Let me take a bit of my precious time to share my opinion about the “taste and hunger for power” by the Ghanaian political leaders and the “serious tactical errors” they continue to commit.
In social science and politics, power is the ability to influence or control the behavior of people; this is according to Wikipedia.
Power is neither snatched nor commanded but is all about convincing the people who matter to arrogate the power to you in terms of a democratic country like Ghana to serve them.
In so doing, one has to prove beyond reasonable doubts why he or she should be elected into power because remember not only one political party is vying to manage the affairs of the country.
As a result, most politicians resort to different strategies all in their quest to win power.
This now brings me to the meat of my piece of writing.
In my part of the world, partisan politics is totally different because it has been reduced to “insults” and tribal discrimination due to the tribal dominance in a particular political party.
Though there are other political parties, let me just limit my piece of writing to the two major political ‘rival’ parties in Ghana (National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and their ‘modus operandi’.
The NDC is presumably a party for the “pepefuo” which means Northerners whiles the NPP has been tagged “Akanfuo”(Akans) due to the elections result collated in the various general elections.
Exhuming history about these two political parties beyond 1992 will not be relevant so all arguments should be based on the constitutional rule which started in 1992.
After the haggle for power during the military era, Ghana finally resorted to constitutional rule because of the casualties the country suffered.
The NDC ruled Ghana from 1992 to 2004 and the NPP took over from Rawlings’ administration. I remember the reason that accounted for former President Kuffour garnering enough votes in my Hometown, Bongo though it is a strong hold for the NDC was that, his communication machinery was effective and understood politics as well as communication.
After carrying out his mandate as president till 2008,I wouldn’t compare which government performed abysmally or better because every Ghanaian knows better, President Kuffour handed the baton to Nana AKuffo Addo to at least maintain the party in power but he failed and Late President Mills took over the affairs of the country under the ticket of the NDC.
The 2008 election was keenly contested however Late President Mills managed to cross the line to become a duly elected as president of Ghana, sending the NPP to opposition after enjoying 8 years in office.
One would have expected that the NPP will go back to the drawing board to make a SWOT analysis as to why they lost the elections but blatantly enjoyed staying in opposition because they were engaged in a fierce battle of blames and equalization with the NDC.
But I must tell you that if you are a political party in Ghana and you want to win power then don’t attempt to involve in an equalization debate with the NDC because they are experts in that field.
Now let’s go to the preparation by the NPP towards the 2012 general elections because the NDC knew they will win because the NPP was not well equipped.
Instead of capitalizing on the flaws of the NDC.The NPP engaged in bigotry communications across the country thinking that it will fetch them political points without considering the consequences they will face for inciting Ghanaians.
One of the Party’s members, now the National youth organizer Sammy Awuku made a regrettable statement in the Eastern region which sparked emotions in the country but in a panel discussion he said on Peace Fm morning show that he wished he never said that.
Again vociferous Kennedy Agyapong was alleged to have called on the Asante ethnic group in Kumasi to attack Ewes and Gas prior to the 2012 elections but was later acquitted and discharged by an Accra Circuit Court.
Another respectable member of the NPP, Madam Ursula Ekufful also described Northerners as “herdsmen”. In fact when I heard this from Ursula Ekufful I was more than electrified and the love I was developing for the NPP despite the insults hurled at the People of the North diminished.
Worse of it all was the infamous “all die be die” mantra by Nana AKuffo Addo but the party again defended it though it was in a bad taste quoting the 2012 presidential aspirant for the NPP, “NPP people have every right in the face of aggression to defend themselves,”.
You may argue that members of the NDC also made similar comments against the NPP but what I have read and heard was not targeted at any tribal group. I overheard someone argue that President Mahama said they should vote for him because he is a northerner, adding that it was a divisive comment. Yes he may be biased but can that be an insult to the Akans? Absolutely no! Because he was only reiterating the fact that he was in his home town.
So one will ask, after the tribal noise made by these two parties, which party lost the 2012 elections?
Because the NPP seems to know more than every Ghanaian, they decided to hide behind election rigging and took the EC to court. The most painful aspect was when some members of the NPP vilified the EC’s Boss Dr Afari Gyan accusing him of causing them to lose the elections but every well and sound Ghanaian knew that the NPP did not play its cards well.
Look, the NDC does not get votes from the 3 Northern regions because they buy votes but they make sure their agents and party faithful are well equipped to enhance effective communication. We have instances where motor bikes are distributed to party members to move into the remote areas to spread their vision if voted in power.
But what of the NPP, their grassroots are always left to suffer and most of them even depend on the NDC members for help during campaign seasons.
It was in the news before the election of National executives of the NPP that Kennedy Agyapong imported some motors from China to be distributed only to be swindled by some executives of the party. Meaning they could have won the elections if the right thing was done?
Recently we heard a tape attributed to Former finance Minister under the Kuffour Administration, Mr Osafo Marfo verbally abusing non-Akans especially Northerners asking why they should allow someone who’s land does not have resources to rule them. This was said in a high profile meeting in the Eastern region held by the NPP. The questions are;
Was there no northerner at the meeting at the time he made this bigotry statement?
Did he or she condemn the comments at that level or not?
And lastly who leaked the tape?
And when the NDC gets such tape and capitalize on it and wins power you turn to insult Northerners. The NPP members are their own enemies because of the sabotage going on at the national level.
Unfortunately, the man who speaks his mind be it political or not, Kennedy Agyapong commenting on the issue described the NPP as a “useless and foolish party ever” on Adom ‘Badwam’ program just because the NPP distanced itself from the statement.
The most annoying and unnecessary reaction was when he (Osafo Marfo) decided to issue a statement claiming the tape was doctored.Doctored indeed!
The harm has already been caused and no well meaning non-Akan will ever forgive you for those utterances!
To end this piece there are three things that will get the NPP into power come 2016
The NPP should stop the discrimination that only Akans can be your presidential aspirants and be bold to accept your errors, Should capitalize on the dumsor dumsor situation and lastly release funds to grassroots supporters to monitor the upcoming general elections.
But before I go, let me remind you about a list of some Northerners in the NPP who have held prominent positions in the NPP as well as the erstwhile Kuffour administration put out by some of your members all in an attempt to prove that Northerners form majority of the party hence the party is not for only Akans. It will do you more good if you don’t base your arguments on that because it is exposing your biases’ about Northerners holding “Trotro Mates’” positions.
If all these are not checked, let me quote Kennedy Agyapong “the NPP will continue to remain in opposition if they don’t learn from their mistakes”
Thanks for reading!
samimbura@gmail.com
