Zu-Za Can Tickle Itself And Laugh!

Any ardent reader of this column knows I’ve used many wise sayings in this column, which were taught by my late father. Another wise saying of his is that “you achieve nothing if you tickle yourself and laugh”. I’ve grown to see the wisdom in the saying.

Indeed, only a fool tickles himself and laughs because he is only living in a fool’s paradise. That is exactly what Zu-za did last week when it scored the Nana Dee government 14% on manifesto promises delivered. I liken Zuza’s action to that of a man who is afraid to approach a beautiful damsel at his work place, but always masturbates in his bedroom as he fantasizes about her sexually.

Am I surprised at Zuza’s action? No, I’m not. I’m not surprised because I know they are desperate for power and will do any anything to deceive the electorate to vote them back into power.

Frankly, I think they’ve been very generous. For a group that sees, hears and speaks nothing good about the Nana Dee government, I expected nothing more than 10%. They set their own questions, answered and marked them. It is, therefore, very obvious to any discerning mind that such an exercise is just for self-gratification.

Abusuapanin, Zu-za is deceiving itself by thinking the December 2020 polls will be decided solely on the performance of its main opponent. Having left power not too long ago, many a voter will compare Zuza’s performance in government to that of the Nana Dee administration before making an informed decision.

We all know there are different kinds of manifesto promises. Not all promises carry the same weight, coverage and impact. A promise that makes an impact in the life of many people will influence more voters than a promise that impacts only few people. So putting all the manifesto promises together, and even magically conjuring more, for grading is a very big fallacy.

Assuming, without admitting that the 14% (86 promises fulfilled) is correct; how many of the 86 have impacted the lives of many voters across the length and breadth of the country? The Free SHS policy, restoration of trainee nurses and teachers' allowances and the NABCO programme immediately come to mind.

When you fulfill promises that impact many lives, press conferences and media advertisements are just reminders to the voters. Dr. Bernard Okoe-Boye puts it succinctly when he said, “There is value in telling us (the public), but there is greater value in the one who feels it.”

Indeed, over one million families have so far enjoyed the Free SHS policy rolled out by the Nana Dee government. I will be naive to think all of them will vote for Nana Dee on December 7, 2020. But a chunk of that number is most likely to vote for him to show appreciation. Others will vote for him because of the fear that a change in government could make them lose the benefit they currently enjoy.

The hundreds of thousands of trainee nurses and teachers will prefer voting for the one who restored the payment of their allowances to voting for the one who abolished it. Their sense of gratitude and good judgement will not allow them to do otherwise.

The over 70,000 teachers who gained employment as a result of vacancies created by the Free SHS do not need to be told whom to vote for on election day. I’m sure they still remember their days of unemployment and the suffering they had to endure. So the 14% by Zu-za will not make them forget the one who gave them employment and saved them from severe hardships.

Abusuapanin, just put yourself in the shoes of the 100,000 NABCO trainees who are now gainfully employed after years of unemployment. Will it not be foolhardy on their part to vote for a party or candidate that is likely to cancel the NABCO programme and render them unemployed again?

Zu-za can delude itself and continue living in a fool’s paradise. They can continue to brandish the so-called Green Book and tout their phantom projects. They can even decide to score the Nana Dee government 0%, if they so wish.

But the true judges will deliver their verdict on December 7, 2020. Then the propagandists will realize that the last cry of the goat that has a sharp knife on its neck is TRAGEDY.

See you next week for another interesting konkonsa, Deo volente!