Flashback,
the years 160s, "at the end of the time set by the king [Nebuchadnezzar]
to bring them into his service, the chief official presented them to
Nebuchadnezzar.
The
king talked with them, and he found none equal to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and
Azariah; so they entered the king’s service. In every matter of wisdom and
understanding about which the king questioned them, he found them ten times
better than all the magicians and enchanters in his whole kingdom", Daniel
1:18-20 says.
Supersonic
fast forward to 2017, and I want to believe the wisdom in the events of Daniel
1:18-20 is what informed President Nana Akufo-Addo's choice of a speechwriter
and other team players - that he found them better qualified for the task ahead
and to help with what would have been an unimpaired investiture.
Ghana's President Nana Akufo-Addo |
Except
for the gaffe of plagiarism and perhaps some other minor blunders that may have
escaped the slipping spectacles of the Speaker of Parliament, Professor Aaron
Mike Oquaye, Saturday, January 7, 2017, swearing-in and inauguration ceremony
of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and Vice President Dr. Mahamudu
Bawumia showcased some of Ghana's best.
Clearly
missing was the absence of Okomfo Anokye to command the Ashante Golden Stool
[Sika 'dwa] to descend from out of space to rest on the lap of Akufo-Addo - to
further awe the dignitaries, non-Ghanaians and may be some Ghanaians who are
bereft of history.
Some
'Akpl3' and 'Fetiridetsi' would have made the 'Onaapo-Day' complete.
Ghana's
matchless culture including the spirited drumming of the Fontomfrom accompanied
by the old-age Adowa traditional dance left me jaw-dropped.
One
couldn't be better mesmerized at an occasion such as what many witnessed on
Saturday; the flaunting of the unique and sacred Kente [nwentom] cloth, worn by
the dancers, some of the attendees and the Chiefs alike, that of President Nana
Akufo-Addo, whose Kente is designed to represent the different tribes,
traditions and the unity of Ghanaians - as well as the presence of all three
former Presidents - added to the event the glitz of grandeur.
On
an enviable history marking occasions that saw Akufo-Addo sworn in as the fifth
President of the fourth Republic of Ghana, we have the individual and
collective responsibilities to hold high the torch of this great nation.
The
wise would learn from from both the rights and wrongs.Those who fail to
remember the wrongs of our history and take a cue from it would be condemned to
repeat it.
Well
so - the events of Melania Trump, wife of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump,
who faced accusations after portions of her speech at the Republic National
Convention was said to have 'plagiarized' Michelle Obama, that of Nigeria's
President Buhari and the international ridiculing that followed makes Ghana's
avoidable speech blunder unpardonable.
Failure
of the speechwriter or writers to acknowledge the so-called 'owners' of lifted
portions in Nana Addo's speech has without a doubt taken the much of shine off
of the event, here at home and in the international space.
And
just like the many scandals characterized by the sea of social media trolls
which marred previous state functions here and elsewhere, the new breed of
#AgendaSetters, thus Social Media subscribers, took over the online space and
narratives days after the inauguration ceremony.
This
was easily enabled partly by the absence of a national media agenda to brand
everything Ghana before, during and after the investiture. And to without an
apology, push down the throat of the outside world, new Ghanaian perspectives
via both the tradition and new media: that being a Ghanaian has been redefined,
that Ghana is back to work for investments, that our country is where dreams
come true, that Ghana is the shinning star of Africa and that our country has
the best to offer in terms of culture and tourism.
Sad
to pen down that even after an apology from the Director of Communications at
the Presidency that sought to beat down the embarrassment caused our beloved
nation, some major members of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) were
still on the defensive.
Attempts
by so-called neutrals and some NPP apparatchiks to win the social media war of
words or arguments was awkwardly abysmal; their ship sank before it sailed.
Their
equally arrogant response of labeling every critic as an opponent fueled the
unpatriotic narratives regarding the bizarre "plagiarized" speech
which in no doubt was orchestrated by persons who intend to be everything but
not "spectators".
One
had to cringe in disbelief reading the weak arguments of comparing apples with
frogs, the silly mockery and marking of different views as opposing the current
government from the day - get go.
Popular
journalists and some public figures with some noticeable number of social media
followers equally failed to seize the day and take control of the narratives to
promote the success story of Ghana.
Don't
get me wrong - I am not asking people to call a spoon a shovel. But sometimes
the national interest must transcend the noise of band-wagoners.
It
appears we undermined our individual and collective ability as media
practitioners and the Fourth Estate of the realm respectively, to
"influence the salience of topic on the public agenda" and what
people post on their personal platforms.
But
what is rather nerve racking and has cause me to ink my thoughts is the failure
of the transition team to see the BIGGER picture; to have synchronized the
Ministry of Tourism, Culture, Creative Arts, other stakeholder institutions and
the media to push the agenda of branding Ghana.
You
may agree or disagree with my assertions. But one thing you can not deny is that
when we had the world's ATTENTION to
tell a better story about ourselves as a NATION, we chose to tell the dark
part.
Funny
us!
What
ever robs on the Presidency, yesterday and today, positive or negative, robs on
us all. And for those who relish the failure of the current Akufo-Addo-led
administration would be shooting themselves in the foot.
While
we continue to gleefully wash our dirty linen in public - the so-called
international media are at it again, feeding on 'negative' narratives from this
part of our world - partly as click baits and also to further their agenda of
demonizing Africa.
And
I dare say you don't have the right to complain; with every negative word you
typed, you gave them the lead that would best aide their cause and to sell their
outlets as well.
But
chill.
In
spite of the brouhahas, we have more to celebrate than the ineptitude of a speechwriter.
Ghana
has had a relatively peaceful 2016 elections, a transition of a ruling
government to another and a beautiful investiture.
My
solemn prayer is that at another God given time and day, when we have the
attention of the international community to tell our best stories, we
[Ghanaians] should tell those parts that would make Ananse story-tellers appear
wise!
BY:
Crabbe Nathaniel - Journalist, Poet and Blogger.
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