of this nature and you would be amazed. They have none.

On the contrary, they gleefully branded 3-seater toilets, branded 6-unit classroom blocks, and what have you in the name of HIPC – free money. Delightedly, mortgaged huge national assets to be able to pay salaries of workers. To put it mildly, they marketed the little. While we fail to market the huge.

No one would do your job for you. Rise up and speak for your government. You have a greater and a superior story to tell. Don’t allow lies to win before the truth comes out. It will be too expensive, four years is not a joke