Our Akan elders say that “a good cassava can only be determined after it has been subjected to fire.”

This saying is based on observation over time, that there are some species of cassava that look so white upon being peeled, yet turn brown and hard after cooking, thus rendering them unsuitable for consumption- whether raw, as in ‘bankye ampesi’ or the delectable fufu.

That is the picture some analysts and former president John Mahama are painting of the flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr Mahamudu Bawumia (DMB) after his day out with journalists at the plush Kempinski Gold Coast Hotel.

The Good (G)

The historic event held on August 25 2024, was attended by journalists from across the country. Unfortunately, some of us did not meet the selection criteria. But that’s fine.

The attendees were shortlisted after an invitation was thrown out there for interested applicants to apply. Clearly, it is impossible to host all practicing journalists in Ghana today at one venue at a particular time. So, that is understandable.

The theme was couched from truth- ‘To Lead is to Solve’ and the timing was perfect- 5:00pm on a Sunday when every family member had returned from all social gatherings and are glued to their TV sets. The attention of the Gen Zs was equally captured on social media as there was no competing event on the day.

The conference sitting arrangement provided for the event, with tables, made for good ergonomics during the four-hour duration. Above all, the punctuality was commendable.

And ooh! I am told, the attendees were duly compensated for the four hours or so that they were hosted. Some said they were given GHC20,000 as Travel and Transport (T&T), Fact Check Ghana said the amount is between GHC2,000 and GHC10,000.

Suffice it to say that money changed hands. A development which has caused some self-acclaimed pontiffs to be pontificating on the issue of ‘SOLI’ (Money paid to journalists when they cover assignments).

There is a saying that “when you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.”- Dr Wayne Dye. Well, if you look at it as members of the Ghana Bar Association being invited by DMB to discuss the legal implications of his manifesto promises, the picture may look different.

The Bad (B)

I belong to the school of thought that perception is reality. Just as there is no smoke without fire. As such, in all I do, I try not to feed into any prevailing perception. But that is as far as one can go.

However, when you leave journalists who are known critics of your candidate out of such a defining event for his political career, you don’t just feed into a perception, you deny him the opportunity to prove his mettle.

How do you invite Paul Adom Otchere to an event like this, when we all know that he has openly declared his support for your candidate? You then proceed to give him an opportunity to ask a question, only for him to give an endorsement speech?

And Uncle Ebo Quansah? A known supporter of your party since President J.A Kufour’s era. Who ended up dragging your candidate into making a statement that derides his boss.

Question: They say you are a liar, what will you do to change that perception?

Answer: “Well, at least I’m not called a murderer, as my boss was called. I’m not called a drug dealer.”

Why would you leave out Johnnie Hughes, Alfred Ocansey, Kojo Yankson, Raymond Acquah, Bernard Avle, Randy Abbey, Captain Smart, Winston Amoah and yours truly?

The only answer to this, is avoidance of a situation whereby your candidate may be embarrassed by a question that they may pose. But such a situation can be averted by having a serious mock-run of the event.

There are ways to do this. First, and out of the box thinking.  You may invite these supposed critics of your candidate as consultants for a mock-run in an off-record arrangement with non-disclosure agreements duly signed.

Once they name their fees and you pay, they will give you a fair idea of what questions you should prepare for. Through this arrangement, whatever tension existed between the two parties would have been neutralized. You then proceed to invite them to the main event.

With this approach, even if they change the questions you rehearsed with them, the psychological preparations that the prior engagement with them offered, will come in handy to deal with whatever surprises they pull.

The possible downside to this strategy is that they may reject your proposal and announce publicly that you tried to buy their questions. A consequent press release that states the reason for reaching out to them plainly, should be enough to neutralize any backlash that their expose’ may cause. I dare say that notwithstanding this shortcoming, it could have done some good to the candidate.

Let’s say that approach fails. You could assemble the best brains from academia (per sector) and let them brainstorm about possible questions that may come up at the Meet the Press and let them pose same to your candidate for answers as a mock-run.

Better still, hold the mock-run with the pro-NPP journalists in camera and leave them out of the main event. Having gone through such a process, your candidate will certainly be well prepared for any questions as far as Ghana’s governance is concerned.

My point is, there should have been a dry run of the Meet the Press event under discussion.

The Ugly (U)

I can bet my bottom pesewa that there was no mock-run for the meet up with the press. It seems to me that DMB’s handlers trusted so much in his abilities thus responded to the call by JM’s campaign team for him to meet the press without the needed preparation.

I say so because, the Bawumia that I know as far as public speaking and or engagement is concerned, was not the one I watched on Sunday August 25, 2024. What with the equivocation, what with the stammering? What with the lengthy answers to simple questions? What with the ‘I have to find out and I have to follow up? What with the constant reference to prepared answered and reading them word for word? What with the fidgeting with the microphone on the left?

Expectedly, his archrival, John Mahama has taken hold of this faux pas as an ammunition to fire salvos at DMB. “… if there are people who are smooth talkers who can speak like machine guns, the time when they become stammerers, you know they are lying.  Somebody who has been speaking ‘ratatatata’ like AK 47, suddenly at a media encounter, starts stammering- er, er, er, er,” JM fired.

But the Coalition of Persons with Disabilities is not taking JM’s statement lightly and have asked for an apology, “We, the members of the CCPWDS, find these remarks to be deeply offensive and an unfortunate misrepresentation of individuals who stammer. Stammering, also known as stuttering, is a speech disorder that affects millions of people worldwide, including many in Ghana. It is not a reflection of one’s honesty, intelligence, or competence.” JM, please do the needful.

But a professor of political communication, Kobby Mensah, said the same thing in a different way, “I think his delivery is subpar. I don’t think anyone can objectively say that this is a performance expected of Dr. Bawumia. Someone we know leading to the 2016 elections mesmerized everybody. You will expect a much higher performance…,” he noted.

What about the answers to the questions? “At a point, he became boring. I am sure his team was wondering why that long time was dedicated to a particular question. It even got to a point where the one who was coordinating him (Dennis Miracles Aboagye) said Dr. Bawumia was talking too much,” Prof Mensah observed.

I noticed too- how Dennis Miracles Aboagye told DMB publicly that, “Your excellency, at this point, I think we have to start timing you.” Like seriously? Not into DMB’s ears but to the hearing of all?

Prof Mensah said “If I were his boss. I will query him. I was surprised he did that You can’t tell your boss you are speaking too much, and you are going to time him. You can’t do that.”

Then the one that got the internet buzzing – “If I do everything now, what will I do when I come into office? Well, he followed it up with his characteristic giggle so Dennis said we should add laughing emojis it, so here it is….

Another one, “The budget that has gone to Parliament is it my budget? Really? The Head of the Economic Management Team? This can only come from an unprepared DMB.

It’s time to go

The lesson I have learnt from Bawumia’s day out with the journalists is a resolve to ensure that no matter how highly you think of yourself, when you have to do something that you have not done before, especially if it is destiny-defining as this was, you must ensure that you put yourself through at least one rehearsal session before the D-day.

That prepares you for an ace performance, no matter what unexpected hitches occur. As it turned out, Bawumia’s “subpar” performance had given credence to the good cassava-fire theory.

I hope his handlers, especially Miracles, has learnt this lesson too.

Thank God this has happened before DMB’s quest for a debate with JM could materialise. That would have definitely dealt him a knockout blow.

As the Institute of Economic Affairs rolls out its presidential debates, DMB should, if he has to, go on those platforms knowing that the odds are against him because as the lawyers say, you cannot “approbate and reprobate”, – take credit for the achievements of the ruling government but disclaim the budgets that are used to fund the economy as belonging to the president.

As far as some of us are concerned, DMB cannot extricate himself from the performance, or lack there off, of this government no matter how hard he tries. ‘Enfa.’

Chao! – That’s Spanish for goodbye.

Let God Lead. Follow Him directly, not through any human.

Read also: 

From Eric’s Diary: NDC’s ‘No Academic User Fees for Level 100 students’- It is possible!

The writer is the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) Columnist of the Year- 2022. He is the author of two books whose contents share knowledge on how anyone desirous of writing like him can do so. Eric can be reached via email [email protected]

The post From Eric’s Diary: Bawumia’s day out with journalists – The G, the B and the U first appeared on 3News.

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