Opinions of Thursday, 21 May 2020

Columnist: TT Caternor

Greater Accra vrs Ashanti NIA registration figures expose unfairness to the people of Greater Accra

File photo File photo

In the Fourth Republic, Ghanaians have successfully voted in multiple elections, and the NDC and the NPP have alternated in winning the elections in a relatively peaceful environment.

In my opinion, varied factors such as recruitment, electoral contestation, political socialization, interest aggregation and organizational resources of political parties have contributed to the consolidation of the democratic processes in Ghana.

Elections have remained highly competitive, and governance has alternated almost equally between the two sides of the political divide.

Their shared dominance over the years has significantly strengthened their command of recruitment, socialization, and interest aggregation.

While structures and organizational resources remain weak, a strong Electoral Commission and a robust Media have added managerial heft and extensive public exposure to Ghana’s democracy

Ghana has functioned virtually as a two-party system, privileging its two major parties, the NDC and the NPP.

However, close examination of previous election results in parliamentary and presidential elections reveals that notwithstanding the two-party tendency, there is a dynamic and multi-layered aspect of electoral participation in Ghanaian politics.

Ethnic-based regional cleavages show that more complex varieties of electoral support for the two major parties, especially in the light of fragmentation and concentration.

Electoral support for the political parties in the 16 regions varies and regional party strengths have shifted from election to election making party alternatives possible in governance.

Former Emperor of France, Napoleon Bonaparte, once said, “the world suffers a lot. Not because of the violence of bad people, but because of the silence of good people."

Jean Mensah's Electoral Commission has proposed a compilation of a new register in which she is changing the basic requirements of who can register and vote.

Jean Mensah has proposed that you can register basically with a Ghana Card and this card is only issued by Ken Attafuah’s National Identification Authority.

This Registration process of the National Identification Authority has not been fair to a section of Ghanaian citizens. It has actually favored ethnic regions that mostly vote for the NPP and disenfranchised other regions that favour the NDC. If someone doesn’t make noise about it, Ghanaians will suffer a lot because of a conspiracy of a vindictive cabal.

Currently the total registered voters in Ashanti Region are 3,038,074, and the Greater Accra Region are 3,239,446.

Curiously, the National Identification Authority has registered 2,467,617 persons in the Ashanti Region and 1,995,669 persons in the Greater Accra Region.

Clearly you can tell that the NIA has registered more people in Ashanti region as compared to the Greater Accra Region.

Comparatively, the Ashanti Region only has a deficit of 570,457 whilst the Greater Accra Region has a deficit of 1,243,777.

Obviously, it is easy to predict that plenty people will be disenfranchised if the EC relies on the NIA Card as a tool for registration for a new voters register.

This is not fair and surely the good people of Ghana cannot be silent on this mechanization as Napoleon Bonaparte opined.

The Ashanti Region had more days for registration and more equipments availability during the exercise as compared to the Greater Accra Region. Ken Attafuah knew about this and is now mischievously talking about the NIA getting ready to do a mop-up exercise in the respective regions that have suffered.

When can the NIA finish doing the mop up exercise in order to provide the cards to affected persons to register in the event of the EC going ahead with its obnoxious voter registration exercise?

The practical and serious thing is that, once Jean Mensah succeeds in getting the C.I. laid in Parliament to be effective for a new register, anybody who doesn’t have a National Identification Card issued by the NIA cannot register and vote.

The estimated figures of adults who need to register for Ghana Cards in the Ashanti Region are only 792,542 and for the Greater Accra Region are 1,423,387. They have released the hatchet on the people of Greater Accra. Indirectly Greater Accra has a huge election deficit.

Why will Akuffo-Addo, Ken Attafuah and Jean Mensah use this stratagem theory to rig the elections before we even vote

Famous English Playwright William Shakespeare stated, "never play with the feelings of others, because you may win the game but the risk is that you will surely lose the person for a lifetime."

Indeed, The National Identification Authority and the Electoral Commission have a well planned agenda to reduce the total suffrage of voters in NDC strongholds.

Who is on the Lord's side and who can fight the Lord?

Jean Mensah and Ken Attafuah have planned in secret but God will expose them soon.

I reference Psalm 64 verses 4,5 and 7 in the King James Version of the Bible:

Thou sayest the Lord;

That they may shoot in secret at the perfect: suddenly do they shoot at him, and fear not.

They encourage themselves in an evil matter: they commune of laying snares privily; they say, Who shall see them?

But God shall shoot at them with an arrow; suddenly shall they be wounded.

Ghanaians who will not have access to NIA cards to get the opportunity to register and vote on 7th December 2020 will never forgive Akufo-Addo and the NPP government, Jean Mensah and the Electoral Commission and Ken Attafuah and the National Identification Authority.

Ghanaians deserve better!