Volta Region in the week past saw some political words-warring between the president and his major contender in the 2020 elections. It is not surprising, Manasseh explores the electoral territorial role of the Volta Region in his new book “The Fourth John: Reign, Rejection and Rebound” which will be launched in Accra, November 27. He alludes in his new book that, winning such zones depends largely on how intimate a political candidate is or becomes with such constituency or the big wigs there.
President Nana Addo mocked president Mahama for presiding over a Ghana of high inflation, poor agricultural development, lack of industries, unemployed graduates and limited access to senior high education. He accused Mahama for being a bad luck for the country, because of that, God intervened and pushed him into opposition after the 2016 elections
During an address to some market women in Volta Region, former president, John Dramani Mahama on the other hand, chided Nana Addo for failing to deliver on his promises. He restated the many hardships Ghanaians are going through under Nana’s leadership, due to diarrheal promises and impulsive speaking that there was enough money in the economy to improve the livelihood of citizens.
Some have warned the political swipes have only just started and will take many fierce forms especially when the time of elections is nigh. The fact is that the politics of personal attacks may drift the short-term memories of the average Ghanaian onto trivialities rather than substance, policies and performance
Truth is, none of the two will concede to the other so far as it’s in the context of politics.
It is also not enough for political soldiers and sympathizers to jump in to reign insults on one another in justifying who has been the best in history. It should take a hard-hitting objective take from individuals who have had a track record of surviving the witch-hunting and journalistic exile to do this – Manasseh Azure, whose recent past clearly makes him an authority in assessing governments
I met Manasseh barely two years ago. He sought my help on a writing project. Today the book which has hard and objective content on the former president’s John Mahama’s leadership from vice presidency through to presidency, is ready to be launched in Accra, Kumasi, Tamale and Bolgatanga.
As expected, some active political players have started reading propaganda meanings into the literature but from where I sit and my role played, there was only two driving forces for this project. First and foremost is to begin the painful task of documenting the reigns of presidents in this country from a citizen lens, and secondly which becomes inevitable is to ensure that a book sells. I am more fascinated about the first objective because journalism especially must go beyond expose, straight news or features.
Also this week past, there has been accusations of massive nepotism by the current president. Some 53 members of his family, friends and loved ones, were named by the its biggest opposition, NDC. For me, the facts presented are painfully true regardless the fact that it is coming from an opposition. What is more fascinating is the evidence of contradiction adduced prior to the 2016 polls: President Akufo Addo pledged not to countenance or watch over a nepotistic government.
What may have weakened this nepotism allegation would have been the absence of documented evidence.
It is therefore high time journalists moved beyond just ranting about these politically defining moments of the subsequent rule of leaders, to efforts towards documenting these issues into compelling perspectives and justifying who for them has worked harder without fear or favour.
These and many more reasons I am particularly excited about Manasseh’s new book The Fourth John.
Though the book is largely on the rule of the former president, Mahama, it also gives a mirror reflection of the current government under the current leadership of Akufo Addo. One can put side-by-side the two regimes as the reader goes through
Through such well-crafted political literature, Ghana’s recent political history will be shaped and accounted for, electorate would know who deserves another chance, and for some literate and elite voters, they will be convicted more on your 2020 vote
The Writer (Kabu Nartey) is a 2017 Kufuor Scholars Fellow. He is the 2018/2019 best graduating student in print journalism and the 2019 most promising journalist of GIJ.
kabunarteyme@gmail.com
