Time To Yawn

UNLESS unforeseen developments inform another postponement of the State of The Nation Address, President John Mahama must present a scorecard of his stewardship tomorrow and what he intends prosecuting in the coming months.

Characteristic of Ghanaians, the unusual postponement of this critical assignment in the political calendar prompted varied interpretations most of them expectedly unsavoury.

While some posit that the postponement is symptomatic of a disorganized President, another school thinks government has been overwhelmed by daunting challenges, answers to which have remained elusive to the leadership of the political establishment.

When Mr. President mounts the rostrum to address the people’s representatives tomorrow he would have a lot of items to tackle—most of them reflecting on the economic ailment Ghanaians are enduring today, including the bad governance that is ruefully the mark of his administration.

The pain Ghanaians are enduring after the positive presidential prognosis that 2014 would be less stressful for the citizens of this country have, against the reality, belied the prediction.

If President Mahama intends pleading with Ghanaians to bear with him as he fixes the shattered economy, he should be wary about the questions they would pose, albeit rhetorically: Ghanaians know why the economy is in this dire state and would be less charitable with pleas from the President to tighten their belts.

The entries in our last State of the Nation Address, 2013, although now part of history, are still fresh in our memories: we are primed to interrogate these against the fresh pledges that await us when the President addresses us.

The bottom-line is, most Ghanaians do not have confidence in what should have been a moment of serious reflection about the state of the nation and how government intends prosecuting projects intended to better their lot.

The many promises contained in the past years, to put it brusquely, remain unfulfilled—part of the incensing propaganda.

The appearance of the President in Parliament is more about performing a constitutional drill than announcing genuine projects to move the country forward.

The past few months have witnessed unparalleled instances of bad governance than any time since the late President John Atta Mills took the reins of power from the NPP.

Some ruling party personalities have been cited in cases of financial misdemeanour which have cost the economy millions of dollars. Although some of them have been put before court we can state that this is but a tip of the iceberg. Bigger fishes swim in the political waters with impunity and flaunt their ill-gotten wealth obscenely.

These and other instances of fiscal indiscipline, too many to be contained in such a short space, have impacted negatively on the value of our national currency and our economy as a whole.

With little or no faith in tomorrow’s delivery we can only yawn and wonder why Satan has placed his hands over the President, Bank of Ghana Governor and Finance Minister.