HANDLING THE PRESIDENT’S PHONE 10 -ASK

I had to go and pick the President’s phone were I left it on the Baobab tree far away in my village some 5 hours journey by road from Accra. This time round, due to the urgency with which I needed the phone to place some calls, I decided to call for the presidential helicopter to quicken my journey. After all, it is the President’s phone I was going to pick so some of these privileges can be accorded me.

While waiting for the helicopter, I passed by a group of people some of whom were holding the Green Book also known as ACCOUNTING TO THE PEOPLE.http://ghanapoliticsonline.com

So I joined them, stood by for a while to be able to ascertain the line of discussions before determining whether to add my voice or not.

I heard some raise some concerns that surprised me. “Yes, na so so infrastructure, infrastructure, he dey do, is that what we need?” Dont we have enough schools, enough hospitals, enough of the good roads? Charley, jobs no dey come.

Then I noticed it was an opportune time to launch into the discussion since I have no much time to spend with them.

“Guys, guys, guys, good morning. My name is ASK. I just took an interest in the discussions you guys are having. I listened to you carefully and I believe if care is not taken, you would make a mistake by voting out a government that is doing marvelously well for this country”.

“You mentioned the fact that the president is only building infrastructure. And even proceeded to ask if that is what we need” Am I right? Then one responded, “exactly what are saying. We dont need them”.

I then took my turn to evangelise on these assertions. ” Are you saying we dont need these hospitals coming up? Are you saying the CHPS compounds are not needed? Are you telling us that the construction of schools across the country are needless?”.

“Are you in anyway saying that the roads being constructed like the Circle Interchange, Kasoa Interchange, the asphalting of 75 kilometres of roads in Accra and regional capitals are all needless?”

Are you also saying, that the investments in the housing sector is needless? And also the supply of sophisticated medical equipment and especially the re-establishment of the children theatre in Korle Bu are not things we need?”.

Then I began posing some critical questions. “Has any of the hospitals, polyclinics, CHPS compounds completed been left unoccupied? Have you seen or heard of any that is lying idle?”. Then I heard a loud voice, NO.

“Good, have you heard of any of the schools built lying idle? Are you aware that students are studying under trees? Have you bothered to know what they need? Haven’t schools from Kindergarten through to the universities built been occupied? The Volta University which is the latest to come on board, had been filled with students”.

“Have you seen any drivers and citizens avoid using the good roads you have seen for yourself because they are not what we need as a people?”. Then another loud response, Noooo.

Then I proceeded, “you see, the mere fact that these hospitals as soon as they are done are occupied, it does not become a matter of need, but a question of whether or not, what we have built is enough”.

Then you spoke of jobs. “Indeed, job issues had been a worry for this government. However, have you seen an infrastructure that never employed anyone? At least, when the schools are completed, teachers are employed to teach in them. The hospitals that have been completed are occupied by professional health workers. Can you and I refuse to classify their situation as not a form of employment aside those who put up those structures?”.

“Let us not make a mistake. We were promised some time ago that jobs would be provided for all who are ” able and willing to work”. “In the end, monkeys, water falls, aboakyere, president kicking football at AFNCON tournament were the records in the NPP positive change document”. “Do you compare that to this book? This book contains projects whose locations have been attached”. “My brothers and sisters, I have to go. Let’s continued what we have started rather than bring in another 4 years of complaints”.

The helicopter arrived and I had to make myself available to join. As soon as I picked the phone, I had a call from someone who wanted to know my take on the turn out in relation to the limited registration exercise.

“Well, did we have at the back of our minds a specific number of people who must register and the numbers to be registered per day to be pontificating low turn out? In any case, we had a similar situation during the major registration in 2012. People were worried at the low turnout by our people. In the end, after the defeat, some individuals proceeded to court and later started “bloated register”. How did that happen all of a sudden?”.

“So today, if people are still disturbing our ears with this low turnout thing, I ask, are we calling on people to come and bloat the already ‘bloated’ register the more?”

“What at all do we want? We seem confused. As for yaanom, you cannot understand them. They are always looking for ways to cut short your enthusiasm to celebrate victory”.

“They did it to Professor Mills. He couldn’t celebrate his victory. He had to call on his supporters to be magnanimous in victory and refused to even celebrate for fear of annoying the losers”.

“In the case of president Mahama, his victory was truncated by the beatings of his enthusiastic supporters who were in his party shirts. Just about the time of his victory, there were reports of someone in NDC T-Shirt found dead at Taifa. Then the circle atrocities followed.”

“So, like am saying, these people will always be part of creating a problem and then be quick to exonerate themselves once they lose. Don’t waste your time understanding the logic. You simply cannot unnderstand”.

…….to be continued……

ASK