Political intimidation has been a major weapon of the National Democratic Congress for decades. Particularly under John Dramani Mahama, however, it has been carried to horrendous proportions. Attached inextricably to that vice are propaganda and lies.
In a typically vulnerable African nation like Ghana, with several communities still caught in superstition and animism, the pervasive propaganda that “if we lose, Ghana will burn” had, for instance, been a hindrance to most communities being compelled to vote NDC.
Another had been “if a candidate of certain ethnic grouping became President, all of Ghana’s coffers would be looted, leaving the nation poorer and vulnerable communities worse off.”
It turned out by 2010, however, that it was actually the purveyors of that falsehood who were creating systems for looting and sharing Ghana’s cash and natural resources.
No love for Zongos/Northerners
Again, it had turned out that while John Mahama was busily making irrelevant references to the Aliens Compliance Order, it is rather he who wants Ghanaian Muslims dead without enjoying a major religious rite, which is prompt, inexpensive burial in line with their Al Quran faith to meet their Maker.
Still very ignorant, John Mahama has, together with his illiterate band of inexperienced young men, decided to spin another Manifesto bit about creating mortuaries in the already tight Zongos, supposedly to give Muslims “decent preparation, ahead of their burial.”
The crazy idea and thought, which found expression in a Manifesto that political heavyweights like the Ahwois may have approved, ended up sadly exploding in their faces.
Like the King who failed to heed that the clock for his dance act had chimed, Mahama overshot himself and landed on his bloated belly.
For a professed Christian who has Muslim siblings, Mahama will go a long way as the joke of the century among West African living and dead Presidents for this nauseating level of ignorance in creating mortuaries, of all amenities on earth, in Zongos.
Felt needs
Had Mahama and the authors of the Satanic Verse been serious and not merely mischievous, they would have known that the Muslim ceremony of prompt burial is not because they are poor and obligated to cut costs, but that it is simply a spiritual and Muslim mandate.
Felt needs of our brothers and sisters in Zongo communities include basic things like affordable housing, education, jobs, health among others, all of which the ruling government has shown its commitment to providing them.
Never ever in the political history of this country have Muslims or Zongos complained about how to prepare their departed loved ones beyond a day on their way home to meet Allah. Yet, Mahama, absolutely confused and quixotically dreaming up Manifesto promises, decides to add that ridiculous bit to the string of undeliverables he has under his sleeves.
If Mahama was minded about improving lives and livelihoods, it should have found expression in his 2009-2016 governance efforts, instead of his personal circumstances.
The electorate in the country, including those in the Zongo communities, cannot be deceived any longer by the promises political leaders make to them.
At least, for now, they can cite governance track records to serve as the basis for assessing the credibility or otherwise of the promises being thrown at them, and that is where Mahama and his NDC have been found wanting, and obviously caught up in their own propaganda and lies.
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