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Dear Mr. President,
First and foremost, let me commend you for your bold, firm, and resolute decision that the 2024 General Elections, both Presidential and Parliamentary are going to be “Do or die affairs. The rank and file of the party, the party's foot soldiers, the grassroots, the supporters of the great party (The Great Akatamansonia), and the good people of Ghana, (the masses) resonate with you on your pronouncement that, the 2024 election is a “Do or die” and not “All die be die”. We shall be vigilant at the various polling stations across the length and breadth of the country. “Do or die” means the ability to take risks to avoid failure. We have consulted our dictionaries and the meaning is the same. “Do or die is not news, it has been in our statements since time immemorial, on several countless occasions. The rationale behind the “Do or die” pronouncement, as we are all aware translates to vigilance. We do not need a lecturer to translate it for us or give its meaning. The phrase itself gives meaning and definition to the context and context within which it finds itself in.
On 13th May 1978, our immediate President, Nana Addo Danquah Akuffo Addo led the Movement for Freedom and Justice to protest against General Kutu Acheampong's administration under the sloganeering “Do or die”. Notwithstanding the President had found himself entangled with a conflict of interest on his proclamation of “ All die be die” which when translates into the Akan parlance “ Owuo bia ye out”. “Atiwa Korea ye here Biribi Kakra who”. This portrays violence. The President, then Candidate Akuffo Addo preached war in the run-up to the 2016 general elections. We have not forgotten the mercenaries he brought from South Africa to train the hoodlums, thugs, and vigilantes recruited in the security services today, who perpetrated violence against innocent Ghanaians in the previous elections, resulting in the death of eight citizens and amputation of the arms and legs of several others in Techiman South and Ablekuma Central. The euphoric shootings in Awutu Senya East Constituency by Mavis Hawa Koomson (honorable) and the shootings in Odododiodio, and Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election is a cause for alarm. This has caused a slur on our fame as a beacon of democracy.
Indeed, there is no scintillation of doubt that corruption is the order of the day under the steering wheel of Akuffo Addo – Bawumia led government. The BOST Scandal, which led to the selling of 5,000,000 liters of contaminated fuel is still fresh in our memory, the PDS scandal which led to the dubious contract between an ordinary barber and the Electricity Company of Ghana, The smuggling and sale of fertilizer in Ivory Coast, being transported by donkeys and camels, the dubious Ameri and Kar Power Agreement profiling, which led to the inflation and siphoning of billions of dollars by the agents of this administration, 800,000 brouhahas at the Ministry for Special Development Initiative, spearheaded by the Mother Serpent of Corruption, Nana Addo Danquah Akuffo Addo under the guise of Mavis Hawa Koomson. The 1,000,000 scandals under the office of the Senior Minister, Yaw Osafo Marfo, now Senior Advisor to the President. No wonder the President had scrapped all those ministries used as conduits for corruption to siphoning billions of Cedis. Mr. John Mahama, you have assured discerning Ghanaians your concerns to holding the government of the day to account when the National Democratic Congress, NDC assumes power, and you pleaded with them to vote for change, against the agenda of breaking the 8 years being preached by the New Patriotic Party apparatchiks to hold them accountable for their actions and inactions, and not to shield their corrupt practices.
Upon assumption to office, the government of the NPP, on the ticket of Nana – Bawumia has contracted loans from the International Monetary Fund, World Bank, raised Euro Bonds, received grants worth billions of dollars in just five years and they could not account for a single project they had used the money for. Mr. Mahama, As a President who believes in accountability and transparency what will you do to bring the corrupt officials to book? Which road map would you adopt to retrieve those stolen money from them? What action will you take against the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori Atta and his cousin Gabby Asare Otchere Darko, the Health Minister, Kweku Agyemang Manu, Kyeremanteng Agyarko, Alfred Obeng formerly of BOST, the Food and Agriculture Minister, Dr. Afriyie Akoto, Agyenim Boateng formerly of Public Procurement Authority, for causing financial loss to the state about the Power Distribution Services, PDS, Ameri, Kar Power, Sputnik V, among many other scandalous acts? The Health Minister had silently resumed his position after he was made to proceed on leave for causing a huge financial loss to the state to a tune of 2 billion dollars, without recourse to due diligence. The president who rode on the campaign promise of protecting the public purse has rather, engaging in spending profusely beyond the estimated budget.
Press censorship has characterized our political space, many Radio and Television Networks had been suspended and utterly closed down, with no operations for about four to five years now, key among them were the halt of operations of Radio Gold and Montie which they believe were Pro National Democratic Congress, NDC station and their activities were sponsored by your party affiliates. Veteran and maverick journalists, the likes of Kwame Sefa Kayi and Paul Adom Otchere who made the media landscape fertile for the New Patriotic Party, NPP had been appointed to serve on various boards in the capacities as member and chairman respectively. I solemnly believe that you are taking a clue from that. We the members of the NDC equally deserve better. On the contrary, many journalists have suffered and feared death by this administration. Manasseh Azure was forced to seek refuge in exile. Bobbie Ansah, Mugabe Maase was summoned and arraigned before the Criminal Investigations Department of the Ghana Police Service. Ahmed Sualey had been assassinated. These among others culminate in the scar on the freedom of the press.
The fight against galamsey as promised by this government has failed. It is virtually an avenue to finance a party campaigns. The untimely death of your relative, Major Mahama, the serial killings of Honourable Joseph Boakye Danquah, Chairman Adams and the deliberate detain of Gregory Afoko are major questions we ought to ask. I want you to reflect on your thoughts on these murderous offenses and recall those pathetic events, to bring them to book when you assume office in January 2025.
The services sector has remained redundant, the education sector, the health sector, the transport sector, all have been dormant. The 1 billion dollars from IMF, 100 million dollars from World Bank, and the 200 million from the Stability Fund had been misapplied and misappropriated. The Heritage Fund had been squandered. The Free Senior High School has been a conduit for corruption. They only prioritize quantity but not quality. I believe you are ready to put the corrupt officials behind bars. Are you in full gear to end the father for all syndrome?
On the subject matter, “Do or die” is a calling to the youth to rise to their feet, awaken and be vigilant during the forthcoming 2024 Presidential and Parliamentary Elections to defend their right to vote and to be voted for, avoid the results being rigged and their ballots counted in favor of their preferred candidates. We should endeavor to volunteer and serve as a watchdog against any possible infiltrations of ballots by any individual or person. We shall fight for our limited franchise and respect universal adult suffrage. Do or die is our collective responsibility to ensuring that voters elect, select or choose their candidates without fear or favor and devoid of violence in an atmosphere of free, fair, transparent, and credible elections. The “Do or die” statement means sacrificing our birthrights for peaceful and credible declaration of election results, and not violence as the naysayers want us to believe and imbue.
I want to reiterate my commitment and resolve, to fighting till you win the 2024 General Elections. Well-spoken Mr. President Okofo Ababio John Dramani Mahama, the Sixth President of the Fourth Republic of Ghana. As the predecessor and the would-be successor of the incumbent Chief Executive Officer, with your impeccable records and legacies, we shall confide in you and vote massively for you in the forthcoming general elections.
Yours faithfully,
AAZIZ005@ST.UG.EDU.GH.
AZIZ AKI-OLA.
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