When a politician speaks 2024, I take it as talking election. So when a politician says ‘do’ and adds ‘or’ or ‘and’ ‘die,’ I take it as linking election to death; no idioms. In that context, I am horrified that any politician of the motherland would be that callous in pursuit of his selfish interest.
It is by all standards an unworthy speak; particularly if it is by one on whom this motherland bestowed all her riches, power, authority and all that is comfortable as president of the motherland republic. Take note he lived all those comforts in the longest continuous single term (four and a half years); when each and every one before him had single four year term. Even the two before him, who had two terms, had four years and no more for each term. The one immediately preceding him did not even live to enjoy four years. He had his life terminated after three and a half years as president.
Nobody who is consciously aware of the true nature of a politician in our dear motherland, wishes to, aspires to, or hopes to die for any politician. And no compatriot must be made to do or die because of election. I pray no one would be deceived by do or die as a worthy way of dying so someone will enjoy being president.
Those of us who were born with no English tongue but are managing with some English are being told we don’t understand the language enough to know the difference between idiomatic and literal meanings of ‘do or die.’ That’s implying we are idiots. However, given the status of the person, one is not sure whether he was not speaking with a blurred understanding in the difference between idiotically and idiomatically.
I prefer to say contest an election and not fight an election. There would be no need to weaponise ‘do or die’ in that case. One gets the sense the weaponisation was deliberate. That sense comes from a supporter who in a submission on television said the ‘do or die’ was said to energise the militant elements among his supporters. In other words, it was deliberately used and not because of any idiom thing. One cannot forget this was the same person who once spoke ‘baloney’ in his position as the second citizen.
So appalling it was listening to a TV talker linking kyinkyim yɛn nsa (twisting things) to ‘break the eight’ to the Guinea coup. The man and his congresspeople sense the eight breakable; and to pre-empt the humiliation, they think talking do or die ahead, they would have prepared a case for nsa having been kyinkyimmed (a twisting having occurred). Do or die talk is misguided and dangerous when unchecked as a speak, anytime it’s spoken. The talk needs fixing by the fixers.
To the youth who want to work ask the do or die talker to talk how he is going to provide you with jobs without borrowing. Ask him if he would bet his life on never leaving an uncompleted project at the end of his term. The last time he had the chance, he left so many of them without accounting for the money he had borrowed and taken for them.
I think the NCCE and the Peace Council should tell someone that die must never be spoken linked to an election literally, idiomatically, or idiotically. It is all because it is pregnant with motherland ruining tendencies which when actualised destroys precious compatriot human lives.
Nobody wants to die because of election and so let no one preach, advocate or plan to make anybody, any of my compatriots, die because he thinks people should die for him to be president, a position he has already enjoyed. One wonders what is it he saw in the presidency that he thinks a compatriot should die so he can be president again.
With that do or die pronouncement, Onaapo has dragged and steeped the motherland into a 2024 election democratic system talk wastage and, therefore, diverted attention from what can and needs to be done today to advance tomorrow. For tomorrow, man do or die must tell my compatriots and my good self what it is do or doing should kill the doer. Because no one wants to die over a 2024 election. Everyone will stay away from that do or doing about the 2024 election. That will ensure we will all, therefore, have life to stay alive after the 2024 election.
He who in 2020 reminded us all that he and his congress colleagues were founded in violence and were, therefore, unmatchable in engaging in election violence is now sounding a do or die 2024 election. I hope none of my dear compatriots would do and die. And that he and his congresspeople would be left to do and die among themselves. After all, they have a heroes fund dedicated to those of them who do election do or die.
Do it and die, do it to die, do it or die, none fits as election talk to be talked. There should never be a link between doing and dying in the election act: be it campaigning for votes, casting votes, counting votes, collating votes, displaying votes, announcing votes, declaring votes. Not in any of those acts should a precious motherland life be lost.
So, what if I also say do election in 2024 and die; meaning get defeated again in 2024 and get permanently stopped from ever (die) contesting presidential elections? Will that be an acceptable election talk? Sounds offensive to me. Whichever and whatever an act done by who to whom; no one deserves to die as an alternative to a do, for the sake of an election.
By Kwasi Ansu-Kyeremeh