Monday,
June 18, 2012
For all that he may be to
political observers, President Mills is definitely uncharismatic and lacks the
drive to act decisively—and with authority too—as expected; but his approach to
governance has to be viewed on its own terms and judged as such. Being
self-effacing and reluctant to use the enormous powers at his disposal, his
approach comes across as a painful novelty.
Ghanaians are used to the looming
presence and “strongman” mentality of former heads of state (probably,
excluding Kufuor) and will definitely regard Mills’ leadership style as
awkward. That’s why he has become an easy picking for his opponents.
To worsen his circumstances, his
health has become a major concern. The rumours about his health condition have
not let down all these years. They have added to all the negative impressions
that his opponents have about him and compounded the credibility problem
weighing him down as the country moves toward Election 2012.
We are aware of his previous
trips to South Africa before the 2008 elections and the United States recently for
medical attention and his own claim that his problem could be boiled down to a “sinus
infection.” That explanation didn’t end the rumours.
Unscrupulous characters are known
to have circulated rumours on several occasions that he was either dead or in
the throes of death. In truth, he is still alive and nearing the end of his
first term. His seeking re-election without any confirmation of his health
status has definitely re-ignited the rumours about his health condition,
especially concerning observable evidence on his skin (the darkening of his
fingers and cheeks), which some have interpreted as outside manifestations of a
very serious internal deterioration of his entire system.
His sudden departure for the
United States last Saturday has stoked the fire. He might have found humour in
the rumours concerning his health condition to toss around; but he hasn’t
handled the matter as resolutely as one expected. I think that the President
must come clean to end all these dangerous rumours and speculations. Is he
really as healthy as his pre-departure posture and joke at the Kotoka
International Airport will have us believe?
It shouldn’t be a subject matter
for dangerous speculation. As the public face of Ghana, he can’t hide anything
about himself without feeding the rumour machine with what may not work in his
favour.
Although his health condition may
be treated as a “private matter” to be jealously guarded against prying eyes
and ears, I think that the manner in which it is being handled is doing more
harm than good. At least, it appears not to be serving any useful purpose if it
continues to be wrapped up the way it has been done all this while.
The point is that the more this
matter is treated as a national security secret, the more tongues wag, especially
when the President wasn’t seen in public or heard from for many days, even when
many disturbing events were happening all over the country to threaten peace
and tranquility. Out of the blues, when he emerged, it was nothing to solve
those problems but to leave the country for a “regular medical check-up.”
Happenings that suggest that he
is not in the best of spirits or health won’t redound to his good image for as
long as the matter is handled in this manner. That is why we must be concerned
that those surrounding the President have resolved to keep us in the dark as if
doing so will erase the health problem from the slate. It won’t; and the
earlier those people—and the President himself—come to terms with reality, the
better chances are that an informed Ghanaian public will know how to relate to
him.
As of now, the situation isn’t
favourable to him. As we can infer from the rumours doing the rounds about him,
this so-called “regular medical check-up in the U.S.” has political twists that
are worsening the President’s credibility problem.
What is it about his health that
should warrant such a “regular medical check-up” in the U.S. and not in Ghana?
What kind of health condition is it that Ghanaian medical doctors can’t handle
for him to know whether he is still fully healthy or not? Or is it because the
equipment and expertise needed for his kind of diagnosis (or “regular medical
check-up”) are not available in the country? If so, whose fault is it?
This last question is important
because it highlights the failures of our various governments over the years as
far as the health sector is concerned. Had they been honest and competent enough
to support the health sector with the requisite equipment/facilities and
experts, won’t they be prepared to handle responsibilities of the sort that
have taken President Mills to the U.S.?
But what should we expect when
leaders of countries such as ours lack foresight and can’t solve pertinent
national problems to help the vast majority of their people live in decency?
On a larger note, how do these
political leaders consider the vast majority of Ghanaians whose sweat and toil
sustain their lifestyles? That they are mere nobodies who don’t need their
lives to be prolonged through exquisite medical attention, unlike those of them
who quickly rush to get help outside the country? All human life is precious in
the sight of the Creator, though; but to these leaders, theirs is more precious
on earth. Mortal as they are, they can’t eventually escape death’s icy hands.
The folly of it all.
How many of these hardworking
Ghanaians will ever get the opportunity to depend on the national coffers for
this kind of service? Yet, these are the very people being depended on to
sustain the democracy that has become the goldmine for these politicians.
The NDC’s Johnson Asiedu-Nketia
may want to indulge in anti-NPP politics over this health issue concerning President
Mills, but it won’t serve any useful purpose to create goodwill for the NDC.
The point must be made clear that it is immaterial whether the rumours about
President Mills’ death emanated from the NPP’s quarters or not.
What matters is that the President’s
health is no secret to be tucked under anybody’s armpit. For as long as
Ghanaians know that they are the providers of the money spent on him, they have
every right to monitor what happens and be told the truth. Anything short of
that will promote more damaging rumours and no amount of damage control or the
apportioning of blame will solve the problem.
The President must come clean. If
he can’t, then, anybody who knows what is ailing him should tell us the truth.
He stands to get genuine sympathy and good wishes if he levels with us. It is
not a difficult thing to do because as human beings we all know that our bodies
are mutable and vulnerable to any kind of disease that infects us. His will not
be anything extra-ordinary. We expect that our bodies will not forever resist
the vagaries of life and won’t be shocked to learn of his health problem.
Some heads of state have died
from all kinds of diseases or causes—consumption, madness, suicide,
assassination, beheading, poisoning, syphilis, and many more. What may be
happening to President Mills isn’t anything that humanity wouldn’t have known
before. Even if it is a new disease to medical science, he will set a record as
the first person to have contracted it, which should give researchers some
substantial stuff to work on for some panacea to save other human beings from
its scourge.
I reiterate my demand that
President Mills’ health condition isn’t any secret and shouldn’t be made into
one as such. We want to know what his problem is so we can better relate to him
and anything concerning him, especially as we prepare for the December
elections. He is a candidate and we want to be assured that he will be fit on
the occasion to deserve any vote that goes to him. That’s my call.
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