In a sharp and impactful analogy, Amoah Sampson, the Bono East NPP Regional Communications Director, used a powerful proverb to describe former president John Dramani Mahama’s leadership track record during a discussion on Akyea FM’s Edwaso Nsɛm morning program. He remarked, “One does not live his son into the hands of a man who has tried suicide,” painting a vivid picture of the dangers he believes Ghana would face should Mahama be given the opportunity to lead the nation again.
According to Amoah Sampson, Mahama had already “tried suicide” with Ghana’s economy during his previous tenure, and the results were disastrous. He pointed to Mahama’s own words and actions during his presidency, suggesting that the former president had essentially admitted to failing the country.
Amoah reminded listeners of Mahama’s notorious statement that Ghana was “eating the flesh to the bones,” a grim description of the economy’s dire condition under his administration. He also criticized Mahama’s self-proclaimed “dead goat syndrome,” a metaphor Mahama used to indicate his immunity to protests or pressure from the public, which, according to Sampson, reflected a lack of empathy and concern for the suffering of Ghanaians.
Furthermore, Amoah highlighted Mahama’s own admission that he was “not a magician” when it came to creating jobs, a comment that seemed to downplay the importance of addressing the unemployment crisis that plagued the country during his presidency. To Amoah Sampson, these statements demonstrated Mahama’s defeatist attitude and inability to offer solutions, leaving Ghanaians hopeless and struggling under a collapsed economy.
In contrast, Sampson emphasized the achievements of the NPP under the leadership of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia. He asserted that the current administration, despite facing global challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic and economic downturns, had shown resilience and had laid the groundwork for sustainable development. He argued that entrusting the nation’s future to Mahama, given his track record, would be akin to putting a vulnerable child in the hands of someone who has already demonstrated recklessness and failure.
As the 2024 elections approach, Amoah Sampson’s remarks reflect the broader narrative the NPP is pushing: that John Dramani Mahama’s past tenure as president is filled with economic mismanagement and leadership failures, and that returning him to power would jeopardize Ghana’s progress. In the minds of many NPP supporters, the proverb that Sampson used resonates deeply: Ghanaians cannot afford to entrust their future to someone who has already led the country to the brink of economic disaster.