I have just finished reading ‘PRETENDING TO BE PRESIDENT’, the first installment in the ‘most irreverent series’ authored by Ato Kwamena Dadzie. The book made up of a collection of letters by Ato’s alter-ego is a compelling look at the state of affairs in his country as is. The imposter president dares members of his government and his citizenry “not to settle for less”.
The book reveals a surprisingly candid President J. A. Fukuor as he tackles issues of corruption, erratic power supply, thieving men of God and endless national celebrations in his weekly letters.
“I feel horrible presiding over this rotten nation but I’m better than my predecessor,” President Fukuor says.
The illustrations by Mahesh and the wit-filled, well-written letters are an expose on the hard realities of life for citizens in Fukuor’s Sikaman – the thievery in high places, corrupt police and judiciary, inefficient provision of social services, utilities and infrastructure. The intent of these letters is to give Fukuor’s ‘countrymen and women, loyalists and opponents’ a few jolts to get them to put partisanship aside and demand the best from their leaders.
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I can’t tell you how much I enjoyed reading ‘PRETENDING TO BE PRESIDENT’. It was the one of the moments where the cliché ‘side splitting laughter’ is indeed true.
Satirizing most of the characters in the book, he writes with a sharp sense of rhythm and vivid sensory details to make his point. Now the word “langalanga” has a whole new meaning to me – thanks Ato Kwamena Dadzie.
While his style of writing in this book may seem outrageous, it is evidence that Ghana’s most irreverent journalist is now a fully fledged satirist with real insight.
*Nana Ama Agyemang Asante is a very good friend of mine. She has made it her mission in life to help me make a little more money to supplement my rather meager newsman’s pay cheque. So, please, take what she’s written with a pinch of salt.
