[male
vocals] (
Soft
organ
swells)
PROMISES!
PROMISES! —
GHANA
REMEMBERS [
Roots
Reggae •
Political
Satire • 76–80
BPM]
[INTRO — SPOKEN, SOFT ORGAN] January 2017...
A
new
President
stood
before
Ghana
and
promised: "
I
shall
protect
the
public
purse."
Hmmmmm...
LEAD:
Protect
the
public
purse!
CROWD:
PROTECT
IT!
LEAD:
Eight
years
later—
CROWD:
LET
THE
RECORD
SPEAK! [
BASS
DROPS]
[CHORUS] Promises!
Promises!
Ghana
remembers!
Yesterday's
words,
today's
questions!
Promises!
Promises!
Ghana
remembers!
LEAD:
Protect
the
public
purse!
CROWD:
WHO
PROTECTED
THE
PURSE?
[VERSE 1 — FAMILY & FRIENDS / THE CEDI] They
accused
Mahama: "
Family
and
friends!"
Then
power
changed
hands—
and
opposition
produced
a
list
of
fifty-one
names
they
called
relatives
and
cronies.
Government
answered: "
They
are
qualified
Ghanaians!"
LEAD:
Yesterday's
accusation!
CROWD:
TODAY'S
QUESTION!
Then
the
cedi
started
running... "
WE
HAVE
ARRESTED
IT!"
LEAD:
Who
had
the
keys?
CROWD:
THE
I-G-P!
Peeeeee!
Peeeeee!
But
the
old
warning
returned: "
When
the
fundamentals
are
weak,
the
exchange
rate
will
expose
you."
LEAD:
Who
opened
the
cell?
CROWD:
ASK
THE
FUNDAMENTALS!
[CHORUS] Promises!
Promises!
Ghana
remembers!
Yesterday's
words,
today's
questions!
LEAD:
Protect
the
public
purse!
CROWD:
WHO
PROTECTED
THE
PURSE?
[VERSE 2 — GALAMSEY] Then
came
galamsey... "
I
will
put
my
presidency
on
the
line!"
CROWD:
ON
THE
LINE!
Excavators
were
seized—
Then
came
the
question:
LEAD:
Excavators!
CROWD:
WHERE
DID
THEY
GO?
Then
the
recording: "
Party
hia
sika!"
CROWD:
THE
PARTY
NEEDS
MONEY!
Akonta
Mining
entered
the
story—
controversy
followed,
official
statements
collided,
and
years
later
came
a
court
conviction
over
unlicensed
mining
activities.
LEAD:
Presidency
on
the
line!
CROWD:
GHANA
REMEMBERS!
[VERSE 3 — FLIGHTS & PDS] Protect
the
public
purse!
Ghana
had
a
presidential
jet,
GHANA
REMEMBERS!
[VERSE 3 — FLIGHTS & PDS] Protect
the
public
purse!
Ghana
had
a
presidential
jet,
yet
controversy
followed
chartered
presidential
flights.
Government
said
the
travel
was
paid
from
National
Security
operational
funds.
LEAD:
How
much?
CROWD:
SHOW
US
THE
FIGURES!
Then
came
P-D-S...
The
concession
collapsed.
And
one
hundred
and
ninety
million
dollars
in
additional
MCC
funding—
CROWD:
NO
LONGER
AVAILABLE
TO
GHANA!
LEAD:
Protect
the
public
purse!
CROWD:
GHANA
REMEMBERS!
[VERSE 4 — AIRTELTIGO] Then
came
AirtelTigo... "
ONE
DOLLAR!"
LEAD:
How
much?
CROWD:
ONE
DOLLAR!
Yes—
for
the
shares.
But
what
came
with
the
company?
Assets...
Customers...
Network...
And
liabilities!
Years
later,
government
said
the
company
still
carried
huge
debt
and
heavy
monthly
losses.
LEAD:
So
one
dollar
for
the
shares—
CROWD:
BUT
WHAT
WAS
THE
BURDEN?
LEAD:
One
dollar?
CROWD:
CHECK
THE
WHOLE
BALANCE
SHEET!
[BRIDGE — MUSIC DROPS] My
brother...
A
promise
is
easy
when
the
microphone
is
in
your
hand.
But
government
is
decisions.
Government
is
expenditure.
Government
is
accountability.
So
when
you
promise: "
I
shall
protect
the
public
purse..."
The
people
have
every
right
to
ask:
What
entered
the
purse?
What
left
the
purse?
And
what
value
did
Ghana
receive?
[FINAL CHORUS — FULL BAND] Promises!
Promises!
Ghana
remembers!
The
cedi
was
arrested—
CROWD:
WHO
HAD
THE
KEYS?
Galamsey—
CROWD:
PRESIDENCY
ON
THE
LINE!
Chartered
flights—
CROWD:
SHOW
US
THE
FIGURES!
PDS—
CROWD:
ONE-NINETY
MILLION!
AirtelTigo—
CROWD:
ONE
DOLLAR
FOR
THE
SHARES!
LEAD:
But
what
was
the
burden?
CROWD:
CHECK
THE
RECORD!
Promises!
Promises!
Ghana
remembers!
Yesterday's
words
will
meet
today's
record!
LEAD:
Public
money!
CROWD:
ACCOUNT
FOR
IT!
LEAD:
Who
remembers?
CROWD:
GHANA
REMEMBERS!
[OUTRO — REGGAE FADE] Promises...
Promises...
Campaign
microphones
may
forget...
But
history
keeps
records.
The
documents
remember.
The
figures
remember.
And
Ghana—
CROWD:
GHANA
REMEMBERS!
[HORN] Peeeeee!
Peeeeee! [
FADE]