Both former President John Dramani and President Nana Akuffo Addo are political animals. The two gentlemen are always on the prowl for opportunities to bolster their standing with the Ghanaian public and thereby increase their political fortunes.
It is common knowledge that the two men are bitter political enemies; in fact, the two have gone after each other like prize fighters, throwing jabs where it hurts most — their stewardship of the national economy.
While Mr. Mahama has castigated Nana for mismanaging the economy and putting Ghanaians through unprecedented hardships, Nana in turn consistently blames Mahama for everything that is wrong with the economy.
Just a fortnight ago, Mr. Mahama expressed fears about a smooth transition, a transfer of power in 2021. He was concerned that Mr. Addo would not be ready and willing to hand over the reins of government should Ghanaians elect to go in a different direction.
He then pointed to past successful transitions, his own in 2016 and that of Rawlings in 2002 and Kufour in 2008 and urged Mr. Addo to take a clue from those and put Ghana’s interest above his own parochial interests.
Mr. Mahama thinks Mr. Addo has something up his sleeves. I don’t agree with Mr. Mahama on this issue. Presumably, he is being speculative, but still Mr. Mahama got it wrong for a variety of reasons.
One, Mr. Addo is constitutionally obligated to hand over power if he loses the election in 2020, two, Ghanaians won’t allow that to happen and three, Mr. Addo sure does not want to be the one politician who pushed Ghana into violence; he wants to leave behind a clean legacy.
The idea that he would want to cling to power when the die is cast, when Ghanaians overwhelmingly reject him, is just preposterous. He won’t do it. But that does not make him a smart politician. Witness his handling of the ambulances that were bought by Ghanaian taxpayers.
To date, Mr. Addo has stubbornly refused to distribute the ambulances to areas where their services are needed most. His rationale, his full-throated explanation just does not wash. And what makes Nana’s decision to hold on to the ambulances particularly heinous, irritating and criminal is that pregnant women in rural and urban areas where ambulance services are non-existent are paying the ultimate price – dying.
Keeping the ambulances away from our pregnant women and others who desperately need them is unconscionable, patently evil and reaffirms what some have said about the president; that he is cold-hearted and mean.
No leader worth his salt would deliberately embark on this course of action ostensibly to suit his political agenda. In an advanced democracy, Nana would have been dragged to court to be compelled to release the ambulances.
In the final analysis, Nana should rethink his decision. Innocent Ghanaians are being victimized needlessly.
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