I Will Be On Your Side Forever More

The aftermath of the 2016 elections has brought forth some mixed feelings about former President Mahama; some think he should be given another chance, while others feel someone else should lead the NDC. Those who are kicking against his return claim he made some mistakes as president. Admittedly, he must have made some mistakes, but let’s bear in mind that no human being is infallible; the day a person stops making mistakes is the day he or she stops breathing.

I fully agree with Neil Gaiman on the following quote: “It may help to understand human affairs to be clear that most of the great triumphs and tragedies of history are caused, not by people being fundamentally good or fundamentally bad, but by people being fundamentally people.”

The answer to the question as to whether former President Mahama was a good Head of State will continue to linger in the minds of the good people of Ghana as they continue to experience unprecedented excruciating suffering due to the subpar performance of the NPP government, and the extent for the appreciation of the Bole man will become more pronounced in 2020.

We must be honest with ourselves and show some love and appreciation to this fine gentleman. It should be now! And it is time to demonstrate some loyalty and friendship. Talking about loyalty reminds me of my favourite story of a loyal Japanese dog. He was a dog who lived in Tokyo, a dog who faithfully waited for his owner at the Shibuya Train Station long after his owner could not come to meet him. He became famous for his loyalty and was adored by scores of people who passed through the station every day.

In 1924, Hidesaburo Ueno, a professor in the agriculture department at the University of Tokyo, took Hachiko, a golden brown Akita dog as a pet. During his owner's life, Hachiko greeted him at the end of each day at the nearby Shibuya Station. The pair continued their daily routine until May 1925, when Professor Ueno did not return.

The professor had suffered a cerebral haemorrhage and died, never returning to the train station where Hachiko was waiting. Each day for the next nine years, nine months and fifteen days, Hachiko awaited Ueno's return, appearing precisely when the train was due at the station, and anxiously scanned through the disembarking passengers for his master!

True friendship does not thrive on what one will benefit from a relationship, but on a genuine sense of love and loyalty. Prof. Ueno died and was unavailable to feed his dog, but Hachiko kept an unwavering love for his master. Things are tough, exceedingly tough for me, I’m currently experiencing high blood pressure because of extreme stress; but I won’t trade my loyalty to JM for any financial gain, and won’t support him because of what I think I will benefit.

Like an orange, the best way to see the content of something is to squeeze it. You will see the true character of a person when he or she is under pressure. My interest is the wellbeing of my friend, and it is not enough for me to say that I love him, but to push myself further even under the worst situation to make sure he succeeds: and this is the moment to fire imaginations; this is the moment to keep the flame burning; this is the moment to show love; this is the moment to redefine friendship: and I'm here to trigger emotions.

JM, my brother and my friend, I know your clean heart and hard work, I believe in you, you must have made some mistakes but you are human and fallible. I know that whatever mistakes you made in the past will guide you to become a better person; you will survive any threat by the grace of God; so, don't be discouraged; keep smiling, keep shining, knowing you can always count on me for sure; in good times and in bad times I’ll be on your side forever more because that's what friends are for.

Anthony Obeng Afrane