“When Home Truths Hit Hard: Dr. Ekua Amoakoh’s Bold Swipe at Jean Mensa and What It Says About Us”
A few nights ago, while half-listening to my neighbor rant about his unpaid electricity bill (he does this every other week, honestly), I stumbled on a headline that made my jaw drop: “NPP’s Dr. Ekua Amoakoh Declares EC Chair Jean Mensa ‘Not Fit for Purpose’.”
Now, I’ve seen my fair share of political jabs in Ghana — we thrive on them, don’t we? But this one felt different. It’s like watching two people from the same family air their dirty laundry right in the middle of the street. And I couldn’t help but wonder — what happens when the people closest to you call you out?
Dr. Ekua Amoakoh isn’t some random keyboard warrior (we’ve got plenty of those on Twitter, God knows). She’s part of the ruling party, the New Patriotic Party. And yet here she was, bluntly questioning the credibility of Jean Mensa, the Electoral Commission Chairperson. For a party that’s often tried to defend the EC tooth and nail, this felt like a crack in the wall. Maybe even a whole dent.
I’ve noticed something about us Ghanaians — we can keep quiet for ages, stew in our corners, grumble to our friends over rice and stew, but when we finally speak out, it’s like a dam bursting. Dr. Amoakoh’s words hit nerves because they echo what so many people mumble under their breath. Is the EC truly serving the people, or just ticking boxes to look busy?
In my opinion (I could be dead wrong), it takes guts to call out your own camp. We always say “charity begins at home,” but we forget that truth does too. And sometimes, the truth ain’t pretty. Imagine telling your boss — or in this case, an independent chairperson backed by the same system — “Hey, you’re just not good at this.” That’s not easy.
Of course, there’ll be those who say this is all political strategy — you know, position yourself as a lone voice of reason so you look good when the mess hits the fan. Politics is chess, not checkers. But there’s also something oddly refreshing about the honesty, staged or not. Kind of like when your cousin says you can’t cook jollof to save your life — it stings, but maybe you needed to hear it.
Scrolling through my feed that night, I saw people split down the middle. Some hailed her as brave. Others called her a sellout. Me? I’m somewhere in between. I love when people speak their minds — but I also can’t help but worry. Are we seeing the beginning of an internal implosion? Or is this what healthy democracy looks like — people holding each other accountable, no matter the color of the party card?
I may be rambling here, but I think about the future a lot (maybe too much). If more people in power could say, “You know what? You’re not fit for this role,” maybe we’d stop recycling the same tired problems every election cycle. Maybe we’d actually get somewhere. Or maybe… we’d just find new ways to argue.
Anyway, I’ll probably be debating this with my neighbor when he comes over again (he never pays his bills, but he’s got strong political opinions). But what do you think — is calling out your own the bravest thing you can do in politics, or the biggest betrayal? And if we all spoke up like Dr. Amoakoh, would anything really change?
Something to chew on while you sip your next cup of coffee. Or your next chilled Alvaro.