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But Their Mischief Will Not Be Interred With Their Bones - This world is full of fun and intrigues, living side by side every passing hour, minute and second. Sometimes I feel very elated to have lived through the contemporary politics of our times. It is full of fun and intrigues as well. The fun of our contemporary politics is the fact that politicians from all the different political shapes say similar things when they are in or out of power. That is the fun of it. When they are confronted with what they said when out of power, side by side what they are doing while in power, the intrigue is the stoic defence of the same position they had condemned not too long ago. The sincere ones will be humble enough to say we are sorry, we did not know the real situation. The arrogant and the shameless would justify their positions by making unnecessary references to the past. Politics and political contest, technically should be on issues and which direction each political party intends treading to solve problems and find solutions to the myriad of problems which confront the nation. A political party may decide that among the challenges that confront a nation, the most prominent is hunger and that its focus will be on channelling resources towards the agricultural sector to ensure more than adequate food production to make it possible that no one goes to bed with an empty stomach. Others may think that the basis of modern societal development is education and therefore channel resources to that sector. These are suppose to be the issues, as well as pointing out the genuine mistakes and wrong policies, which in the long run would not be in the interest of the generality of the nation. And on the basis of that, the electorate will then decide to change a government and replace it with another. The NDC as a political party was born by a government which emerged on the political scene of this country through the peddling of lies. The PNDC, which ended the democratically elected government of the late Dr. Hilla Limann, had told series of lies about that regime to the point that majority of the people of this country saw the PNP administration as the worst thing that ever happened in this country. In spite of the allegations and accusations of corruption and wrong doings levelled against the Limann administration, and the fact that members of the regime and some opposition elements at the time were detained for long periods without trial, not a single member of the Limann administration was found guilty of any act of corruption, even by the kangaroo People�s Tribunals set up by the PNDC to hunt, persecute and prosecute its political opponents in almost all facets of our national life. Even in a government that was unchallenged, the PNDC continued to use falsehood to cover up their own incompetence as well as their crimes. When eventually the P was taken out of the PNDC to give birth to the NDC, they never departed from their evil ways. Lies and propaganda continued to be their stock in trade, either to hoodwink Ghanaians or to paint their political opponents so black. The NDC got to its lie peddling climax in 2008, when this country became inundated with the most blatant, crude, raw and unadulterated lies manufactured in a factory set up by the NDC with the ultimate desire to win political power, not at all cost, but at any cost. They got the power. Having gotten the political power through lies, and now confronted with the truth which they ignored, they did not and still do not have the humility and honesty, even though they preach these virtues, to come to Ghanaians to tell them �we were wrong� and seek their forgiveness and move on. They are still using the instrument of lies and falsehood as their working tool. Can you imagine the number of lies they have told and brought their propagandists machinery to defend, just for it to turn out to be false? The sad part of these lies is the fact that they are involving very prominent and important international institutions. Yes the UN Secretary-General�s debacle and the World Bank and USAID issues are the latest in line. Sadly, a respected paper, with one of the most objective Editors of our time, Ransford Tetteh, has become the pun in this game of international propaganda by the NDC. I appreciate the challenges that confront Ransford. He is surrounded by NDC professional propagandists who even want him out. Well, he has a choice of staying on or resigning to protect his image. He is a fine journalist, indeed I trained under him when �The Mirror� was the preferred weekend newspaper in this country. When faced with the facts of non-performance, the NDC is today comparing the first four year achievements of Kufuor to their 30 months non-achievements as a justification for their phenomenal failure and incompetence. Meanwhile in 2008 then running mate John Dramani Mahama considered comparisons of the NDC�s performance in its eight-year rule of 1993-2000, to the eight-year period of Kufuor as a mediocre exercise. Mon dieu, these people lack simple scruples? They are quick at comparing NPP�s performance with theirs with selective eyes and statistics. When Kufuor reduced poverty from 30% to less than 20% in his eight-year period, and they raised it beyond 30% in 30 months, they do not see that even when the World says so. One of the most ridiculous arguments by the spokes persons of the Presidency, in respect of the projects that have been abandoned by the NDC, is that no funding was secured for the project that is why they cannot continue with it. If all governments have funds sitting down before they embark upon their service delivery functions, which government would be found wanting, and even lose elections on the basis of non- performance? The ability of a government to generate resources, particularly internally, to meet the service needs of its people is the hallmark of a good government. Who does the NDC government expect to look for funds, put them in a safe for them to lie their way to power just to use them and take the credit for that? That is cheap politicking and a clear indication that they have no men and women who use their brains for positive results. Ooooo, they have confirmed their inability to raise funds internally to continue major road projects like the Sofoline, Achimota-Ofankor roads. This is ample testimony that all their so-called achievements are projects whose funding had been secured either externally by the Kufuor administration, or they were almost completed and the contractors substantially paid for work done. Listen to some of the propaganda rubbish churned out by the spokesperson for the Vice President on the US$400million World Bank facility which turned out to be false, ��The four roads had initially been put on Government of Ghana funds and indicated that the previous government funded the project with funds from HIPC relief. ��the HIPC benefits were exhausted, which made the continuous funding of the project a drain on the government budget� (Daily Graphic of June 20, 2011). Since when did the funding of projects as important as the above roads become a drain on government budget? Whose budget does Mr. Jinapor expect to fund such projects with, mine? When I do not even have enough to fill my mahogany bitters? Oh yes, when the NDC hoodlums drink tea to the tune of GH�130,000, that is not a drain on government budget. When a whooping GH�160,000 is spent on buying hampers without going through the tender processes, that is also not a drain on government budget. When the cost of a simple six classroom block with normal amenities goes for GH�270.000, it has no negative effect on government budget. Hei, you incompetent chaps, could we not have used the US$260million paid to an unknown insurance company, in respect of the STX project which by all indications cannot see the light of day, to complete some of these projects? Or it would have been a drain on the government budget? Sensible governments the world over have used their budgets to meet the service delivery expectations of the citizenry. If any external support flows in, either as a loan or a grant, that only adds and expands the scope of work government has to do. Kufuor began SADA and put our own funds into it. The NDC made so much noise about it and told lies that they would do better. Today, they are telling those they lied to about SADA, that funds that have not been promised by anybody would be the only source of funding for SADA. A lazy block-headed government which cannot identify internal opportunities and utilize them to its advantage. They are still not thinking; they are using lies to govern. Anyway, let me take this opportunity to congratulate ex-President Kufuor for the honour done this nation and those of us who have always stood by him. By your deeds, you have been noticed. No amount of propaganda from demented non achievers will erode the practical progress you brought to this country. May your acts keep on raising the image of this country even as others vigorously work to bring this nation down. I wish I could be close to you to share my mahogany bitters with you, but whatever the case, when you are through, something to fill my mahogany bitters� bottle will be welcomed. Noko fiooo keke. Congrats, man of honour.