The BBC Africa service, like everyone else, is commemorating the impending end of 2015.
Amongst several other features cataloguing the year in review, a list of the best quotes on the continent has been compiled- and it features none other than our own JD Mahama.
President Mahama, if you’ll recall, earlier this year made a comment about being a dead goat. In the midst of rampant mismanagement and looting of the public purse, several unions organised strikes to press home their demands.
That did not move our President, who invoked an old proverb about how a dead goat fears no knife.
“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. I have a dead-goat syndrome”
It was a back handed way of telling his people he does not listen to them anymore. With the little we have seen this month, I think everyone believes him now.
The BBC had other quotes from other African leaders and personalities. We reproduce some of them below- the full list of quotes can be read here.
“I belong to everybody and I belong to nobody” – Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari, speaking during his inaugration.
“The time for vision has come. I request our South African government to help us clean our land of lice. We need to remove all itching bedbugs and lay them bare in the sun. We request that all foreigners should take their baggage and be sent back” – South Africa’s Zulu King Goodwill Zwelithini
“Dear white people in the fashion world!… Why do I have to bring my own make-up to a professional show when all the other white girls don’t have to do anything but show up. Don’t try to make me feel bad because I am blue-black – it’s 2015” – South Sudanese model Nykhor Paul
“This is surreal for me, I’m not going to lie, growing up in the dusty streets of South Africa, I never dreamed that I would one day have two things really: An indoor toilet and a job as host of the Daily Show. And now I have both, and I’m quite comfortable with one of them” – Daily Show host Trevor Noah
“I’ve just concluded – since President Obama endorses the same-sex marriage, advocates homosexual people and enjoys an attractive countenance – thus if it becomes necessary, I shall travel to Washington DC, get down on my knee and ask his hand” – Robert Mugabe
“We are going to create a special wheelchair for President Mugabe until he rules to 100 years because that is what we want. That is the people’s choice. We want a leader that respects us” – Zimbabwe’s first lady Grace Mugabe
“The way to treat a boil is to squeeze it out, and I have made it my responsibility to do that. I know squeezing out a boil hurts but unfortunately there are no two ways about it” – Tanzania’s newly elected President John Magufuli, telling Parliament why his tough new measures to fix the country are needed.
“I organised a meeting in 2005 to solve our family issues. When I asked them about their opinion, they said I should build each family member a house and give each of them a monthly wage… I just want other African families to learn from this” – Emmanuel Adebayor, speaking about his family members.
“It’s not about unmasking Anas. It’s about all of us putting our hands together and ensuring we have a better continent. I think that anonymity has always been my secret weapon and I have always used it to the benefit of society” – Anas Aremeyaw Anas