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President Mahama's Concession Speech by Julivas(m): 2:13pm On Dec 10, 2016 |
President Mahama’s concession speech
Good evening, my fellow countrymen and women. A few minutes
ago, I made the most difficult phone call I have made, and may
ever make, in my life: I called President-elect Nana Addo Dankwa
Akufo-Addo of the New Patriotic Party to congratulate him on his
well-fought and well-deserved victory in Wednesday’s election.
The win has been emphatic. If anybody has reason to doubt the
presidential results, the sheer magnitude of the defeat, which our
parliamentary candidates have suffered, is the clearest indication
that we have outlived our welcome.
Telling the world that I would graciously accept the outcome of
the election was one thing, but confronting the stark reality of an
electoral defeat is another harrowing experience altogether. But I
had no option. The people of Ghana have said emphatically that
they are taking away the power they gave to me four years ago,
and I have no power to say no. Besides, I love the country that
has given me the opportunity to serve in various capacities for
nearly two decades and I will not do anything to undermine our
democracy or threaten the peace we enjoy.
Before I continue, permit me to congratulate the NDC family,
especially my campaign team, for putting up such a spirited fight.
When I was growing up in northern Ghana, I used to hear stories
of very spiritually powerful and dreadful cattle rustlers who
informed cattle rearers before they actually moved in to steal the
animals. They would tell the owner that “tonight, we will come
and steal your cattle.” They were so powerful that they cast spells
on those policing the cattle and drive away the animals away
before the men who gathered to stop them could wake up from
their deep sleep to gnash their teeth and endure the scornful
gossips of their women in the morning.
When the time was up for these cattle rustlers, however, they
were overpowered and captured by women. I think we lost
because our time was simply up, and no amount of deceptive
campaign promises could keep us in power. No amount of
monopolization of the media space could save us. No amount of
money could stop our defeat. No amount of local and
international celebrity endorsements could help us. And no
amount of vote buying could stand the irresistible hurricane of
change that shook our nation on Wednesday.
I will urge my party members to stop the “blamestorming” that
has started so that we brainstorm on how to get ourselves out of
the mess we have put ourselves in. The future of our great party
looks gloomy and we have to start work on how to get ourselves
out of what appears like an eternal stay in opposition. In life,
when you are hit by the subduing blow of misfortune, you have
two options. You can allow that blow to crush you. You can also
move on with the enormous lessons such misfortunes often
present. I cannot immediately tell my next move in life, politics
and my role in our great party. But if I should ever make a
comeback to politics, the lessons I have learnt from our defeat
should serve as the moral code which will guide how I guide
myself.
I have learnt that the Ghanaian voter, though mainly uneducated
and simple, is more sophisticated than we thought. I have learnt
that it is unacceptable for the people to loot, hoard and splash
during elections.
I have learnt that the calls of the noisy minority cannot be ignored
because they largely shape the opinions of the silent minority,
who we politicians exploit for our selfish gain. I have learnt that
not all those who criticised us hated us. Sometimes the best way
to express your love for someone is to be critical of their actions.
If I should ever return, I will not display a “dead-goat syndrome”
towards disaffection of the masses.
When those who opposed us cried foul, we retorted, “Hate can’t
win.” Tonight, however, I am the first to admit that some hate can
win. This election has taught me that the hate of corruption can
win. It has taught me that hate of incompetence can win. Our
defeat has taught me that hate of impunity can win. I have learnt
that the hate of the obscene display of ill-gotten opulence wins. I
have learnt that hate of mediocrity and deception definitely wins.
And I have learnt that hating evil will forever triumph over the
love of evil. That was what happened on Wednesday.
Another important lesson I have learnt from this defeat is that
the success or failure of a leader depends on the kind of people he
or she surrounds themselves with. While Rawlings appointed the
likes of Dr. Mohammed Ibn Chambas as deputy ministers, I made
the mistake of giving that respectable position to the likes of
John Oti Bless. I have now realised, rather too late, that if I had
kept the likes of Ben Dotsei Malor and Dr. Raymond Atuguba
around me, they would have injected some semblance of sanity
into the Presidency and given that high office an aura of
respectability and decency. The praise-singing sycophants who
act on the dictates of their stomachs are only specialized at
telling you what you want to hear. Unfortunately, I did not listen
to voices of reason. Our elders say a disease that will kill a man
first breaks sticks into his ears.
A lot of the people who have called me to comfort me have
maintained that I have been let down by my ministers and the
people I trusted so much. I wish to take the blame for everything
that happened to me. It is said that a man may fail many times
but he is not a failure until he blames others for his failures.
Nobody forced my appointees on me. Our elders say God gives us
our friends but we choose our friends. And it is us, and not God,
who will bear the consequences of any choice we make. Like the
wood insect that gathers sticks on its head, I have brought this
upon myself, and I will carry it alone.
Fellow Ghanaians, before I end, I will like to wish our President-
elect, Nana Akufo Addo, the best of luck in his administration. I
will, however, like to caution him to be very careful in order not
to repeat the mistakes I made in my administration. His success
or failure depends on the kinds of people he appoints. He should
focus on the people and not the party. He should remember that
after four years, Ghanaians will be demanding accountability from
him. He and the NPP should remember that the shea butter that is
gloating over the ill-fated salt because of a heavy downpour
should fortify itself with ice before the sun rises. What has
befallen us can befall you if you allow the intoxicating effect of
power to blind you.
In 2008, the NDC won mainly because the NPP’s stronghold in
Ashanti Region did not vote massively. In 2016, the NDC lost
partly because our stronghold in the Volta Region taught us a
lesson that we will never forget. We should begin to see them as
human beings, and not votes, when we ever occupy any political
office. In the NDC, Volta Region sounded like Voter Region. We
referred to the Volta Region as our World Bank, but they turned
out to be a DKM Microfinance when it mattered most.
Finally, I will urge civil society and the media to keep a critical eye
on the new administration if our country can ever develop. I have
realised that the corrupt journalists and members of the civil
society who connived with officials of my administration to
defraud the state or cover up rot did not only hurt the country but
they are part of the reason I have to forever live with the
humiliation of the first one-term president in the Fourth Republic.
This is our country. And its fortunes lie solely on us. Let’s all
stand up and be counted.
God bless our Homeland Ghana and make our nation great and
strong! |
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