Five years after his exit from power, former president John Dramani Mahama, the known ‘calm gentleman’ is bracing himself for a comeback in the 2024 polls following his loss in the 2020 polls.
Mr Mahama who is currently on a thank you tour across the country has warned that the upcoming 2024 elections will be a ‘do or die’ affair at the various polling stations.
“We have learnt our lessons from happenings during the 2020 polls. The 2024 elections will be won or lost at the polling station. It will be do-or-die at the polling stations. The right thing must be done during the polls,” he strongly asserted.
Although defending his stance as an idiomatic expression, the former president has undoubtedly set some fire boiling in the hearts of his staunch supporters who are willing to do anything for him.
This statement takes us back to then candidate Akufo-Addo’s infamous ‘all die be die’ comment in the build up to the 2012 general elections.
“They [National Democratic Congress] have intentions to intimidate us in 2012 because they believe that we are soft and cowards. If that is the thinking, then we shall see. At least, during the Atiwa by-election, we showed a little of our colours there,” the 2012 NPP presidential candidate said.
You must understand that this party was formed by courageous people. Our leaders who formed this party that has now become the biggest political movement in Ghana were not cowards. So, in 2012 we need to be courageous because ‘all die be die’…‘all die be die’,” he repeated.
It is amusing that these personalities will chant war songs that will instigate their followers to act rowdy during elections, yet have done little to put the country in a good standing.
The Youth Employment Agency (YEA) today, September 9, 2021 began its job fair in a bid to recruit over 3000 graduates for various job placements.
The job fair which was scheduled at the Accra International Conference Centre was massively overcrowded as most of the country’s unemployed youth stormed the venue.
To top if off, the job fair was the first of two phases held in Accra only, with other sessions to be held later in other regions.
I personally spoke to one of the attendees who expressed his frustrations to me; “I’m hungry, I’ve been sitting here since 5am and my buttocks hurt. Some boys have also destroyed the glasses at the entrance because they have been denied entry.
“The way we’re many here, I never knew unemployed people were this many in the country.
Asked whether he has been able to secure a job since his arrival he said “the way they said government was recruiting, is a lie. The way they said government was recruiting 3000 people, is a lie. They just want to make the name. This thing is a job fair with other private institutions present So it’s up to you the job seeker to go to their stands
“Let’s say BIMA insurance stand is here, so if you prefer BIMA then you go there and write your name, email and other particulars and submit your CV and later on they’ll call you for interview. They lied to us. They should have told us this is the situation so if you’re interested then you come. We’re in partnership with these private/public sectors so if you’re interested then you come, but they didn’t say that. They just said government is recruiting, so if government is recruiting then we were expecting government institutions,” he blurted in frustration.
Both John Mahama and Akufo-Addo, leaders of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and New Patriotic Party (NPP) respectively, have had the opportunity to serve the country in various capacities up to the highest position of the Presidency.
Regardless, unemployment situation continues to worsen under each other’s tenure.
The numbers witnessed at the YEA Job fair indicated a country with many of its youth desperately looking for jobs yet the very leaders who are supposed to champion this cause are more interested in the next elections and desperate need to continue holding on to power.
Ballooning cost of living, desperation borne-out of unemployment leading many youth to risky ventures like betting and online scamming are less of their concerns.
It is highly regrettable that ‘all die be die’ and ‘do or die’ will one day be captured in our history books and ascribed to men who through war chants, won power and came no close to addressing unemployment challenges in the country.
Hopefully, one day the youth will realise they deserve better than ‘mediocre’ leadership.
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