Death Of A President

News of the President’s death started filtering through to the public at about 2.30pm on Tuesday. They began as rumours, which were quickly discounted by many people. I discounted those rumours too. And why not? Yesterday was not the first time we were hearing rumours of the President’s death. Such rumours have been around for a while and even become matters of intense if not fierce political debate and rivalry. Soon the rumours turned to tweets and status messages on social media. They were getting serious. And then tweets from twitter accounts belonging to media houses and the like started trickling in; it was then that it became evident that the rumours were actually true. Our beloved President was dead.

Rumours of the President’s ill health first came to my attention during activities leading to the last elections. It became a subject of disagreement even between party functionaries. And from that time until now, series of debates have unfolded in varying forms in the media and from government officials. It seemed to me that there was a vehement attempt from people in and around government to prevent an impression that was fast becoming obvious to all Ghanaians, from taking root. 

The impression that:

The President was not too well

That the President needed medical care

That the President needed time off to rest and be well cared for

That the President didn’t need all those arguments, debates and unnecessary talk about his health

That the President didn’t need to constantly defend a fact that concerned his health

That the President didn’t need to force himself to appear healthy and strong when he really needed some time off!

And what is wrong if our President is sick or unwell? Is he not human? I don’t think there’s anything strange and unusual in the President needing medical treatment because he’s unwell. Such information, I believe should not be too difficult to divulge if it becomes necessary and this will in no way shrink political votes or paint a picture of weakness and insecurity for this country.

So why did we allow this to happen?

Why did we shield the truth?

Why did we create the impression that all was well when all was not?

Why did we compel our President to jog on the tarmac at our International Airport to show the Ghanaian people that he was fit?

Why did we insist that it was only a minor sinus problem when indeed, it was throat cancer?

So you can imagine my disbelief when on the BBC, it was reported ‘openly’ and effortlessly that the late Ghanaian President was suffering from Throat Cancer and had been unwell for a while! So the President had not been well for a while? He had Throat Cancer and nobody in the government knew? It had to take the British Broadcasting Corporation to divulge the information to Ghanaians? How could we have allowed a situation, which gave way for unnecessary speculation and constant bickering about a matter as important as the President’s health to prevail?

So here we are now, silenced and saddened by the sad departure of our President. A man of peace, who in the later stages of life was denied the peace that he stood for, all his life. He may not be the best President we’ve ever had but certainly one of the best. He had his own flaws but he was human and liable to flaws. Many will miss him for his surprising sense of humour. Many will remember his numerous quotable and sometimes ‘unquotable’ quotes. I still remember the famous ‘ecomini’ speech at the floor of Parliament (yes, I’m not pretending); I recall the famous ‘Omama’ saga and his action hero exploits at the Tema Harbour and other places. His Mao style suits, his gargantuan heckling in Parliament and his response on the gay issue to James Cameron.

He pushed hard, maybe too hard but now he can rest peacefully, never to be disturbed again. 


Rest in peace Mr. President. You’ll be greatly missed.