Ex Officio (#3 EX TRILOGY)

Chapter 16

The Vice President set down his mug, smacked his lips and leaned back in the comfortable chair next to President George Kyei-Mensah while Dr. Alberta Anane, President of Ex Vivo sat before them. She had not touched her cup of tea since the meeting began. The President seemed not to be himself that morning and was avoiding the Vice President's eyes with a lot of effort. The meeting was going quite well and the state funding deal was about eighty percent through.

"So – ", Dr. Anane crossed her legs and smiled at the two heads of state before saying, "I believe you are ready to take Ghana's economy into your own hands and make something good out of it? Don't get me wrong, Your Excellency Mr. President. The economy is not for keeps, certainly not, but – one of a nation's greatest sins has been calling anything that bears the state's coat of arms the state's and not theirs, leading to mismanagement and destruction. On the other hand, it is very righteous to treat a state property with respect and good management while our personal resources ran out, because we will restore them with what the state pays us for our righteousness."

The President smirked and mopped his face with a handkerchief before he said, "That's a very – um – interesting perspective there, Dr. Anane. Nice. Mm." He sipped some tea noisily and set the cup back, but his trembling hand almost tipped it over and spilled a little on the coffee table. "Oops. Sorry. Clumsy me."

"Is everything all right, Your Excellency?" the Vice President leaned over and whispered, but he did not reply.

"You're aware that the dating company's operations have to be under the full surveillance of the government for the protection of the Ghanaian citizens?" the President finally managed to ask breathlessly while dabbing his forehead with his handkerchief. "And I'd like to be sure that we're not promoting prostitution for the minority in parliament to brand us as pimps. Please."

The Vice President raised an eyebrow and glanced at Dr. Anane, who did not even flinch. She leaned over slowly and grinned, and then she said, "Your Excellency, I am a law abiding Ghanaian citizen."

"Mm?" The President smirked.

"I would not present to the presidency anything that would discredit them in the next elections, trust me. This will be a game changer in the nation's economy and will eradicate poverty in a matter of two years. Currently, there are hundreds of graduates who have now been employed at Ex Vivo and it's so amazing. We have the future of the nation at heart, as you can see."

The Vice President attempted to speak, but the President interrupted and asked Dr. Anane another question, "How certain are you that the impersonation by hooligans and charlatans like – um – Ex Gratia and co will not sabotage this takeover - ?"

"Alliance, Your Excellency. Alliance," Dr. Anane said softly and winked at him. "Takeover is a very harsh word to use in a meeting like this, with all due respect."

The President took the documents on the table before them and skimmed through them carefully. "It will be really disastrous to have such a – good thing – in quotes – turning into a terrorist agenda and wreaking havoc all over the nation. Few years ago, a group of scientists arrive on the shores of Ghana and offer to vaccinate us against a disease we had not even heard before. Next, cerebrospinal meningitis is rising again the fourth time in history in a number of regions in Ghana right now and we can only trace it to that act of benevolence which was nothing but an insulting Trojan Horse. The Ghanaians are losing trust in the government because they think we are selling the country, which is false. I mean – who would sell a country, and then be president over what? And who? I did not sign up for any connivance and corruption schemes. I like what you have written on these pages. They are very thoughtful, but I cannot just agree without full assurance that my people and this government will be safe."