We Need Answers, Mr. President!!!

President John Dramani Mahama

President John Dramani Mahama
I hear voices, voices of lamentations. Yes, the pitch and tone of these voices are in weary

stanzas. Men, women, the youngsters, children, and even the fading bones are all lamenting at

the emptiness of their lives. A whole nation has now drown itself in tears about its vain wealth.

A question for you, papa of the land. Could it be, you cannot hear the cries of your own blood

or you just don't want to smell the stench it brings nor feel it's distasteful make up? Why must

you crown our shattered selves with your mocking's and stroke the heart of a whole nation with

brokenness, bitterness and emptiness? Could you not as a papa pin the predicaments of your

children into the foot of your thoughts to prove your potentiality?

Sorry Mr. President, we the people of this land are saying two years of your office came slower

than what life has spat on us. Wake up, wake up papa Johnny, for our pain is woven into words

of emotional grief. Nights no longer bring us sleep and suffering has now become a blessing.

The day has golf us with hustling. It seems like this government has stripped us off our dignity as

citizens. If the gods of the land can't sympathize with the people, who else can we tie our hopes

on?
Who then should hear our tired voices? Is it a presidential throne that reeks us of a home? The

mortal body of uncle Atta who sees no beauty in our smile? A cedi which denies us of simple

respect? Or a greedy and selfish government that perhaps does not remember what they stole

from its citizens? If we lament, we lament because our lives have been slay through the painful

mist of reality.
As human beings lament, so do our 'Cedi'. Its questions are too audible for man to reckon.

And so we hear questions like; Why do I feel so small? Why must I deal in crows, selling part

of my soul away? Is the dollar going to tear me into pieces leaving me with no value, or will it

crucify me for good? Too bad Mr. President, with all these hullabaloos stocking our economy,

not even a fly has your attention anymore. Not even your oath could distract us from our fears

or help fight this pain away. So with due respect, Mr. President, we crave for answers to even

the simplest question that have a dint of lamentation to the promising note in quest to the 'Better

Ghana' agenda you vouch.
Finally, could you please explain why your Ministers take the below salaries and allowances

while we the people who voted them into power are left in tattered penury?

Salaries and Allowances of Mahama' s Ministers:
• Basic Salary - GHC 10,000
• Duty Allowance - 50% of basic salary(GHC 5,000)
• Special Allowance - 30% of basic salary(GHC 3,000)

• Entertainment Allowance - 35% of basic salary(GHC 3,500)

• Wardrobe Allowance - 10% of basic salary(GHC 1,000)

Minister's Grand Total = GHC 22,500.
 
Other benefits for Ministers include;
• 45 Gallons of fuel a week
• Fully furnished Accommodation
• One 4×4 cross country Land Cruiser
• One luxury Saloon Car
• One Chauffeur
• One Cook
• One Garden
• One Steward
• One Security Guard
• Police Escort
• Ex-gratia of GHC 400,000
Mr. President, this is how much you are paying for almost 100 Ministers you have

appointed. We no bore if you want your Ministers to chop 'yanfuyanfu' but the question

here is, why must you wreck us from our basic necessities when you know very well that,

we are the same people who feel your coffers? Anyway, none of these questions will

worth asking if answers are not given.
Our toils have been wounded now and until 2016 comes to meet us while we are still alive, we

won't blame our sadness today. What your throne gave us was a bitter lemon but we refuse to

eat it with its bitter back. And if you can see beyond these walls of treason and ceased to listen

to these voices of weariness, then throw back our questions to us with your silence that rings

volumes. For this huge black covering over our countenance has lifted and summoned a tinsel of

life to flatter our cheeks. May the lamenting lips of Ghanaians blur no more of your silence.

Say something, Mr. President. Speak out, Mr. Dramani. We need Answers NOW!!!

 
By Rita Efua A. Ainsoh