Statespersons Have Emotions Too

Kwasi Ansu-Kyeremeh

Any of my compatriots who have ever had the opportunity to occupy transient leadership positions, out of which they have lived to see the one or those who succeeded them perform in the position vacated, would empathize with His Excellency Mr. John Agyekum Kufuor in his outburst over the Bui electricity inauguration non-invitation.

Gripe, no! No, because I heard that when Agya Atta went to turn on the tap for the first flow of oil, they dumped my Senior who discovered the oil off somewhere, stranded far away from the actual tap-turning.

Yet, all know the man's achievement as president is monumental. He nursed the motherland from a Heavily Indebted Poor Country cradle to Low Middle Income young adulthood in eight short years. The impact of his social intervention programmes are still unrivalled post-Nkrumah. But by far, his star physical achievements were the commercial oil find, Highway N1 and Bui.

Take note that the Nsawam and Nkawkaw bypasses are still being fiddled with and the 'gang of four' major road projects, along with the affordable housing units, are still uncompleted almost five good years after Mr. J. Agyekum Kufour constitutionally left that legacy.

It is not uncommon for what the succeeded considers provocative acts by the successor to trigger spontaneous outburst from the succeeded. Its global spread shows a 'statespersons have emotions too' human trait.

Over the seas outside the motherland, Bill Clinton occasionally took swipes at George Walker Bush while George Herbert Walker Bush openly criticized Bill. Thatcher the Milk Snatcher, feeling let down, had her beef with successor John Major. In her view, Major didn't appear to be majoring in anything. Sour grapes; some charged.

Down Under, a certain Paul Keating, in exasperation, told one John Howard he would never be a prime minister. So far, that never-would-be is the longest serving Prime Minister in the history of Aussie land.

Sitting his somewhere watching the NDC use vulgar interpretation to our winner takes all democracy by ignoring others' achievements while stealthily coveting same achievements must, indeed, be painful for Ɔman Panin dada Kufuor.

There have been hardly any recent booms from compatriot the flight-lieutenant. I think he has given up; because daily, he witnesses his accountability and probity vision in a nightmare legacy of an assembly of the most corrupt running a hydra-headed corruption machine. It is corruption awash; nkɔnfℇm ne nnua wuiℇ nkoaa.

From the Geese/Asomdwee Park, I sense even he, who hardly milled much, thinking uncomplimentary thoughts about current happenings.

If any of my compatriots were alive to listen to Kwame Nkrumah's broadcasts from Guinea Conakry, they would not be surprised about the Ɔsono Kokroko incident. Call it lamentations; but Kwame lashed out at the ignorance of Ghanaians in those days, mincing no words in condemning their betrayal, short of cursing.

Today, in a true manifestation of the 'Nkrumah never dies' (to some a blasphemy in the days we the Young Pioneers used to sing it), the Kwame Nkrumah name is everywhere. It is used by the CPP to extol. NDC uses it in vain, though. Perhaps it took too long for the realization of an unparalleled visualizing. Definitely, posterity will always judge and judge fairly.

To my Senior, I will say statesmanship exacts the very unfair price of living as if you never lived to do all the good and wonderful things you have done. It is most painful. Perhaps, all you can do is to say to yourself 'I played my part well.'

Let others do even if their doing is destruction. Wo ayℇ bi a ℇyℇ. If in your eyes people are blinded by their own lack of vision and underachievement and thus unable to appreciate and separate what is progress from retrogress; it is their problem. Please, don't make it your problem.

You may want to ask yourself where all the water you gave to Oguaaman which they so much showed little or no appreciation for, went. Those compatriots must be yearning for another Kufuor.

Don't forget, people continue to talk a 'Fathia fata Nkrumah' kente design. Sooner than later, 'KufuorApagya Ghana' could be the craze in town. Apagyadehyeℇ, me srℇ me ka sℇgyae ma ℇnka. I plead you leave your legacy with my good compatriots to judge.

Vintage Nigerian politician Obafemi Awolowo said one must blow one's own horn because no one else would. But whoever blows the horn, it is for those for whom the horn is blown to determine how pleasant or not the sound from the horn is.

If I were to write a verse in a holy book, I would inscribe blessed are those with can-do attitudes who do things but whose works are ignored by selfish attitudes of the can't-do no-action ever doing for others. For, it is the doers who shall reap the benefits of a history of achievers.