Akua Donkor’s Italy Trip A Total Waste of Taxpayers’ Money—CENAB-USA

“Governance is serious business for serious minds.” We have heard this saying many a time, and it speaks volumes. But it appears the NDC government under the leadership of John Mahama simply does not get it. They have reduced governance to a vulgar joke.

The hue and cry about the inclusion of Akua Donkor in the government’s delegation to Italy has been deafening, and in fact too loud to ignore. Over the past week, Ghanaians have rained a barrage of anger and indignation on the government, and rightly so, because the government’s move was nothing but ridiculous.

CENAB-USA wants to state unequivocally that it does not in any way fancy Akua Donkor’s trip to Italy as a member of the government delegation, and on the back of the taxpayers’ monies. We find the government’s reason that Akua Donkor was selected in her capacity as a farmer to be laughable and moronic. It is simply ludicrous.

CENAB’s position is that if indeed the government needed farmers to be part of the trip, they could have gone for the National Best Farmer or the President of the Ghana National Association of Farmers and Fishermen. These are people with profound knowledge of farming, and their positions and recognition indicate how the nation appreciates them.

Some of her fellow farmers without formal education are very assertive, informed, and serious-minded when it comes to issues of national development, but Akua Donkor always appears to be a total joke in this regard. Ghanaians have all witnessed her embarrassing comments in response to serious national issues over the years. Her uncouth manner totally disregards courtesy and courteousness. CENAB-USA therefore cautions the government and Akua Donkor not to bring the reputation and integrity of our cherished farmers across the country into disrepute by presenting Akua Donkor as their representative.

We entreat her to look up to the likes of the late Krobo Edusei, who was equally without much formal education but proved to be a force to reckon with in our politics. He contributed in diverse ways to shaping policies for our national development. He was assertive and politically savvy.

It goes without saying that Akua Donkor’s inclusion in the delegation was a reckless propaganda game plan of the NDC. John Mahama and his government, in all probability, were hoping to see the critiquing of Akua Donkor’s inclusion in the delegation turn into a class war. But that has backfired big-time! It is so refreshing to find that our farmers in the villages, women in the markets, and others have all expressed abhorrence at Akua Donkor’s inclusion. And their reason is simple: Akua Donkor is not a serious enough person to be included in such a trip for government business, which is funded from the public kitty. She adds no substance to discussions that need critical thinking to improve the fortunes of our nation. Such critical thinking is the very skill that John Mahama and his government lack, anyway.

When J. A. Kufuor was leaving government in 2008, the economic growth was at 7.3% and he left behind a total debt stock of just GH¢9.5 billion. But now this government has overwhelmingly increased the debt stock to over GH¢90 billion in less than seven years, yet economic growth has slumped to 4%. “Na sika no wo hen?” (To wit, where are all the borrowed monies?)

At this crucial time in the life of our country, when the government is saddled with corruption, and create-loot-share syndrome, the least that CENAB-USA expects from the government is to put value to the very little that is left in the public purse, and save the nation some money. John Mahama and his coterie of friends and family should be a little sympathetic to the suffering of Ghanaians. The reckless, propaganda-motivated globetrotting of Akua Donkor and her likes as part of government delegations should be curtailed, because it defies common sense and logic!

CENAB – USA