Features
Former Prez Mahama: A ‘bitter loser’ and ‘itinerant deceiver’?
Readers, according to Wikipedia, a ‘bitter loser’ is a person who becomes very upset or angry when he or she loses a game or a contest.
Some political analysts, however, describe ‘an itinerant deceiver’ as a deceitful person who preaches the basic ‘political redemption message’ in a notorious manner, while travelling around to different groups of people; within a relatively short period of time.
John Mahama
• Mrs Jean Mensa Mac-Manu
Readers, gradually but steadily, many Ghanaian voters and political actors are increasingly becoming sophisticated with their understanding of the trending nature of our nation’s politics.
The ‘new sophistication’ of Ghanaian voters and political actors seems to be hugely influenced by the contents of the multiplicity of media networks in the country, particularly the social media.
And so, just recently, when former President John Dramani Mahama started his “Thank-You-Tour” in the country, many Ghanaian voters and political actors keenly ‘followed him’ with admixture of interests.
As the name implies, Mr Mahama’s ‘Thank-You-Tour’ was expected to be used to thank Ghanaians who voted for him and his NDC party during the December 7, 2020 presidential and parliamentary elections.
This is against the backdrop that Mr Mahama lost the presidential election while his party also failed to win majority seats in Parliament.
Some political analysts, however, say the ‘Thank-You-Tour’ is just a ‘smokescreen platform’ for Mr Mahama to launch his 2024 presidential campaign, contending that, “he has ‘elected’ himself ahead of his own party, thus, breaking all the required selection protocols.”
In the various towns and cities across some of the 16 regions of the country, where he visited, Mr Mahama has reportedly made certain ‘outracious’ statements concerning Ghana’s December 2020 elections.
Indeed, some political watchers even claim that Mr Mahama’s utterances during his ‘Thank-You-Tour’, betray him as a ‘bitter loser’, an ‘itinerant deceiver’ and above all, ‘a notorious liar’ .
Readers, let us examine some of Mr Mahama’s alleged ‘Thank-You-Tour’ utterances.
Mr Mahama is reported to have said: “The military was used to influence and declare the December 7, 2020 presidential and parliamentary elections.”
He is reported to have also stated: “The Electoral Commission thumb-printed one million ballot papers and stuffed ballot boxes to favour President Akufo-Addo and his New Patriotic Party.”
Again, he reportedly said: “But for a lot of scheming that took place, the NDC would have won the 2020 elections,” contending that” the polls were not credible, transparent, free and fair as the Electoral Commission claimed.”
Expectedly, the Electoral Commission has swiftly responded to Mr Mahama’s allegations; describing them as ‘palpable untrue’ and “an attempt to undermine the credibility of the electoral system.”
Responding to the allegations at a press conference in Accra on October 25, 2021, the Deputy Chairman of the Electoral Commission, Dr Eric Bossman Asare said; “at no point was the military used in the declaration of the 2020 election results.”
Dr Bossman Asare stated: “The election results declared by the Electoral Commission, were similar to the results announced by the media houses in the country…
“The media houses and other observers also picked their data right from the ground and the collation centres and the results were not different from what the Electoral Commission declared.”
Dr Bossman Asare added: “We urge the former President to provide evidence of the stuffing of ballot boxes by the Electoral Commission,” stressing that, “this is not a matter to be ignored.”
Mr Peter Mac-Manu, NPP’s Director of Elections, describes former President Mahama’s ballot stuffing claim as “bogus, spurious and loose talk.”
Speaking on Joy FM on October 25, 2021, Mr Mac-Manu stated: “If anybody understands the content of the pink sheets, you would know that it is impossible to dump thumb-printed ballot papers outside what the Electoral Commission brought to the polling stations,” adding that “people should not be talking loosely like that.”
Mr Ben Ephson, Managing Editor of The Daily Dispatch newspaper also says:”Stuffing of ballot boxes in Ghana’s current electoral dispensation cannot work,” stressing that , “Mr Mahama can go to court, if he has any evidence to that effect.”
Speaking on Morning Starr radio last Tuesday, Mr Ephson described Mr Mahama’s one million ballot printing and stuffing allegation as “baseless and reckless.”
Readers, remember? The ‘Thank-You-Tour’ utterances of former President Mahama are not new at all!!!
While waiting for the declaration of the 2020 election results, Mr Mahama said at a press conference in Accra that: “We have won 140 parliamentary seats and what else do we expect?”
He stressed: “I am happy Ghanaians have rejected the Akufo-Addo government,” and asked his NDC supporters to take to the streets and jubilate.
Additionally, Mr Mahama stated: “The Akufo-Addo government is using the military to change the results of the elections,” contending that, “the Electoral Commission is also attempting to change the election results to favour Akufo-Addo and his NPP but we will not allow them to steal the elections.”
Indeed, after the declaration of the presidential results, Mr Mahama and the NDC roundly rejected the results , claiming that the will of the people had been subverted and that “the proper verdict of the people has been stolen.”
So, readers, was it, therefore, not very strange to see Mr Mahama at the Supreme Court of Ghana, claiming that per the election figures declared by the Electoral Commission, none of the 12 presidential candidates obtained more than 50 per cent of the total valid votes cast, as required by our National Constitution ?
And strangely too, in his petition to the Supreme Court, Mr Mahama “deleted” his ‘stolen verdict’ chorus ; “the government using the military to change the results of the elections”; and “the Electoral Commission attempting to change the election results to favour Akufo-Addo.”
So, readers, without providing any evidence to support his claims; can we, therefore, agree with some Ghanaian political watchers; that Mr Mahama is now ‘a bitter loser’, ‘an itinerant deceiver’ and ‘a notorious liar’?
asmahfrankg@gmail.com (0505556179)
By G. Frank Asmah
Attention-Deficit or Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is often mistaken for laziness or indiscipline. In consulting rooms across Accra and in reports from school teachers, the pattern repeats: children who are bright but forgetful, parents who feel helpless, teachers who see incompleteness.
Research is clear-Barkley (2015) and others describe ADHD as a difference in the brain’s regulation of alertness, impulse and working memory, not a lack of effort.
The family’s role begins with structure. Regular sleep, predictable meal and homework times, and a simple visual list (uniform → books → water → corridor) provide the external scaffolding of these children need. Praise what is completed—“You opened the book and wrote the first sentence”-instead of rebuking what is missing.
Schools can help by seating the child front-row and centre, giving short written plus verbal instructions, allowing brief movement breaks, using quiet nonverbal cues and, where possible, grading effort and method as well as neatness. These adjustments reduce conflict and raise submission rates without lowering standards.
Couples and caregivers should share roles: one grounds, one pivots, and both protect rest. Shame-“bad parenting, bad child”-needs replacing with fact: different wiring, needs scaffolding.
Outcomes improve not by promises of perfection but by daily routines, clear limits and warmed connection. One homework slot kept, one instruction chunked, one calm repair after blurting-these small wins shift the family climate and let the child be seen beyond the label.
Resource
• CPAC (award-winning Mental Health and Counselling Facility): 0559850604 / 0551428486
Source: REV. COUNSELLOR PRINCE OFFEI’s insights on special needs support, relationships, and mental health in Ghana. He is a leading mental health professional, lecturer, ADR Expert/Arbitrator, renowned author, and marriage counsellor at COUNSELLOR PRINCE & ASSOCIATES CONSULT (CPAC COUNSELLOR TRAINING INSTITUTE) – 0551428486 /0559850604.
WEBSITES:
https://princeoffei22.wixsite.com/author
https://princeoffei22.wixsite.com/website
After two weeks of hectic activity up north, I drove to the Tamale airport, parked the car at the Civil Aviation car park as usual, paid the usual parking fee and boarded the plane for Accra.
Over the last two weeks, I had shuffled between three sites where work was close to completion.
One was a seed warehouse, where farmers would come and pick up good quality maize, sorghum and other planting material.
The other was a health facility for new mothers, where they were given basic training on good nutrition and small scale business.
And the third was a set of big boreholes for three farming communities.
The projects usually ran on schedule, but a good deal of time was spent building rapport with the local people, to ensure that they would be well patronised and maintained.
It was great to be working in a situation where one’s work was well appreciated. But it certainly involved a lot of work, and proactivity. And I made sure that I recorded updates online before going to bed in the evening.
When the plane took off, my mind shifted to issues in Accra, the big city. The young guys at my office had done some good work. They had secured five or six houses on a row in a good part of the city, and were close to securing the last.
When we got this property, unusually, Abena greeted them casually, and appeared to be comfortable in the guy’s company.
I was quite disappointed to hear that, because until the last few weeks, it seemed as if Abena and I were heading in a good direction. Apart from the affection I had for her, I liked her family. I decided to take it easy, and allow things to fall in whatever direction.
Normally I would take a taxi to her house from the airport, and pick her up to my place. This time I went to my sisters’ joint, where they sat by me while I enjoyed a drink and a good meal.
“So Little Brother,” Sister Beesiwa said, “what is it we are hearing about our wife-to-be?”
“When did you conclude that she was your wife-to-be? And what have you heard? I’ve only heard a couple of whispers. Ebo and Nana Kwame called to say that they have seen her in the company of—”
“Well said Little Brother,” Sister Baaba said. “By the way, Nana Kwame called an hour ago to ask if you had arrived because he could not reach you. Someone had told him that Jennifer had boasted to someone that she had connected Abena to a wealthy guy who would take care of her.”
I was beginning to understand. For some time, Abena had been asking me what work I was doing up north, and after I had explained it to her, she kept asking. So I think Jennifer fed her with false stories about me in order to get her to move to the Ampadu guy. Jennifer must have been well compensated for her efforts.
“In that case,” Sister Beesiwa said, “you should be glad that Abena is out of your way. She is easily swayed. Anyone who would make a relationship decision based on a friend’s instigation lacks good sense. I hope the guy is as wealthy as they say?”
“Who gets wealthy running a supermarket chain in Ghana?” Sister Baaba said. “Our supermarkets sell mostly imported products. Look at the foreign exchange rate. And remember that Ghanaians buy second-hand shoes and clothes. Supermarkets are not good business here. Perhaps they are showing off that they are wealthy, but in reality they are not doing so well.”
“Amen to that,” I said. “I’m beginning to understand. For some time, Abena had been asking me what work I was doing up north, and after I had explained it to her, she kept asking. So I think Jennifer fed her with false stories about me in order to get her to move to the Ampadu guy. Jennifer must have been well compensated for her efforts.”
She said that David Forson was only an agricultural extension worker in the north who did not have the resources to take care of a beautiful girl like her. And apart from being wealthy, the guy comes from an influential family, so Abena had done much better leaving a miserable civil servant like you for him.
“Amen to that,” I said. “I’m beginning to understand. For some time, Abena had been asking me what work I was doing up north, and after I had explained it to her, she kept asking. We would be able to sell all five houses to one big corporate customer, and we had already spoken to a property dealer who was trying to find a buyer in order to get a good commission.
That was going to be my biggest break. I had asked the boys to look for a large tract of land on the outskirts of the city where we could develop our own set of buildings, blocks of storey houses and upscale apartments. Things were going according to plan, and I was quietly excited. However, things were not going so well regarding my relationship with Abena.
My buddies Ebo and Nana Kwame had called to say that they met Abena and her friend Jennifer enjoying lunch with a guy, and Ebo believed that Jennifer was ‘promoting’ an affair between Jennifer and the guy. They were of the view that the promotion seemed to be going in the guy’s favour, because only an agricultural extension worker in the north who did not have the resources to take care of a beautiful girl like her.
And apart from being wealthy, the guy comes from an influential family, so Abena had done much better leaving a miserable civil servant like you for him.
“As I’ve already said, I will stop by her place, but I will mind my own business from now. Hey, let’s talk family. How are our parents? And my brothers-in-law? And my nephews and nieces? Why don’t we meet on Sunday? I’m going to drop my bags at my place, and go to see Mama and Dad.”
