It was a hectic day for me at work when I got home thinking to resist all temptation of logging on to my twitter account. I was soliloquizing when I received a broadcast from BBM; it was the announcement of the death of President John Atta Evans Mills. I quickly logged on to check on my timeline, lo and behold the news was true. Honestly, the shock was so rude to rob me of sleep for hours. Of a truth, straight and good trees are not likely to stay long in the forest.
The death of John Atta Mills is a colossal loss not only to Ghana but to Africa. His quintessential leadership is unrivalled in Africa. His way of life should be a great lesson to all African leaders, though; they will not want to learn from such man. But the purpose of this piece is not to eulogize the uprightness of Late John Mills, but to send a warning signal to Ghanaians not to fall to the same pity Nigerians fell into when we were in Ghana’s shoe.
Just like Ghana today, Nigerian President (Yar’Adua) also died. While Yar’adua was away in Saudi, the powerful members of Cabal led by the then First Lady took over power contrary to what the constitution prescribes. The abysmal reign of Mrs. First Lady and the total relegation of the Vice President culminated into public outcry and consequent upon unreasonable support for the then VP, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan. All Nigerians wanted was the enthronement of constitution which made Pastor Tunde Bakare under the aegis of Save Nigeria Group to organize rally declaring support for the presidency of GEJ in acting capacity. If you ask Pastor Bakare why was he at the forefront of such rally for a man without any antecedent of performance, I am sure he will say he was only campaigning to uphold Nigerian constitution and nothing more.
When the tenure of Yar’adua-Jonathan elapsed by May 2011, GEJ automatically felt he should be the substantive president. One thing I want Ghanaians to know is that Vice Presidents becoming presidents in this situation are without any ambition for presidency. No well-thought programmes. Most of them are just there. They have no vision about presidency. And for the fact that they have no role in the constitution but for when the president is indisposed, vice presidents are at the behest of political scavengers.
To be sure, I will never blame any Vice President that took over from president in such circumstance, if their remaining tenure is fraught with no performance. This is the reason why I stood akimbo when GEJ was messing up while completing Yar’adua’s term. But it is now like a sin for any VP in such situation not to aspire for Presidency after the expiration of such term. For the fact that they have no ambition for presidency, is the reason why they are prone to what Nigerians are experiencing with GEJ. Their aspiration to presidency is most likely borne out of greed and African mentality of not to leave corridor of power. Such VPs end up being clueless.
For records, when Nigerians threw their supports without any reasonable yardstick but for sheer sympathy for Gej, the so called shoeless president ended up to be the worst president in that anal of Nigerian history all because of this lack of preparation for the throne. The Nigerians example taught us that John Mahama may contest for the coming election come December and Ghanaians should also beware of the kind of sympathy-vote pity that Nigerians fell into. Despite the abysmal performance of PDP since 1999, we heard people saying “I voted for GEJ not PDP”; this actually blindfolded Nigerians and foolhardily voted for PDP under the façade of voting for GEJ.
While I call for 100% support for John Mahama to complete the term of his former boss, John Atta Mills, I strongly beg them to use Nigeria as example in this regard. Ghanaians should vote for credibility, honesty and good pedigree. On no account should their sympathy for Mahama have anything to do with the coming election. In July last year, Mills was nominated to be the ruling National Democratic Congress party’s presidential candidate for December 2012 elections. The primary represented the first time in the country’s history that a sitting president competed for his own party’s nomination. However, the death of Mills yesterday had destabilized this permutation. Ordinarily, John Mahama stands the chance of being picked by the ruling party to field in for Mills, but I beg the country to look beyond rhetoric and vote wisely.
An unprepared but qualified person is worse than unqualified but prepared person. Ghanaians, “shine your eyes”. Who becomes the next president of Ghana is a source of concern because it will determine what will happen to the political and economic gains during the era of John Atta Mills. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the Ghanaians.
God bless Ghana and save Nigeria!
Olujide ‘Gbenga Daniel (@golujide)
25/07/2012
