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Opinions of Thursday, 28 November 2019

Columnist: Rockson Adofo

A venomous snake can never become a trusted pet, Mr President!

No matter how far you try to tame a non-poisonous snake, it can never become your best pet let alone, a poisonous one. Any animal, as docile as they may be, can instinctively become aggressive without reason. It may not be because it does not like you, but its inherent nature of being an animal, with their peculiar characteristics, can force them to be temperamental, behave awkwardly when you least expect, to your astonishment.

In a like manner, a trusted friend can do things to shock you let alone, one who has ever shown their animosity towards you. When dealing with people that you cannot trust fully, you had better tread cautiously, with your mind, eyes and ears widely opened and alert.

Were our elders not right when they said, "A mad man who has recovered from his madness has still some little traces of madness within him to frighten off children?". Therefore, President Nana Akufo-Addo must be extremely careful in his association with Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II that he is seen, or perceived, by the public to be overly friendly with.

It is on record, whether true or false, that he once sabotaged your chance, Mr President, to becoming the president of Ghana in year 2013. I stand to be corrected. He himself knew very well that you would not be so close to him when you became the president of Ghana by God's grace through Him touching the hearts of Ghanaians to vote massively for you to bring to fruition His promise to you.

He even made a statement confirming his fear that you may not welcome him with open arms, open heart and open mind, when you paid him a visit at his Manhyia Palace. He said in part, "Akufo-Addo was my lawyer…..I know him for donkey years…but some people may say…."

Mr President, I am not in any way accusing you of error of judgment but bear in mind the veracity of the saying, "Once bitten, twice shy" or, "An animal that will not bite you does not bare its teeth at you". And, once you are scarred, you are scarred forever. If the bible admonishes us not to trust human beings, how can you then trust a human being who had openly been hostile towards you?

In Micah 7:5, it says, - "Trust ye not in a friend, put ye not confidence in a guide: keep the doors of thy mouth from her that lieth in thy bosom"

Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II in my belief can never be your trusted friend, Mr President, so "shine your eyes" as Ghanaians use this phrase to warn people to be very cautious about their friendships or whatever they do in partnership with others.

I should be the least privileged person to advise you since Anas Aremeyaw Anas, the once acclaimed Ghanaian ace investigative journalist, but now a fallen from grace to grass person, was even scared to blackmail you because you are a lawyer and a very intelligent person. However, as diverse and many as the gifts of the Holy Spirit are, I can claim on authority to have the ability to pass on a piece of advice to you as neither an old age is an indication of wisdom nor a grey hair a repository of wisdom.

If Asantehene was a true friend of the president, he would not go to a public lecture to seem to rubbish the achievements of the president to date. He claims that although the implementation of the free Senior High School is good, the Ghanaian electorate will rather judge you on the economy; how they have got jobs, how money is coming into their pockets, how successful the banking sector has been etc.

He could not have the least respect to advise his listeners or the Ghanaian public to bear with you, give you a bit of time as all the enabling factors you are putting in place will work to their benefit with the passage of time. However, as cynical and wryly person as he has always been, he was judging you a failure, comparing your nearly three years in office to that of former President John Dramani Mahama's four or eight years to prove that you have not done much.

He further made a strong suggestion about the Electoral Commission as though, they are partial to the authority or the political party that appointed their heads and others. "Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, the Asantehene, has called on the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission (EC) Mrs Jean Mensa and her deputies to be impartial in the execution of their constitutional mandate. "It is our conviction that the new Chair and members of the commission will endeavour to carry out their duties with impartially and without fear or favour,” Otumfuo said in his speech over the weekend when he delivered the Annual Leadership Lecture of the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA)"

I do not like silly equalisations but may I ask, being silly of course, if Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II ever made a similar statement when Mrs Charlotte Osei was clearly seen to be stubborn with apparently perceived intent to rig election 2016 for the NDC? Her efforts were only to be thwarted by God in what is, "Man proposes and God disposes"

He visited former President Mahama for a top secret 30-minute one-on-one chat in his residence when he went to Accra prior to going to give the public lecture. Only God knows the assurances he might have given to former President John Mahama. From there, he visited Vice President Dr Bawumia and then secretly paid some three Appeal Court Justices a visit to ask them for a big favour which they have accordingly granted. As the truth will always out, I shall be writing extensively in the coming days about this visit to the disgrace of the not-fit-for-purpose judges.

Mr President, as Julius Caesar was warned to beware the ides of March, so do I warn you to be careful of your friendship to Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II. He can never be your trusted friend. He is only smiley on the face while being abusive behind your back, trust me.

Why do the public see you today as no longer the Nana Akufo-Addo that they knew upon whose ascertained qualities of strictness, incorruptibility etc. compelled them to vote for you? Were such qualities only a camouflage? Did you fail to plan or your plan has failed? Who might have advised you to go "softly softly" on ruling Ghana to the point that many Ghanaians, especially the University students, have decided not to go to the polls in 2020 because you have deceived them? Whoever gave you that advice is not a good friend but a bad one seeking your downfall. Why is the rate of corruption in the country still the same if not worsened?

Once again, a venomous snake can never be tamed to become your best pet, it will bite you some day. "When it is coming, it is doing", as we jovially say. Asantehene cannot become your best friend as long as there is that thick blood of NDC within him and his avarice is insurmountable.

A word to the wise is enough.