It sometimes amazes that people do not learn from history. If I were a member of the IEA, I will not support any agenda against the winner-takes all in ghanaian politics.The winner-takes all philosophy is enshrined in our con ... read full comment
It sometimes amazes that people do not learn from history. If I were a member of the IEA, I will not support any agenda against the winner-takes all in ghanaian politics.The winner-takes all philosophy is enshrined in our constitution? In any case, are they not subverting the constitution? Why won't they seek for a constitutional review of this provision? Did they have the guts to call akufo addo and the npp to order when the flouted the agreements reached by all presidential candidates under the auspices of this same IEA? The npp and akufo addo headed for courts and this is their rights. If the IEA is now anti-winner- takes all, then they might as well bring back the military. Period?
SAY IT AS IT IS 9 years ago
IN our Ghana, it seems it is only some people when they are talking then it is ok. The rest of us have to toe the line for they know the best. But in many a times when one reflects on what these so called wise people say and ... read full comment
IN our Ghana, it seems it is only some people when they are talking then it is ok. The rest of us have to toe the line for they know the best. But in many a times when one reflects on what these so called wise people say and talk, then one starts to think, are we really seriouse or we growing stupid as a nation because those you think should know better because of thier education are the fools amongst us but because they are known to be educated whatever they say is taken to be right , even though they really make no sense to the ear.
It is a pity that the children who will be learning from these fools will always be fools like thier fathers because a child learns from his or her parents.
One can hear the uterance of many of our so called educated young men who either are thinking or just playing the fool to get to a place in life because of trying to be known in a society like ours as educated and therefore wise.
The IEA , is a sick civil society that is trying to throw dust into our eyes thinking that because those who geather there are learned people so whatever the say is the best for our society, which is a fallacy, a misconception of facts on the ground.
Thanks people are awake to know what is the truth, and we need to stand up to face this hypocrisy of our so called civil societies.
Mayor walewale 9 years ago
It is actually true that when NPP was in power they did not see anything wrong with "the winner takes it all". They were enjoying the luxury of being in power. Now that they out, some of their supporters have form civil socie ... read full comment
It is actually true that when NPP was in power they did not see anything wrong with "the winner takes it all". They were enjoying the luxury of being in power. Now that they out, some of their supporters have form civil society groups and claiming that they know what is best for Ghanaians. Better revise your notes otherwise it will never work for you.
GIRLS SP 9 years ago
Instead of looking for some work to do, this lazy Ewe Mensah Dekportor will be roaming the streets of Wandsbeker Chausee in Hamburg drinking Akpeteshie in the various Afro Shops and be posting nonsense on top to Ghanaweb.
Instead of looking for some work to do, this lazy Ewe Mensah Dekportor will be roaming the streets of Wandsbeker Chausee in Hamburg drinking Akpeteshie in the various Afro Shops and be posting nonsense on top to Ghanaweb.
Obaa Yaa 9 years ago
THE BELOW PORTION(PARAGRAPH) OF MENSAH DEKPORTOR'S PARTISAN NONSENSE SHOWS HOW DEEPLY AND IGNORANTLY STUPID HE IS.
"The hypocrisy of the IEA and such other civil society groups and opinion leaders spearheading this anti wi ... read full comment
THE BELOW PORTION(PARAGRAPH) OF MENSAH DEKPORTOR'S PARTISAN NONSENSE SHOWS HOW DEEPLY AND IGNORANTLY STUPID HE IS.
"The hypocrisy of the IEA and such other civil society groups and opinion leaders spearheading this anti winner takes all crusade is that for eight years that the NPP was in power, the winner takes all system of governance was never a problem in Ghana’s political dispensation. Indeed these civil society groups were not heard on any platform agitating against winner takes all politics which was essentially the same mode of governance practiced then as is being practiced by President Mahama and the NDC today. So what has changed since 2009? Is it because certain civil society groups in Ghana are uncomfortable with the fact that there is a government and party in power that they are politically opposed to? Would they be making the same noise if a party they prefer was in power? Certainly not."
Rosaline 9 years ago
The Winner Takes All Debate
Dear Editor,
Please permit me space in your esteemed paper to comment on an issue which is likely to deepen the politicization of issues that are of national interest and thus deepen political ... read full comment
The Winner Takes All Debate
Dear Editor,
Please permit me space in your esteemed paper to comment on an issue which is likely to deepen the politicization of issues that are of national interest and thus deepen political sychophancy among Ghanaians. In an article authored by one Mr Mensah Demokpor, a Ghanaian living in Hamburg, on Ghana Web on June 26, 2014, states among other statements which are politically ill-willed for the development of Ghana as follows:
“The real enemies of Ghana’s progress are the political elite and civil society groups and their hypocritical tendencies which often let them sacrifice the national interest for their parochial political interests. In any event what do the anti winner takes all agitations entail? It entails compelling political parties to collaborate regardless of their ideological orientations.”
Generally, the author’s article and statement above indicates that the IEA is against the NDC by establishing a committee to critique the “Winer Takes All” (WTA) system of governance in Ghana. He states that the constitution must be respected hence the debate on critiquing the WTA agenda is a useless debate. Judging for the articulation of the writer, I am sure that he is a very well educated/learned tertiary graduate and should have been able to be more critical of the constitution and see it as a document which is not cast in iron but a document which can be reviewed. It is in light of this possibility that there was a Constitutional review to ascertain whether certain practices are still normal and can enhance development for Ghana. The Constitutional Review Commission (CRC) documented a number of issues and criticisms that Ghanaians brought forward to the CRC. It is in the spirit of such positive trends that the IEA set up a committee to review some of the issues which might not have been seriously dealt with or which Government might not be aware of. If the review was necessary, then certainly the IEA did its national duty by establishing such a committee. It is also worthy to note that the members of the committee are people who should be seen as NDC supporters, contrary to the writer’s assertion that they are NPP supporters. This assertion is indeed very sad since the writer fails to distinguish between national issues and political sycophancy. From my investigation, the IEA committee members have been very high level personalities who enjoyed national positions of the highest repute during the PNDC/NDC regimes. It is there fore sad that such eminent persons should be branded as NPP supports whose good ideas should be seen as nonsense by assigning them a political coloration.
To educate Mr. Mensah Demokpor, I would like him to know that the unilateral authority that the President enjoys by appointing who he chooses is what has brought Ghana to the economic hardships and retrogressive development that we have experienced over the years. We are all aware of how Chief Directors, appointed by the President, through the award systems of “political supporters and foot soldiers”, have seen Senior Level appointments of persons who cannot read a five page document within a week and hence cannot sign any document with a critical mind. Such appointments have led Ghana’s development backwards. Political foot soldiers are appointed to senior positions without the necessary skills, experience and knowledge to manage portfolios.
Without wanting to be offensive in this submission, I am sorry to note that Mr. Demokpor is even contradicting himself with the stamen he makes below:
“The Malaysians, Singapores, Rwandans and China that are so highly touted as trail blazers have all developed under strong executive political leaders devoid of little or no political inclusion.
The statement above clearly rejects a WTA system since it does not appoint people of the same political party but people with competence. The affirmative action system used by Rwanda to include many women in political and decision making positions have contributed largely to the many credible women and politicians who were appointed devoid of political affiliations. Such persons have to work hard to sustain their positions since their performance is a yard stick used by both the government and the general public to confirm their future hold on their positions. The WTA system does not do this but rather awards political sycophants who only twarts the development of our beloved nation. Political supports pay a leg and arm to get appointed; people with political ties get appointed irrespective of their skills, knowledge and experience. One can see from the number of people waiting in the corridors of Flag Staff House immediately after elections to lobby and bribe to be appointed. Knowledgeable, skillful and experienced leaders are dismissed from their jobs, criminal charges are proffered against some of them in the guise to get them out of office so they will be replaced by the political sychophants.
“In the case of Ghana the real focus of the political debate should be on introducing political inclusion at the district and municipal levels without necessarily weakening executive power at the centre to promote political consensus building. In addition, emphasis should be placed on strengthening the judicial and legislative arms of government to enhance their independence and significance within the governance framework in order to ensure that they serve as a check on the executive”
The statement above is again an indication that the writer certainly does not even understand what he is writing about. How can a section of government follow a different regulation while another is subjected to presidential subjectivity in decision making?
I will like to educate the writer and people who support his article by posing the following questions: How knowledgeable is a President from a town, who through a political party that campaigned for him to get to power be able to appoint even people in the local communities as decision makers? Look at some of the appointments that the President has to make based on his own subjectivity:
1. The Commissioner for Human Rights and Administrative Justice and his deputies;
2. The Auditor general
3. The District Assembly Common Fund Administrator
4. Chairmen and other members of the Public Services Commission, the Lands Commission, the Governing Bodies of public operations;
5. National Council for Higher Education;
6. Holders of other officers in consultation with the Council of State
7. Chairman, Deputy and other members of the Electoral Commission;
8. Persons to represent Ghana abroad;
9. Ministers of State;
10. Deputy Ministers;
11. Chairman of the National Development Commission;
12. The Chief Justice
13. Other Supreme Court judges
14. Justice of Courts of Appeal
15. The Government Statistician
16. The Governor of the Bank of Ghana
17. The Media Commission
18. The Audit Srvice.
The above appointments are some of the appointments which are solely in the hands of the President and his political cohort who advise him, certainly on political lines. What is the assurance that the appointees are the most qualified for the posts? If they were, certainly Ghana will be better off than we have seen since 57 years after independence.
The only way that the WTA will work is when there is no political sycophancy, which unfortunately has been proved by the writer’s own articulation in his article as very rife in Ghana. Mr. Demokpor and his allies should get more education and be more objectively critical in his submission for the love of Ghana. In fact the NPP and any other opposition should be the ones kicking against the WTA since they will have to implement it if the NDC loses power consequently. It is also interesting to note that some NDC leaders in including President John Mahama, Dr Kwabena Adjei and Dr Kwesi Botwey have spoken against the WTA system since they know that it does not favor the development of the nation. They could also be beneficiaries of the new system which is more democratic and inclusive when they become an opposition in 2016.
The write should by now know that the WTA system is rather authoritarian and autocratic in practice contrary to his claim that it is democratic and inclusive. Political ideology is for the development and benefits of the entire nation and not to a particular political party in power.
It sometimes amazes that people do not learn from history. If I were a member of the IEA, I will not support any agenda against the winner-takes all in ghanaian politics.The winner-takes all philosophy is enshrined in our con ...
read full comment
IN our Ghana, it seems it is only some people when they are talking then it is ok. The rest of us have to toe the line for they know the best. But in many a times when one reflects on what these so called wise people say and ...
read full comment
It is actually true that when NPP was in power they did not see anything wrong with "the winner takes it all". They were enjoying the luxury of being in power. Now that they out, some of their supporters have form civil socie ...
read full comment
Instead of looking for some work to do, this lazy Ewe Mensah Dekportor will be roaming the streets of Wandsbeker Chausee in Hamburg drinking Akpeteshie in the various Afro Shops and be posting nonsense on top to Ghanaweb.
THE BELOW PORTION(PARAGRAPH) OF MENSAH DEKPORTOR'S PARTISAN NONSENSE SHOWS HOW DEEPLY AND IGNORANTLY STUPID HE IS.
"The hypocrisy of the IEA and such other civil society groups and opinion leaders spearheading this anti wi ...
read full comment
The Winner Takes All Debate
Dear Editor,
Please permit me space in your esteemed paper to comment on an issue which is likely to deepen the politicization of issues that are of national interest and thus deepen political ...
read full comment