The true story behind the "Mahama Paper" song

Folks, I'm not a fan of hip-hop music but one of my favourite songs is "Mahama Paper" by Shatta Wale. Albeit some portions of the lyrics may not sound meaningful, the beat is electrifying, and will always fire-up emotions.

I'm sure the writer of the song was motivated by the missing pages of H.E. John Dramani Mahama's speech at an ECOWAS summit when he was president. It is a common knowledge that Former President Mahama is replete with astonishing virtues; but what many people don't know is that the young man from Bole has a photographic memory. A razor-sharp memory! Eidetic memory! Hahahaha, you heard Shatta Wale, he said Mahama's brain be bola.

I have an experience to share. My very first time I met him was brief; less than 3 mins. I never expected him to recognise me the next time he saw me, considering the number of people he meets in a day. But I was wrong.

Some months afterwards, he waved at me after a programme, and I looked over my shoulders to see if he was waving at someone else. I'm sure he noticed my uncertainty, and wanted to prove to me that he knows me; so, after another programme some weeks later, he walked straight to me and asked, "Anthony, how're you?" I was shocked!

This virtue was what was clearly exhibited when portions of his written speech got missing during his address at the ECOWAS summit in Accra some seven years ago. Despite the setback, he continued his address extemporaneously with ease. It would have been a national disaster if Opana was the President.

You may loathe Former President Mahama, but one thing stands out -- he is a gift to this nation! In fact, I shed tears when our National Chief Imam, Sheikh Dr. Osman Nuhu Sharabutu reiterated this during the commissioning of the Tamale International Airport (TIA) many years ago.

No leader in the history of our dear nation has achieved what he did within less than four years; notwithstanding a hostile, wicked, fiendish, diabolical and rapacious opposition. Not even Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah. JDM deserves a lot of credit! Let us not forget that it took Osagyefo about 9 years to do all that he did.

Let's put politics aside and show our former president unrequited love by giving him the opportunity to serve us once again, else posterity will not forgive us if we allow him to slip through our fingers one more time.

Anthony Obeng Afrane