Feature Article of Saturday, 1 August 2015
Columnist: Tweneboah-Koduah, Nana Akua
By Nana Akua Tweneboah-Koduah
July 28, 2015
Since Ghana entered the Fourth Republic it has either had vice presidents or vice presidential candidates who can be confirmed by many as fine gentlemen. On the campaign trail or other political engagements, these vice presidents or vice presidential candidates remain above the political frail by speaking the truth about what is on the ground.
The late President John Atta Mills who was once a vice president, Mr Aliu, the late vice president during former President Kufuor’s regime and current President John Mahama who was the vice president of John Atta Mills easily come to mind as fine gentlemen with impeccable composures.
Never in the history of the Fourth Republic have we had a vice presidential candidate like Dr Mahamadu Bawumia who lies under his political teeth at every given turn. Perhaps in his overzealous quest to be vice president of Ghana at all cost come 2016, Bawumia who is totally blinded at everything that has happened or is happening in the country, goes on every political campaign trail loaded with lies about the ruling NDC government.
Bawumia has become the political attack dog for the NPPs flagbearer, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, by claiming that the NDC has done nothing for the past six years. Nothing for the past six years? So says Political Liar Bawumia.
Mahamadu Bawumia, who is imprudently and carelessly following Akufo-Addo’s quest to unseat or sideline Paul Afoko, NPPs Chair, and Kwabena Agyepong, NPPs General Secretary went on a campaign trail in the Afram Plains, and lying under his polished political mendacious tongue told the NPP supporters that the NDC has done nothing since it assumed power in 2009.
Bawumia is a young man who when selected by Akufo-Addo to become his running mate in 2008 had no political acumen, but instead of cutting his political teeth well by gaining credibility in what he spews around, he has rather adopted the trait of just spewing pure lies to make him look good and vice presidential-in-waiting.
Even the so-called think-tank, IMANI Ghana, a well-known NPP bootlicking brigade recently gave some thumps up to the NDC ruling government on infrastructure development. Therefore, how will lying Bawumia claim that the NDC has done nothing in Ghana since 2009?
Bawumia is fast becoming a poster boy for lies. He cannot wait to get to the Flagstaff House, therefore, he is galloping with lies all over, thinking those in the rural areas, and towns that have seen development come to their doorsteps are gullible.
If nothing at all, I want to draw the attention of Bawumia to the residents of North Legon, East Legon, West Legon, Adenta, Haatso, and Madina among others, who for many years did not see a drop of water from their pipelines. As a result, those residents spent lots of money to buy water on daily or weekly basis.
Thanks to the hardworking Mahama’s government, residents in the areas mentioned have since the end of last year has seen water flowing through their homes. Imagine the big break that has come to the homes of these residents, and Bawumia claims this is nothing to write home about or to put it this way the Mahama’s government has done virtually nothing in Ghana.
I don’t blame this young man, Bawumia. He and Akufo-Addo are so much in hurry to occupy the seat of government that they have decided to paint a gloomy picture about everything in Ghana; therefore, everything that is going on in the country is nothing to them.
Just look at the sprawling, emerging, and beautiful Kwame Nkrumah Circle Interchange in Accra. To Bawumia and co it is nothing because they did not initiate it. I am reliably informed that when the NPP went on their last so-called demonstration which saw Akufo-Addo leaving the poor NPP members walking whilst he bolted in a car, those NPP members who trooped to the Kwame Nkrumah Circle to take part in the demonstration were taken aback by what they saw at the circle.
Again, I am reliably informed that some NPP members privately stated that if the NDC is able to complete the interchange in time that project alone will seriously jeopardize NPP‘s campaign message. If Bawumia did not hear this, I entreat him to do a follow-up on this.
Gone were the days when politicians go round promising the moon to residents who gullibly bought into whatever they were told. I must state that indeed Ghana has come a long way. Moreover, all politics is local.
If residents in certain areas don’t have potable water, electricity and roads, and they see a government come in and provide these to alleviate the severe pains they go through; it will be extremely difficult for Bawumia to go to these areas and simply say that, that government has done virtually nothing in those areas.
It’s about time Bawumia starts behaving like a man of integrity because his fabrications will simply not get him there. People know where they were, and where they are now, so just going round to lie in order to attract votes come 2016 will not cut it.