I Pity John Mahama � Kwesi Pratt

Managing Editor of the Insight newspaper, Kwesi Pratt Jnr. says President John Mahama may end up as Ghana�s loneliest president in history. According to him, the people around him [Mahama] are not willing to step forward to defend him when there is crisis. �There are all kinds of people jumping over themselves to be close to the president but when there is crisis, they all runaway pushing him [Mahama] to go and defend himself. I really pity the president� he bemoaned. Kwesi Pratt was speaking on Radio Gold's political discussion programme Alahji and Alhaji Saturday. He questioned the essence of the Information Ministry and the numerous communication teams of the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) if President Mahama on daily basis would have to answer frivolous allegations. �He [Mahama] may be the loneliest president in our history because even in power the people around him are not willing to step forward to defend him so when he is no longer in power what will happen� he quizzed. Kwesi Pratt said he is disgusted by the practice of having the president at the centre of debates, most of which are frivolous. He recounted how former President Jerry Rawlings known for his charisma in the past is now virtually ignored at a public function and wondered what would happen to President Mahama when he leaves office. �If that happens even to Rawlings then what will happen to president Mahama when he is not in office?� The Insight editor also chided those who calls praise singers who portray the president as a deity. �The few people who talk are sometimes so sycophantic you want to block your ears. They create the impression that we have a president who is god, why? The president has the responsibility to solve concrete problems that face us, if he has done things; tell us what he has done in fulfillment of his mandate� he exclaimed. Kwesi Pratt said President Mahama can only succeed when the people around stop the unnecessary �fruitless, useless praise singing�. �I want president Mahama to succeed; if for nothing at all I share in his political orientation but he can only succeed if those round him help him to do the work he has been assigned," he said.