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Thursday, September 25, 2014

So, President Mahama should have wept at the United Nations, eh?

Thursday, September 25, 2014
My good friends, I continue to see those vainly criticizing anything and everything done (or not done) by President Mahama as doing "rogue" politics and making themselves the butt of public ridicule.
Here is a classic example of one of them: "Head of the Political Science Department at the KNUST, Prof. Amoako Baah, is not impressed about President Mahama’s appeal to the international community to help combat the deadly Ebola outbreak in West Africa. According to him, the president in his appeal should have been “dramatic and emotional” to enable them [international community] “jump into action”.

Speaking however, on Asempa FM’s "Ekosii Sen" programme Thursday, Dr. Amoako Baah said though the president tried his best, an emotional appeal would have done the trick. “The whole world knows we [Africans] are beggars so this is not the time to be proud when you have to speak to an urgent issue. We don’t need sympathy we need help,” he exclaimed. (See: http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/artikel.php?ID=327506)
What a load of tosh from this Dr. Amoako Baah, someone whose utterances have portrayed him as an anti-Mahama rogue politician parading as a political science lecturer? And he is one of those being paid “book and research allowance” to improve teaching and learning in the country’s tertiary institutions.
A political science lecturer should have known better not to stoop so low in assessing issues at such a high level as the United Nations General Assembly and the demeanour or communicative performance of a President at a forum for fellow Presidents. Only he alone knows what being “emotional” entails; but is it that he doesn’t know how to make the difference between using the head (reason)—as President Mahama did—or using the heart (emotions)—which he won’t stoop low to indulge in?
In most successful rhetorical performances, it is reason that rules, not emotions (transient and low-brow).
By implication, then, he wants President Mahama to indulge in theatricals, weep, wail, and gnash his teeth on the occasion before making the desired impact? He wanted President Mahama to weep more than the bereaved, to dissemble and make a fool of himself only for the cameras. How petty and dowdy couldn’t Dr. Amoako Baah be!!
Meantime, the President had caught the attention of the audience with his pointed delivery, part of which said: “Ebola is a disease of isolation, Ebola is a problem that belongs to the World because it knows no boundaries...we cannot afford to let fear keep us away.”
What can be more gripping than this aspect of his message? Did those gathered at the UN session not already know all that they needed to know about Ebola, even before listening to President Mahama? And why should it be President Mahama who should be "emotional" and not the leaders of the countries most affected by Ebola (who are also at the UN session)?
Viewed against the background of President Mahama's speech, what Dr. Amoako Baah is suggesting is childish and politically motivated just to cause mischief. Here is the thrust of the President's address: "Ebola is not a Liberian problem; it’s a world problem; Mahama tells UN."
Which human being in full control of his faculties will not understand this message as encapsulating everything that should touch hearts for help to flow for the countries afflicted by Ebola? Does it have to take any fake demonstration of "emotions" to elicit the support needed to fight the epidemic or pandemic (whichever works well here)?
Interestingly, though, had President Mahama done what Dr. Amoako Baah expected, he would have been the cheer leader in the chorus of ugly noise-makers to condemn him sky high. Such people!!
And with such people as this Dr. Amoako Baah (a political science lecturer at that!!), Ghana has a long way to go. Tweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaa!!
I shall return…
·         E-mail: mjbokor@yahoo.com
·         Join me on Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/mjkbokor to continue the conversation.

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