Asomdwekrom Is Not Ready For A Honeymoon President

By the time he eventually retires from active politics, President Ogwanfunu would have left many political terms for his compatriots in Asomdwekrom. 'Baloney', 'Useless lamentations', 'I’m not a magician', 'We’ve eaten the meat to the bone, and 'I’m a Dead-Goat' are some of his political gimmicks that easily come to mind. The latest is 'political honeymoon'.

Yes, you heard right! Former President Ogwanfunu is pleading with his compatriots to give him a political honeymoon period should the Dead-Goat manage to resurrect in the December, 2024 polls. By honeymoon, I guess he wants his compatriots to allow him some relaxation period to have fun.

For a man who has only four years as president for his second term, it’s very baffling to hear him talk about a honeymoon period. One is compelled to wonder how long he wants to be on honeymoon. Is it one month, six months, or perhaps one year?

If my memory serves me right, he was the same person who once said that no president could make a meaningful impact with the four-year term. Going by his reasoning, four years minus the honeymoon period for him implies that he is not going to make any impact in his second term.

For a man so concerned about being given a honeymoon period, it is obvious he doesn’t have viable alternatives to tackle the country's economic problems. The opportunist that he is, he wants to ride on the wings of the country's current economic woes to ensure the Dead-Goat resurrects.

All we keep hearing from him and his ilk is that ours is a broke economy, yet he is making all kinds of promises should he get a second chance at the presidency. I cannot help but wonder how he is going to use the broke economy to increase rural teachers’ salary by 20%. Is it the same broke economy that is going to pay Assembly Members’ allowances?

The more I analyse Mr. Ogwanfunu’s campaign promises and other utterances, the clearer it becomes to me that he is only telling his compatriots what they want to hear. For a president who said he wasn’t a magician to provide jobs, it’s very laughable to hear him now say he is the messiah when it comes to unemployment.

If you would recall, unemployment was at its apogee when he was president. Hope was a scarce commodity under his watch, making him earn the nickname, 'The Incompetent One'. How can such a man now claim to have all the solutions to the country's unemployment situation?

It’s more than obvious that his desperation to come back to power is not based on any desire to undertake policies and programmes aimed at bettering the situation of the ordinary Asomdwekromanian. He only wants to come back and enjoy the spoils of power, and continue with the 'create, loot and share' ideology.

Abusuapanin, I leapt for joy when I heard Dr. David Tenkorang-Twum, General Secretary of Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives, speak on the honeymoon matter. He did not mince words as he condemned Mr. Ogwanfunu’s honeymoon comment.

Listen to him: “How did Mahama leave nurses and midwives? If Mahama will run the country the way he did some years ago when he was president, then we won’t yield to his honeymoon plea. If Mahama doesn't have anything better for us, then I think Mahama should advise himself.”

Mr. Tenkorang-Twum hit the nail right on the head. We’ve experienced Mr. Ogwanfunu’s leadership before, and we are not ready for another bitter experience. It is even more frightening to imagine that he will not be able to sustain the Free Senior High School policy, an initiative that has drastically reduced the financial burden on parents.

Yes, things are not so rosy today. Yes, the Nana Dee government could have done better. Yes, the over-bloated belly of the Elephant needs reduction. But one thing is clear: This country is not ready for a honeymoon president.

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