I have often wondered why our politicians are the way they are; blatant liars, arrogant, vicious backstabbers and egocentric maniacs.
They have become experts at peddling falsehoods; they are more than eager to sabotage the agenda of their opponents; and they are unbelievably reluctant to admit their mistakes. And, get this; all they crave is the spotlight: they want to be the center of attention at all times.
Three eminent national politicians, namely the President, Mr. Akuffo Addo, the Speaker of Parliament, Professor Mike Ocquaye and the firebrand, former President Jerry John Rawlings, embody all that is wrong with Ghanaian politics.
The President is once again singing the tired, old song: “Mahama left me with mountains-of debts.” Presiding over an ailing economy that has not created jobs and continues to make life unbearably difficult for Ghanaians, Mr. Addo does what he does best: point the finger at his predecessor.
Honestly, this act is getting old, repetitious and is fast losing significance. When will the president admit that he has no precise answers to our intractable financial and economic problems?
If for once, he finds it within himself to tell Ghanaians the truth about the economy and how hard and long it would take to fix it, perhaps, maybe perhaps, they would understand and bear with him.
But no the president does not do that; rather he has found a new target to blame: critics of his administration: In fact, Mr. Addo said it loud and clear the other day that he has only been in office for six months and critics are already piling on him—–ripping him apart. Well, Mr. President what did you expect?
You rode on a wave of vicious and unrelenting criticism of your predecessor to office, and now that the tables are turned on you, it is not fair? Give us a break, Mr. Addo.
Mr. Acquaye, the speaker of parliament is an unbearable buffoon. Everything about this man is irritating. He lacks decency; he is awfully arrogant, a history revisionist and an egomaniac to boot.
Consider the way he has conducted himself — throwing his weight around —-in parliament since January — and you are left wondering why this man should be put in charge of such an important national institution.
He sure acts like a playground bully with his ham-handed treatment of the opposition NDC. Will someone please inform this dude that ours is a democracy and not a dictatorship?
I cannot pinpoint exactly what has driven the wedge between former President Rawlings and the party he founded. The relations can best be described as frosty. But whatever it is, the former tough guy should have kept his cool, and settled matters with his detractors behind close-doors.
That is the way it is done, and Mr. Rawlings cannot say with a straight face that he is blissfully ignorant of the protocols and processes involved in diffusing tensions brewing in a political party.
Perhaps, he has an agenda, or he does not, who knows what is on his mind. However, singing the praises of the NDC arch nemesis and even going as far as consorting with the NPP signals a hard time ahead for the former president and his party.
Ghana politics like politics anywhere is full of antics, intrigue and charlatans.