Is Newscaster Afia Pokua right by saying Ghanaian politicians take Ghanaians for “John”?

In a video clip forwarded to my WhatsApp page, we have Peace FM newscaster/programme present Ms Afia Pokua alleging that Ghanaian politicians do take all Ghanaians for “John”. The “John” as applied by her is an inference to being taken for fools.

Yes, most Ghanaian politicians indeed do take Ghanaians for fools. Instead of them serving Ghanaians, they come to lord themselves over us and again, some of them do misappropriate state funds and assets. This is an indisputable fact! However, I disagree with Afia Pokua on the premise she made her assumption or accusation.

She said, both NPP and NDC are charlatans who always play on the intelligence of Ghanaians. Each accuses the other of corruption but when they come to power, they do fuck all to retrieve the monies allegedly embezzled by their rivals when in power. This is a fact! Where I disagree with her is her accusation against NPP for rushing to the site of the now operational Dzata Cement Factory established by Mr Ibrahim Mahama, the younger half-sibling of former President John Dramani Mahama, to heap praises on him. She said, the NPP accused him of borrowing millions of Ghana Cedis from Merchant Bank and UT Bank without paying back, contributing the end insolvency and collapse of both banks.

She thought the NPP were going to hang him when they came to power, deducing from the vehemence of their attacks on him and threats to deal with him. However, they did nothing, she said. They are now singing his praises and doing free advertisements for him for putting up a huge 100% Ghanaian-owned cement factory.

She went on to say, NPP while in opposition, threatened to deal mercilessly with Alfred Agbesi Woyome who had colluded with some faceless individuals to dupe Ghana of GHC51.2 million. Nevertheless, the NPP has not been able to retrieve a pesewa from him since they came to power while Woyome walks and talks freely in Ghana.

When it comes to deliberating on MPs’ ex-gratia, increment in their salaries, government giving them loans to buy cars and paying them GHC50,000 upfront for their housing allowance, you will see both NPP and NDC MPs singing the same chorus of yeah, yeah, in perfect unison; punching the air. Therefore, should ordinary Ghanaians fight themselves because of these politicians, then Ghanaians are truly fools since the politicians don’t really care about the suffering masses but themselves.

I agree with her on some points she raised. Nonetheless, I beg to differ on her difficulty to comprehend why the NPP leadership that had earlier accused Ibrahim Mahama of wrongdoing should now be praising him for establishing such a big cement factory in Ghana.

She should see that the NPP are realists. They praise whom praise is due and when due. They accuse who is to be accused and when due. They are unlike the NDC that always find fault with the NPP and their policies even when they know they are lying.

If Ibrahim evades payment of taxes, should the NPP not say it to get him pay up? If he pays what he owes and does something good, should he not be applauded?

Much as Ghanaian politicians are generally seekers of their selfish interests but not the collective interests of the populace, should any of them does something good, must it not be acknowledged and the person singled out for praise, oh Afia Pokua aka Vim Lady?

Does Afia Pokua mean to tell me I should not patronise Dzata cement because I had been on the back of Ibrahim for certain of his conspicuous malpractices? Should the quality of Dzata cement be excellent as not to collapse but sustain my intended building, I shall buy from him rather than buying from other companies that are purely foreign-owned. I love to patronise made-in-Ghana goods.

More grease to the elbows of Ibrahim Mahama. Nonetheless, I shall not hesitate to criticise him should he lapse into any malpractices.

Rockson Adofo

Thursday, 27 May 2021