“Lieutenant, we are going in there to see the President. We were each to come here with none of our security men but I have told the National Security Coordinator I cannot do without you. Therefore, he has agreed that you accompany us but you will not enter the President’s ward with us. You will stand outside the door of his ward,” she said”, Vice-President Gertrude Mensah said. The soldier nodded.
“Have you hinted to the Coordinator about the plots and the attempts on your life by a gang spearheaded by his Deputy”, the Lieutenant asked. The Vice-President shook her head.
“I want to do so immediately after our meeting with the President. If the President is in a state to heat it, I would brief him too,” she said.
The Vice-President, still shaken from the attempts on her life earlier that morning, left to join the others to go see the President. Lt. Clottey followed but kept a respectable distance between him and the group of senior government officials.
The Chief of Staff led them all down a corridor until they came to a door. He knocked on the door, gave it a few seconds, opened and entered. The rest followed in. They all found themselves in a big ward with a lone bed far wall. President Marfo was on the bed. Sitting by his side was his wife, Linda Marfo, an elegant woman who has gained national affection due to her crusade against filth.
Linda Marfo, an alumnus of the University of Ghana had been championing the fight against insanitary conditions everywhere and this was beginning to have a positive impact on the nation. Ghana, otherwise famed for choked gutters, dirty streets and other unsanitary conditions, was making great strides in the area of cleanliness because of Linda Marfo. Moreover, the nation had come to adore her for this.
The President did not look like somebody who was ill. Moreover, he was neatly dressed in a custom-made in-patient uniform. They sewed it for him the moment he arrived at the hospital and more were sewn for his use. He smiled when he saw the senior members of his government walk in. He slowly sat up, propping himself on two pillows to receive them.
They greeted him and the First Lady. Then they sat down on chairs that were by the side of his bed. Only the National Security Coordinator knew what the agenda for the meeting was. Even the Chief of Staff was unaware. This made some of those present apprehensive. Had he called for the meeting to announce the dismissal of some of them? Had he convened the meeting to announce a shake-up in cabinet or in the government?
“Welcome, all of you. I am sorry I had to summon you here at such short notice” the President began. Just then, the door opened. Two doctors, Evans Odame and Ibrahim Inusah, walked in.
“Ha! The doctors are here. I will let them and our Coordinator here do the talking then” he said. The little he said left him breathless to the surprise of members of his government. They could hear his heavy breath.
“Welcome ladies and gentlemen,” Dr. Odame said, taking over. Then he began to tell them what brought the President there. Everyone listened with rapt attention. When he was done with that part, he now dropped the bombshell.
It was a bombshell to all present with the exception of the National Security boss. He already knew about the President’s heart condition.
“I have explained to you all the conditions of the President’s heart. Moreover, as I have said, we have been monitoring it for the past nine months. At this stage, we are firm in our belief that he cannot continue to be the President of this country. The pressure that is associated with being a President is no longer good for his heart. If he is to live his life to the fullest, he has to resign as President of this country so we can have adequate time to take care of him. It is going to be a long process. He would undergo a couple of surgeries to correct what is wrong with him. Hopefully, he would then be fine again but would have to do without certain kinds of pressures the rest of his life.” Dr. Odame concluded.
There was dead silence in the room. The import of what the President’s doctor said was not lost on the men and women assembled in the room. Then the National Security Coordinator took over the briefing.
“President Marfo has decided to resign immediately. However, since President Putin is visiting this country today and is scheduled to arrive in a couple of hours’ time, he will delay the announcement of his resignation until Putin comes and leaves. Once he announces his resignation, Vice-President Gertrude Mensah would take over the Presidency and be sworn into office as President as our constitution demands. In the meantime, from this very moment, the President is handing over unofficially to her. She is the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces from now on. This means there is no longer any person above her. She is the final authority in this country; the Executive President of Ghana”
Vice-President Gertrude Mensah was not expecting this sudden state of affairs. Never in her wildest imagination did she ever see herself as President of the country. She had no plans to run after the President concluded his second term in office. Her plan was to go out with him, pursue further studies and lecture at the premier university in the country.