DEAR YOUR EXCELLENCY,
I trust the most high God that you are in the pink of health. May Glory be upon his Holy name for his merciful kindness upon our lives as individuals and Ghana as a nation.
Mr. President I feel obliged to thank you for volunteering your life to serve this beautiful but fast deteriorating country in this highest capacity at the expense of your nuclear and extended families.
Sir, usually the content of a letter from one person to the other should be kept a secret but in our case it is not a love letter or a secret business deal. It is about the piece of land and its inhabitants called Ghana hence my attempt to disclose its content to all and sundry.
Mr president I write to you today not in your individual capacity as Mr. John Dramani Mahama but in your capacity as head of state, Head Of Government and Commander-in- Chief of the Armed Forces of Ghana provided under article 57(1) of the 1992 Republican Constitution as well Executive Authority vested in you as President under the article 58(1). Your Excellency for want of time, I would hit the road – running to borrow the phrase of your predecessor, late President Prof J.E.A Mills- may his soul rest in peace.
Your Excellency, I truly believe June 3rd 2015 is a day you have not and will never forget because it is a day hundreds of your sons and daughters perished in a flood and fire disaster. You visited the epicenter of the terrific incident. You declared a 3 day state of mourning which all Ghanaians home and abroad religiously adhered to.
As you are aware, hundreds have been badly hurt and affected by the disaster apart from the uncountable that perished.
Your Excellency, you recall that you announced a GH?50m relief fund to support the victims. Just few days after your announcement, the Roads minister – Hon Inusah Fuseini came out telling Ghanaians That Gh?30 of the money shall be used to repair roads that were damaged by the floods. Though your humble citizens don’t understand this I will communicate to you about it at an appropriate period.
Your Excellency, my concerns are,
1) Where is the GH50m?
2) Is there any new secretariat been established to manage this money?
3) How is that management going to be if so?
4) Are victims going to be given money?
5) Who could benefit from this fund, is it the families of the perished, survivors who now hangs with injuries or business that were affected?
6) If monies would be given, when will it happen?
7) How much of the GH?50m will be shared to the victims?
8) Who has been appointed to monitor the huge in-flows of donations from individuals and co-operations?
9) Which bank account are the private donations going into?
10) What will the private donations be used for?
Your Excellency , can you let Ghana have these answers as soon as possible to clear any doubts on the minds of many citizens that if care is not taken some people will become billionaires and trillionaires out of this pain.
Your Excellency, I wish to state that l was at the funeral of a 24year old beautiful Linda Arthur who died through the disaster and it was not easy for her family. I believe hundreds of families of the perished and survivors are going through horrible pain hence you must tell us clearly what the state is doing for them.
Your Excellency, I know you have a busy schedule attending to many businesses on behalf of Ghana and therefore cannot monitor everything so I wish to drop you this hint. The hospital you charged to provide free medical care are asking the poor injured survivors to buy their own drugs and pay for laboratory services. Can u please ask somebody competent to monitor this to save many others from dying?
Your Excellency, let me make this suggestion before you run into a meeting probably to help create jobs for the millions of jobless citizens, Please kindly build a memorial park at the epicenter to serve as a remembrance of the disaster that brought unbearable pain to the nation.
Thank You sir for making time read. I sincerely hope that this letter will engage your maximum attention.
Yours sincerely
Kwame Tutu.
A true citizen of Ghana.