<<Print>>

They have said that you have set your sight too high, they have said and continue to say that you are promising too much, they have said that you are corrupt without any scintilla of evidence, they have made many unsubstantiated allegations against your very person and your Government, what they have not succeeded in doing is breaking your resolve, the resolve that saw you rise like the sun. This is the story of our President, John Dramani Mahama. Criticism it is said, is the easiest thing for anybody to do, with the proliferation of the media, including social sites, criticism has become a past time activity for many Ghanaians. We have constructive criticism and destructive criticism, what our President is going through is a destructive criticism. They are defining moments in the life of every nation and every leader, every moment produces it own leaders, this moment and time, this country cannot wish of any better person to lead it than President, John Dramani Mahama. Like the President, I believe the joy of today is the promise of a better tomorrow, I see that better tomorrow, the President today, might not be the favourite of many people, but I know in my heart of hearts that tomorrow will celebrate this man, what he is doing might not be the wish of many Ghanaians, but a leader is one who is ready to look ahead and plan ahead, even when his people want to live for today. When Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, set out to build the Akosombo Dam, which today is still one of our flagship installations, his detractors said that he was wasting the country�s money and that was not what we needed at that time. As a leader, who was the captain of the ship, he sees the storm before it happens, he knows where he wants to take us and so despite all the hostile criticism and opposition, he made sure that, the project became a reality. Ghana is bigger than Accra and Kumasi, we sit in these cities and think that nothing is happening in other regions and towns, the President is doing a lot, and Ghanaians are witnessing and feeling the dividends of his good governance. They will speak as they did in 2012, they will renew his mandate to continue the good works he has started. A leader is one who inspires hope, even in the midst of problems. Many leaders, who made history that we glibly quote, ceased the moment and rose above mediocrity; they led their people to achieve what many doubting Thomases had said cannot be achieved. Any system that is built on false foundation cannot stand the test of time, the President is trying desperately to leave behind a strong system than the one he inherited. It has not been done before, so many see it as an impossibility, but history has shown that those who dare to be different are those who stand to be counted, when the time comes. President John Dramani Mahama, is the type of leader every nation needs, he does not care about the next election, what he knows is that he has the mandate of the people and he must deliver. He is leaving a lasting legacy, one that will not crumble after he is no more the President. He could do what will win him the 2016 Presidential election easily, without not having to campaign, but those things do not change the destiny of the people. Doing the right thing is difficult and sometimes can be misconstrued to mean you are not caring, but posterity will judge you as having taking the bold and difficult decisions, even when your own survival depended on it. The President has been accused of being corrupt, his administration said to be the most corrupt in the history of the country, his crime for this label is that State Institutions mandated to investigate acts of corruption are working. The exposures that seem to put the Government in a bad light could easily be swept under the carpet, but a transparent government as it is decided that the public should know what is happening; Ghanaians should know how public appointees are squandering their money. Only a few leaders would be willing and open to prosecuting their own people. People who are said to have helped in the campaign and close friends. President Mahama has demonstrated that nobody in his government will get away with corruption. Instead of commending him for his steadfastness, we are ready pounding him for it. If care is not taken, future leaders, will decide that acts of corruption and misappropriation of public funds should be kept away from the prying eyes of the public. The President, has an oversight responsibility of State Institutions, so it will be easy for him to tell them not to make public any of their findings, but he did not, I think he deserve a pat on the back. The President John Dramani Mahama, did not say that he had a magic wand that he will wave and the problems of this country, will become a thing of the past. He promised among other things that with the support of Ghanaians this country will be a country worthy of emulation. I have faith in the ability and capacity of the President to deliver on his electoral promises, I believe that he was fully aware of what he could do and not do, yet he promised with the mind that he will fulfill all those promises. Rome, they say was not built in a day, President Mahama cannot in two years solve all the problems that have been with us since independence, he did not inherit surplus, he inherited debt, and in order to pay back those debt, he needs to borrow to shore up and expand the economy so that we are able to pay back. The Government has been accused of borrowing too much; there is the talk of debt to Gross Domestic Product (GDP), without asking how much of our natural resource we have utilized. This country is in a better position to pay its debt than any European country; about 70 per cent of our natural resources are yet to be used, so we are not poor. The President is on course to achieving the dreams of our forefathers; he has my support and the support of well-meaning Ghanaians. The road is going to be bumpy, but nothing good comes easy, everything worth doing is worth overdoing, because moderation is for cowards, my President is taking nothing for granted, he will exit the presidency as the best this country has ever had.