"You Scratch My Back And I'll Scratch Yours"-The New Akufo-Addo-Buhari Kindergarten Game-Check Few Similarities..

Few hours after President Akufo-Addo addressed Ghanaians to mark the country's 61st independence anniversary, Ghanaians have described his speech as empty. I watched with utter shock and disbelief, the vague address made by the President. I never expected anything fantastic from the President but the level of emptiness of the of the speech cannot be ignored. His old trick of using his sweet words to hoodwink Ghanaians did not succeed with his speech this time. Ghanaians are feeling the worst form of livelihood brought upon them by the rudderless Akufo-Addo government. His counterpart the Nigerian President who was advised by two of his backbones, Obasanjo and Babaginda to prepare his 2019 retirement speech, only scratched the back of his ally who has also disappointed many of his followers including pastors, drivers, teachers, doctors, nurses, traders etc. One remarkable falsehood that caught my attention from Buhari's uninspiring speech was the superimposed narratives of how successful the Akufo-Addo administration has handled our economy. He only succeeded in disgracing and disappointing the Nigerian community in Ghana. Where did he pick his "Acting General Secretary and Acting Chairman of the Npp" from? Did his protocol team and his speech writers read that "diplomatically- senseless" speech before reading it? Was he here to polarise the country? Where is the experienced he has gained from his long years in international politics.

The speeches delivered by the two Presidents can best be described as "you do a favour for me and I'll do a favour for you". Both have disappointed their people including supporters of their parties the ACP and the Npp. Buhari has been described as a big disappointment by the Nigerian people including supporters of his party and some respected political figures in Nigeria. General Babaginda and Chekwas Okorie speaking on Buhari's second term ambition, have said " it would become a tragedy if he ever come back" These are respected personalities who supported Buhari during the last election stated openly that Buhari is a very big disappointment in every aspect whether it is in the aspect of the national economy, corruption, unity, fairness. General Obasanjo, recently added his voice to Nigerians who think Buhari should say goodbye to the presidency because of his abysmal performance. Wole Soyinka has described the Buhari administration as the most lethargic in the political history of Nigeria.

In Ghana, the situation is the same. Many Ghanaians including traders who financed the Npp 2016 campaign, pastors, teachers, nurses, doctors and some supporters of the Npp have started expressing disappointment in the Akufo-Addo government. Rev.Prof Martey an admirer of Nana Akufo-Addo, recently chastised the President over massive corruption and impunity in his administration. Dr Obiri a known supporter of the Npp recently wrote an article about the Akufo-Addo government and expressed his disappointment in the President and his government in that article. Many of the President's admirers and Think tanks who described the President as the new messiah, have all vanished from the political space because of the administration's abysmal performance.

General Buhari has still not answered questions about some messy revelations like the fraudulent reinstatement of Abdullahi Maina, alleged award of $25 billion contracts without following due process, Attorney -General of the Federation's declaration that the EFCC lacked evidence to prove its allegation of sharp practices against prominent players in the Malabu Oil deal, alleged re looting of exotic properties recovered from alleged looters of pension fund,among others.

How different are these allegations from the $2.25 billon bond which was issued without the Attorney General's consent, the BOST saga which was buried at the flagstaff house by the President, the $15 million digital addressing system deal by the Vice President, the Cash for Seat Saga, the $35 billion oil deal, the $30 million paid to the President's cousin's law firm to investigate contracts signed under the previous administration, the Ghc 700,000 paid to another law firm of the President's friend, the shipment of bauxite to China via the Takoradi port, among others.

Buhari was elected by Nigerians with a promise to tackle corruption and nepotism in government. The man who promised Nigerians was coming to fight nepotism, has surrounded himself with unqualified persons who got their positions because of personal ties with him or his cronies. Onee of them is his personal assistant Yusuf Tunde, who is the son of the President's niece and younger sister to Mamman Daura, the President's closest confidant. They now have their sons, daughters, sons in laws and nephews as beneficiaries of the appointments made so far. Mamman Daura's daughter, married to one of the Dantatas, is the Special Assistant to the CBN governor. Buhari's sister's son is also an SA to Kachiwu , junior minister of petroleum and resources. The Chief personal security officer to the president DCP Abdulkarim Dauda is Mamman Daura's younger brother. The State Chief of protocol, Lawal Kazaure, who has not reached the rank of an ambassador, is also married to Mamman Daura's eldest daughter. The Personal Assistant to the President who is in his 20s is one of the wealthiest young men in Nigeria.

The nepotism situation is not different in Ghana. The President has appointed 46 of his relatives including his daughter and in laws into his administration. All the top ministries are being headed by his cousins. His in laws and relatives have taken over the oil, energy and insurance industries.

Transparency international has confirmed corruption in the two administrations. The latest Transparency International report revealed that the perception of corruption in Ghana and Nigeria under Akufo-Addo and his new found friend General Buhari, worsened in 2017. Nana Akufo-Addo took the 80th position and pushed Buhari to the 148th position out of 180 countries assessed in 2017. This latest Transparency International report confirmed what Ghanaians and Nigerians say that the two leaders are only hiding under corruption fight to harass their perceived political opponents while protecting corrupt people in their administrations.

In Ghana, it has become clear that, Nana Addo is presiding over the worse form of corruption in the history of Ghana. The corruption allegations in his administration are being unmasked by close friends of the President and some senior members of the ruling party and they are too gargantuan to hide from the eagle eyes of international organisations like the transparency international. As for Buhari, his own wife was forced to expose the rot in her husband's government because of its level. It shows the level of discontent with the husband's leadership.

Insecurity has risen under the two administrations as more cases of armed robbery, killings and general insecurity have escalated in the two west African countries.

President Akufo Addo should come out with his personal verdict on the BOST saga, the Bond saga, the cash for seat, the Hawa Koomson Ghc 800,000 website deal, his brother's oil deal with the Russian company. His friend the Nigerian President should also furnish Nigerians with his verdict on the suspended Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr Babachir Lawal and Director General of National Intelligence Agency, Ayodele Oke.