To A Friend Abroad

Dear J J Egbert,

I bring you warm greetings from the land of my birth. Ghana is a prosperous land with diverse cultural heritage.

I will desist from any attempt to recount our rich history. In my next letter, I would tell you the devastating effects of slavery, colonialism, neocolonialism and corruption on my beloved country.

The effects are so glaring and pernicious even decades away. The black and for that matter, Ghanaian is made to believe, he can't manage his own affairs. This weird mentality was fought frontally by Dr.Nkrumah, Nelson Mandela, Dr Martin Luther king Jnr, Robert Mugabe and recently John Dramani Mahama.

Are we then surprised to see all these efforts by past leaders to keep us on the path of sustainable growth and economic emancipation being dwarfed by children and grandchildren of "y£ti y£ ho" ideology?

Our real state today is pathetic. It has not only exposed the lies, but the inherent traits of deception from the primitive days of slavery.

The government has developed a strange appetite for borrowing without any physical project to show. Their communicators would quickly make reference to free SHS, Nurses and teacher trainee Allowances.

Look! I am for free quality SHS. I believe it's a bold social intervention which needs commendations. However, its current shape and form is a mission on a path of failure.

Every rational government across the globe would do targeting of those who really need it. Improve infrastructure, secure a sustainable source of financing, improving the human resource capacity of teachers etc.

J J Egbert, I wish to share with you current happenings in my country. I remember vividly, my last letter to you was about the concession speech of the past President. H E John Mahama. Today, I'm writing to you on diverse of issues.

Firstly, my country has a 72yrs old as a President. Many were those who said with his age, he has seen it all and knows it all. Unfortunately, the speech by H E John Mahama that faithful night is taking turns so quickly to my amusement. Prosperity indeed shall be the best judge.

My country is witnessing the most lawlessness ever. Even the said criminal entities have the effrontery to be threatening the life of judges, nurses, teachers, market women etc.

The other day, H E John Mahama asked a harmless question. He wanted to find out why we are made to pay a private company for an application which exist on our phones already? Then comes the man, Dr Alhaji Bawumia. He copiously read out a long thesis obviously written by same guys who sold the 419 App to us.

He read out several factual inaccuracies but is not my interest to expose him now. I still want to observe that cultural norm to desist from embarrassing my kinsmen in public. I have an option of hauling him before "Na-yiri" . His response was the exact description of a parroting propagandist. He came to me as someone who i suffering from identity conflict; ie a serial caller ranting on radio.

He needs help to migrate from his comfort zone of campaign talks to real work of buttering our bread. Mr President enough of the talk!

I share in the convictions of H E John Mahama that the said Ghana GPS app is a 419 scam. Period! An application which accepts xxx as a name of an applicant and landed me in our neighborhood toilet when I asked for a direction to the hospital is nothing but a shameful 419 scam.

Egbert, I read in the dailies that the "competent" 110 team could not raise the needed bond due to several factors. 25% of what they finally got was spent on transaction cost. Please! Don't ask me any question because I am deficient in economics. Hon. Isaac Adongo has all the answers.

Then comes the news of the failed 10 regional chairmen of the NDC issuing a communique. What? In fact, it was the "sere kwa kwa" of the week. Their actions were not only premature but a clear demonstration of the imminent house cleansing fever. Hahahahahahha

Yes! a revolution is what the NDC needs. I don't really know the form it would take but what I'm certain in mind is that, men of conscience and integrity will stand.

The NDC as a political party should be interested in building its base, taking its members through the healing processes and compiling a credible register. They should be working on carving a new look. Ask yourselves why it has become difficult to win elections in any public institution? Why a party member will not feel the need to write and defend the party?

The new face should start with polling station elections through to the national executives. We have a collective responsibility to treat the lame horse with potent medication.

The ordinary members of our party should own it. They should choose their leaders at every stage. This and many more will save the NDC from another humiliating defeat.

Remember the 2016 defeat was multifaceted. Our communication machinery was a disaster, the youth wing was in coma. The party campaign messages were not resonating with the masses. The perception of arrogance, corruption, opulence, extravagance and open thievery was loud everywhere. Certainty, a biased media landscape will blow it out of proportion.

Best regards!

Yours ever,

Azeko Razak.

Youth Activist

anastazure@gmail.

0245519547