5 January 2009
editorial
To the vast majority of Ghanaians, the country is split into literally two halves, with one side responding to the clarion cry for change, and the other half concurring with the need for change, but only in leadership, and not necessarily of parties. The figures given out by Dr Afari Djan give an accurate reflection of how fractured the nation is, but also underscores who the real winner is.
Out of total of 9,000,000 -4,521,032 preferred Mills to Nana Addo who obtained 4,480, 446.
What separated the two illustrious men was hard work and tactics, with Mills striking most people as the trifle humbler of the two. All kinds of theories have come to the surface, which will probably come to the fore when a real postmortem of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) is conducted, to guide the party to position itself for 2012, after sprucing up on its act.
There are a number of things that clearly stand out among issues that President-elect, Professor Mills, will be dealing with which touch and concern every one of us as Ghanaians.
The number one priority that must engage President Mills should be the management of the economy. Messrs Kwame Peprah, Cadman Mills, Professor Kwesi Botchwey, Paa Kwesi Amissah-Arthur (his choice for Chief of Staff until ex-President Rawlings stepped in, in 2001) etc, and if Mills means to carry through with his policy of inclusiveness, he could recruit the NPP's brain trust in the person of Boakye Agyarko, to form a star-studded team to his economic management for his administration.
We endured a legacy of ex-President Rawlings' leaking economy - with a precarious reserve of $234 million at the Central bank, sufficient only for three weeks of imports, and a very unstable foreign exchange regime for eight years, and a gross domestic product of $600, inching towards the millennium development goal of over $1000. Kufuor has bequeathed a reserve of $2.5 million at the Bank of Ghana for Mills to inherit.
Secondly, Mills owes us his word - Security and assurance of safety for all, and banishment of the ghost of Rawlings. In the just ended electioneering campaign, the biggest issue that coloured the campaign and nearly swung the election, was people's morbid fear of Rawlings. Images of public flogging and extra judicial killings excite raw fear amongst Ghanaians whenever they see the former President on the NDC platform mouthing abuses and threats.
When this paper published a speculative piece hinting that Rawlings may serve in security portfolio in a Mills Government, all hell broke loose in the Mills' camp.
The Chronicle can confirm that Professor Mills will never be a 'poodle' when he gets the staff of office and is anointed as President of our Fifth Republic.
Consultations with Rawlings will be fewer and far between. For those who toyed with his gaffe of halcyon years - '24 hours a day consultations with Rawlings' continued to badger him, it is time to herald that this President we are about to have has more grit to go with his steely nature than the press would have you believe.
Ghanaians may be experiencing the other side of Mills - tough, resolute and no wimp.
No Ghanaian would love to have a President who is afraid to take decisive decisions, guided by the constitution.
There are examples of countries whose leaders imposed successors on their countries, like Zambia and Tanzania. The Chronicle's own assessment of the learned Professor over the years, reveal that after a period of prevarication, the man is now firmly on his own. No one can better say this than The Chronicle, which has studied the man, warts and all, and can vouch for his personal integrity and his willingness to repose himself, not in 'antoa nyamaa', but in the Living God.
All the stories that were strewn over the newspapers - ours included, were designed to invoke 'Rawlings phobia' in the Ghanaian public about Mills. Fact is that Rawlings now has to fight for recognition from Mills, who has dutifully borne all the humiliation from the couple who regard the party as their own.
To the unsuspecting Ghanaian, The Chronicle is bold to say that every Ghanaian should freely exhale now, as Mills will now experience an outpouring of the Holy Spirit and be transformed by the supernatural, such that no one should be afraid of Rawlings because Mills CAN (emphasis ours) contain the tomfoolery of Jerry Rawlings and his wife.
As the spear of the nation, The Chronicle will join all friendly forces to protect the constitution while ensuring that the horrible past of the NDC will not return to haunt Ghanaians. As the third estate of the realm, we would take up the challenge of NDC Chairman, Dr. Kwabena Adjei, to hold the party accountable to the people.
As a Professor of the law, only the constitution should serve as his guide, and we will not begrudge him consulting if he draws inspiration from the Bible, as he goes about this great task of taking care of a United Ghana.
Can he pull off his promises, particularly those he vowed to accomplish within the first 100 days in office? Like cutting fuel prices to a further low without rupturing the economic stability the nation has virtually taken as customary under President Kufuor.
The Chronicle would not simply pull out the NDC manifesto and set a trap for Mills, but there are covenants he staked his reputation on, such as continuing with the pair trawling issue, by allowing it within the exclusion zone allowed by the law, a deeply flawed practice that had a crushing effect on the fishing community from the coast of the Volta to the waters of Half Assini.
Again, it should not be difficult to enter a 'nolle prosequi' in the case of Tsatsu Tsikata, because the NPP never for a minute consulted this newspaper about the Tsikata case, in spite of the fact that no newspaper has more intelligence on the Tsikata case than The Chronicle. None.
It is in the interest of Ghana that Professor Mills succeeds, and we can only wish him Godspeed. May the God of our fathers, The God of T.B Joshua whom he religiously turns to for his health challenges, surround him and bring complete restoration to him, for he will represent the sovereign will of the people of Ghana. We are tired, Father, and this nation under God, solely needs respite from all the politicking that has taken centre stage in our lives.
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