I’m The Only 4th Republic President To Face Total Shut Down–John Mahama
That Brought About the Dead Goat Syndrome....
Former President John Mahama has bemoaned how all organized labour at a go went on strike and shut the whole country down when he was President.
In his address at a Forum held at the Academic City University College, Accra, JDM explained the ungratefulness of the Trades Union Congress made him adopt the “dead goat syndrome” style of governance.
He recalled, “I am the only government in the Fourth Republic where all organized labour came together and went on strike and shut down the country”.
He added the deregulation of petroleum prices whenever it increases was the reason he borrowed the idiom in response to the widespread labour agitations at the time which was intolerable.
Ex-president Mahama lamented, “I was one of the most harassed Presidents by Organised Labour.
“That is what led to the dead goat syndrome… because when you kill a goat, you cannot frighten it with the knife again!… I don’t know why I said that, but of course, our opponents took it out of context. They said I have said that I won’t listen to anybody”.
According to him, In 2015, he was no longer frightened by Ghanaian workers’ strike and protest threats and would not give in to any of them during the following year’s forthcoming elections.
“I have seen more demonstrations and strikes in my first two years. I don’t think it can get worse. It is said that when you kill a goat and you frighten it with a knife, it doesn’t fear the knife because it is dead already.”
During his regime the nation saw series of strikes and protests, the majority of which were in opposition to poor working conditions.
One of the many labour unions that took to the streets to protest the escalating economic crisis was the Trades Union Congress.
According to the President, these protests are a part of worker organizations’ plans to embarrass governments, particularly during election years.
Mr. Mahama believes the economy and budget are thrown out of balance when governments give in to such threats.
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