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
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me on Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/mjkbokor to continue
the conversation.
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