JOHN MAHAMA’S CONUNDRUM, Mark McStill Writes

John Dramani Mahama has earned an exceptional name for himself in Ghana politics already. After John Rawlings exited and complained about Kuffuor’s rule, I noticed some of the fault being implicitly acknowledged by Rawlings. For example, the Ashanti are going nowhere. They’ve traditionally refused to learn English until they’ve outgrown the natural age for second language acquisition. Forgive the unavoidable generalization. This means most Ashanti, by the way the biggest tribe in Ghana, who pass Basic education still find English difficult to understand or use. The implications are dire. Many such individuals will vote on issues they don’t fully understand, find their way to parliament or top government civil service. This is why FCUBE, a brainchild of Rawlings, Free Compulsory Universal Basic Education, should not have been left in abeyance.

The result of having failed to strictly enforce it is, we now have many people toting Basic School certificate who seriously struggle with formal education, especially English. Inability to comprehend well the language of instruction and government leaves a big hole in education and governance. If people cannot learn and understand issues public, they tend to regress their choices to traditional markers such as tribe, religion or even just appearance. In other words, those who cannot understand the issues to be voted on, vote based on what difference they can identify of the contestants.

They may not know the differences between GDP and loan threshold, but they understand who is Ewe and who is Akan. So they use that difference to make their choice. When you start comparing GDP, GNP, loans and project procurements, etc, they have a hard time comprehending. Even if they begin to understand, they know not how to verify any facts being posed. Thus, when you go that important alley, they’re either not listening or just angrily retort that everyone is entitled to their opinion or choice. Of course they can’t let you know they don’t understand the issues.

Another pathetic index that has come to dictate is fiscal cash. Government in power can simply print more cash (if that’s your choice) to win an election only to devalue the very cash he put in your hand. So he gives you money that can buy a house and after the election, it can buy only an old car because inflation hit. You can even buy the house immediately the money touches your hand but soon thereafter, the road thereto is broken, flooded, inundated by prostitutes and robbers or a new obnoxious tax is slammed on the property.

As for the vices of religion and tribe, Nkrumah explicitly banned it, so that says enough. Yet, without understanding these issues because of inadequate English comprehension, most Ghanaians are making political choices based on who’s my religious or tribal affiliate, who physically resembles me or who’ll buy me launch. If FCUBE had been forced enough, most people by far would have gone through by now, reducing the stupidity of voting based on fraternity, food and fair to the lowest minimum.

For this reason, I said the best president would be one who after their term, returned from having observed from opposition. Even though the constitution prevents a third consecutive term, it’s silent on a return from opposition. I watched and expected Rawlings in vain.

Here comes Mahama from opposition. Anyone who doubts Mahama’s excellent performance in his previous presidency, is a hypocrite. Especially, because of the issues of inadequate education above, there are many such hypocrites. They see the development that happened under Mahama compared to the abysmal performance of Akuffo Addo but cannot understand how, so in the face of religious, tribal and monetary consideration, easily attribute the difference to good luck for Mahama and bad luck for Akuffo Addo. They seek refuge in CoViD 19, Russia, Ukraine war, Israel, Palestine war or even Biblical end of the world prophesy.

Fact is, the extreme damage Akuffo Addo has caused the economy requires something extraordinary to redeem us. Mahama is excellent but the current situation demands extraordinary. Given the frontrunners for the 2024 contest, Mahama is the best option by far. But in life, sometimes your best is not enough. Worse still, even if his blood pressure hasn’t been destabilized by the wanton destruction of the economy he built, his inner circle may have been psychologically affected by the Tragedy of Commons, looking at Akuffo Addo’s corruption. This means many of his own people may well be tempted to taste of the Akyem Mafia’s corrupt practices. It’s no stretch of imagination then, to assume the Akyem Mafia may be marrying or indirectly sponsoring candidates into the incoming Mahama administration, including even a vice president.

This is just one of the reasons why John Mahama should be weary of those grandstanding. There are some thirty million Ghanaians to choose from. Narrowing it down to NDC founding members leaves the number at about four million. Even one million is still a huge number. The challenge is to pick someone from the lot who has good knowledge in all the pillars of society : economy, family, education, religion and politics. Without such an individual, his incoming presidency may work hard in one sector only for it to leak in another, especially after his inevitable exit.

For instance, in the previous Mahama administration, while government infrastructure was good, education of the students and the people who matter failed to hammer on the vicious performance of the UP/NPP tradition, the need and urgency for infrastructure before handouts and even the societal relevance and application of Religious and Moral Education. Taking these as examples, without the populace getting a grasp of these indices, they’re likely to vote based on irrelevant things. One thing that pained me most was, instead of explaining to Ghanaians that education was already free and that monies being paid was for food, health, entertainment etc, government spent all efforts trying to erect two hundred day schools which could never beat the time. Whatever development Mahama’s running mate brings to Mahama, it should not only be grand and exquisite but sustainable.

Thinking you are going to choose from one thousand or even hundred is easier said than done. There are conspicuous candidates who know best ways to make themselves visible, occlude others and even smear or displace others but have almost nothing new to offer in terms of the multidimensional requirements I’ve laid above. Some are actually being sponsored by tribal interests, religious affiliation, scholarly establishments masquerading as educational, or simply monied monopolies occupying political space. There is no selflessness in these things.

A leader who can resucitate this country should be someone with selflessness. Someone who will abandon himself to think of the nation, above family, tribe, religion or even party. Someone more interested in their party leading than their members pocketing cash. Whoever is chosen should be someone not just committed to the national cause but has a blueprint for extracting commitment from the hierarchy that surrounds them.

That individual should understand the difference between school and education. Ghana Education Service together with Ministry of Education have become merely Ministry of Schools. Many people in their hierarchy have no plans to include the people who matter most, market women, artisans and wealthy but unschooled into the national language or national psyche. For example, there’s no certification or regulation to identify who’s qualified enough to fit my car, sew my clothes, add which chemical to my hair, drive me to a city location or build my extension. Those who say it’s a problem of implementation because Ghanaians are difficult, are as guilty as a teacher who complains the pupils are difficult, a parent who prefers blaming their children or a government want to blame the people.

We need someone to take us to the future of less religion, more education. Even if that personality raises eyebrows, they can be moderated to win attention and bring focus on the NDC. Look at what Trump and now Kennedy Agyapong is doing to electorates. With enough explanation, tolerance and exposure, we can corner the most dedicated constituency of the traditional and those disenchanted with religion while simultaneously reminding the less educated that their religion is safe even as we educate them forward. It’s not for nothing that Harvard university has chosen an atheist as its parishioner. The clarity of education is more sustainable than the ignorance of spirituality and fanaticism. We need a running mate with this charisma.

The NDC began as an egalitarian fraternity but today, too many are hogging like our opponents. Many in the grassroots are now noted for yearning for personal ambition because the national agenda that sought to reach you wherever you are, has fizzled out. Rawlings’ aim of fullfilling Nkrumah’s ambition of making people happy wherever they worked, has now changed into everyone rushing to the city, rushing for appointment, rushing for loan or largeese etc. We need someone to help Mahama achieve the state where everyone wins with NDC leading. It shouldn’t be another devasted country with oases sheltering picked NDC members. It should be a rapidly developing country of content citizens with happier NDC members.

These ideals don’t come easily, but they can be found. The challenge is how to walk strict and straight through the tribal lobby, the scholarly occult, family and friends bonds, party hierarchy, the religious lobby, the financial commitments and pick the best running mate vice president who can help you take Ghanaians to the promise land. Ghana’s Mahama needs a rabble rouser broad minded selfless committed non establishment loyal comrade to help him not just revive Ghana but put it on a pedestal. That is another coup for his excellency, John Dramani Mahama !

Mark McStill, 2/11/23.