A Letter to Manasseh Azure Awuni; Do not be as intolerant as His Excellency Nana Addo

Dear brother Manasseh Azure Awuni,

I have been a diehard fun of you since your elementary days of journalism. I have liked your works since time immemorial. Brother, we came together from afar. Since your days as a freelance journalist, to joining Joy FM in November 2012. I was with you in 2010 when you were adjudged the most Promising Young Journalist of the Year, by the Ghana Journalist Association. As promising as our future was, I accelerated my love for you, knowing very well you will one day conquer Ghana and the entire globe, through your good works in journalism. Alas! Dreams came true when you were adjudged the Overall Best Journalist of the year in 2011. I was honestly worried as to why your good works have not caught global attention. My worries never persisted; there came an award from the West Africa Media Excellence Award (WAMECA) in 2018 when you were adjudged the Best Corruption Reporter of the Year and Overall Best Journalist of West African. What an accolade! Indeed, that was a milestone achievement. That day is one of the days I cannot forget in my life, as I watched a brother swept awards like “kokoo” on such an international platform”. Indeed, I was with you from your developmental stage as a cub to a fully grown lion, who roars and the ground shakes. Brother, you have been a driver I trust from Bongo to Kete-Krachi, and from Kete-Krachi to Accra. Indeed, we are the men from the wood.

My Bongo brother, I wished our bond could continue to grow stronger and stronger, but you have decided to end it temporarily and leave me with no option than to ride on the back of time, and hope we will be reconnected again. I wished we could still tolerate each other’s criticism and forge forward, as no man is an island, and no man is without shortfalls.

I never thought a simple Facebook comment or criticism could let you do this unthinkable by removing/blocking a long time loyal friend like me from your friends’ lists. I never anticipated this coming from you because tolerance is a very great virtue peoples’ people of your calibre need to have. I can remember just some days ago, you touted political tolerance as a virtue that can convince you to give your vote to the former President John Dramani Mahama. I have remembered your testimonies from your book, the “Fourth John: Reign, Rejection and Rebound”. You shared how tolerant John Mahama is, and how he can work with people no matter how they wrong or criticize him. In the same testimonies you share on Facebook, you lamented how intolerant this Nana Addo led Administration is. Brother, can you remember? What is the difference between that intolerance exhibited by the Nana Addo’s government and the one you exhibit on Facebook by blocking or removing followers who criticize your posts? Are you fair to Nana Addo and his government? Can I see you as intolerant as you see Nana Addo's government? Boss, do you want to tell me you teach virtue and practice vice? You tout tolerance and in practice, you are intolerant? No! This can’t be!

This is not the first, second or third time you have removed or blocked followers who criticized your posts. It has been your usual habit of blocking and removing people who are fond of criticizing your posts on Facebook. Sir, how long are you going to continue this culture?

So if you were the President or the leaders you criticize, would you have been able to contain all these criticisms you throw day in and day out? I am pretty sure by now most Ghanaians would have been on exile for criticizing your presidency or leadership.

I think its about time you came to realize everybody is a human with flesh and bones, sees and feels things the way you do. Is about time you realized we are each other’s keeper and at times we disagree to agree, and that notwithstanding, we grow together and stronger through criticisms.

Part 2 loading……. On the account of my crime.

Thank you.

Yours Faithfully,

Your Facebook Friend

A Latif Zoonaayili Becash.

Email address: [email protected]