An intellect becomes stunted when it does not seek truth

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kwesi biney

An intellect becomes stunted when it does not seek truth but manufactures and propagates an untruth. Propagating an untruth belittles the human mind. To be cultured into an untruth is to live a lie??Nana Kobina Nketsia V.

Dates are a very important part of human life. There are two important days in the life of a man. Many people, unlike me, will spend their last cedi to celebrate their birthdays. It is not because I do not like spending on my birthday; it is just that I grew up before knowing when I was born. I am still not sure about the accuracy of the date I parade as my birthday today. The most important thing is that I was born like anybody else. I am not like those who, in their infancy, had their birthdays celebrated for them. It is no wonder that birthday celebrations are not a part of me today. In fact sometimes I have to be reminded of my own birthday by one daughter of Eve or the other.

Hei! My friend it does not mean that there are so many daughters of Eve around the corner oooo. As for this country if you say something and you do not explain yourself well and put it in a proper context, someone can interpret it properly for you.

Yes, I was talking about dates. Indeed very important local, national and global events have their dates engraved in the minds of the people in those areas. Some of the dates come with nostalgic feelings whilst others ignite sad memories. Yesterday, July 24, was exactly two years when the President of this country died of causes yet to be made public whilst performing his official duties at the seat of government. Death is nothing new to humanity. After all on that very same day and hour, many people died both within and outside this country. But this sad incident had such a chilly effect on the entire nation because it was the first time a sitting President of this country had died.

The grief brought all of us together as a people to mourn him and give him a befitting burial. It was a painful day to lose a sitting President, but the most painful thing that makes that particular day and date dreadful to Ghanaians is the fact that it gave birth to John Dramani Mahama as the President of this country. This day marked the beginning of the destruction of Mother Ghana. July 24, 2012, the day John Mahama was sworn- in as President, is like the much dreaded 13th step of the U.S.A to many Ghanaians.

John Mahama had told Ghanaians that as a man born after independence, as against those born before independence, he had what it takes to move this country forward and improve the lives of majority of the suffering people. Until the death of President Mills, the situation in Ghana was generally bad, especially compared to the situation under President Kufuor. Corruption among government officials and party functionaries had become a matter of national concern and national disgrace.

Queues for certain basic needs had begun forming, indiscipline among party faithful had gained currency and legitimacy. Threats to the judiciary by NDC activists and the deafening silence of Atta Mills as President had sent chilling signals across the borders as to what dangers or safety awaited our judiciary since the predecessors of the NDC had at one time abducted and murdered three High Court Judges in cold blood.

The economic situation had started biting hard, social interventions like the National Health Insurance Scheme, School Feeding Programme, the Capitation Grant for Basic Schools, Free Health Care for Pregnant Women, among others, were on the verge of collapse. Ghanaians were bracing themselves for the 2012 general elections when death laid its icy hands on the President. So when his Vice, John Mahama, was sworn-in, even the cynics of the NDC administration had some faith that things were going to get better.

But alas! President Mahama began by ordering, instructing, and directing his Ministers to do one thing or the other for the good of this country. The outcomes of these orders, instructions and directives indicated that he either did not make any of those or those who were supposed to obey them and act accordingly did not take him seriously. The Ghanaian situation began to descend a hill into an unknown valley without any safety nets. Those social interventions which were not functioning properly under Atta Mills were fast-tracked into total collapse by Mahama.

Corruption was officially planned at the seat of government to drain this country of whatever resources were available. A total of GH?200 million of the tax payers? money was handed over to a clique hand -picked by Mahama to virtually burn them. Trees were planted during the dry season, and guess what the results were? GYEEDA which was supposed to be an avenue to get the unemployed youth became an avenue for looting and sharing public funds. Jobs not done were paid for in advance. The almighty SUBAH payments which have attracted even the most indifferent of people in this country were simply waved at with the left arm by Mahama.

In the midst of these Mahama endorsed misuse of our scarce resources, state institutions are collapsing. The Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies are non-functional because statutory deductions are spent outside the law.  For the first time in our history as a people, Special Schools for the Physically Challenged dotted around the country face closure under Mahama because of lack of funds. These are a class of people who require special attention from the rest of us and yet Mahama decided to ignore them whiles funds were being misappropriated to serve individual interests. Today an item like chalk has become an essential commodity in the teaching and learning process.

Student Teacher Trainees have lost their allowances, Trainee Nurses have been denied their allowances too, and medical doctors have been subjected to verbal assaults by NDC communicators without any known personal achievements in life.  Under Mahama, Ghanaian Road Contractors have vowed never to execute any government financed project in their motherland Ghana. The reason is that jobs done for years for government have not been paid for. Sadly they have taken this position at a time when about 90% of the roads in this country are in their worst state.

Ghana?s currency is the most worthless piece of paper on the African continent under Mahama. Once again, in the midst of this very dangerous phenomenon, government still embarks on worthless profligate spending. In the year 2009, the NDC administration procured new SUV vehicles for Ministers of State; in 2012 another batch of new vehicles were procured for the Ministers and this year as the public cries for salvation and key sectors of our economic and social lives are denied funding, another set of new vehicles have been procured and distributed to Ministers. Those for the Deputies are safely parked at the Castle and would soon be distributed to them.

Mahama is squeezing this country for the wrong activities. Taxation of the individual Ghanaian has never been higher than we are experiencing today. Taxes all over the world are the sources of revenue for development when properly utilized but in the case of Ghana, a few friends and cronies of Mahama virtually create, loot and share the taxes so collected. The people of this country from all walks of life are under the yoke of Mahama?s incompetence, corruption and governance of lies and propaganda. The future of the children in terms of education is unknown, since Headmasters of Public Schools have signaled the closure of Schools because of lack of funds.

No government has been confronted with the level of demonstrations and protests as we have witnessed under Mahama by individual organizations which culminated in the nationwide demonstration yesterday. It is a signal that greater but unpleasant things are yet to come. Nsuo erebeto a, mframa di kan. The storm precedes a rainy day. Mahama should cease thinking that we are so docile and that lies, deceit and outright disrespect are the tools he can use to mismanage our lives. What happened yesterday is a signal to him that what has happened elsewhere can happen in Ghana as well, and it will not be too long if Mahama continues to mess up our lives and take away our self-confidence. A word to the wise is in the Northern hemisphere.

The weather is chilly, some two tots top warm up for the demonstration.

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