In choosing a flagbearer for 2008 all the political parties would have to concentrate on good leadership qualities, including honesty and integrity. Anything less might be a disaster. By relying on seniority and money-power alone a party in 2008 would not win general elections this time. According to the reports, as many as 27 people are jumping over themselves to replace Mr. J.A. Kufuor as President of Ghana in January, 2009. Of the 26 persons who are either self declared aspirants or persons who have been declared as aspirants by their supporters, only one is a woman. This includes all the political parties.
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) alone has as many as 13 aspirants (The Insight March 27, 2006). According to Insight?s report of March 2006, NPP insiders had said that the four frontliners in the race were Professor Frimpong-Boateng, Mr. Yaw Osafo Maafo, Nana Akufo Addo and Dr. Kwame Addo Kufuor. (This was before Kennedy?s visit to Ghana in April 2006). The rest are Mr. Alan Kyeremanteng, Professor Mike Ocquaye, Mr. Hackman Owusu Agyemang, Paapa Owusu Ankomah, Madam Hawa Yakubu, Alhaji Aliu Mahama, Dr. Kofi Konadu Apraku, and Mr. Boakye Agyarko.
Kennedy has since started appealing publicly to the party members and insiders. As of today, Dr. Kennedy popularly known as Arthur K is considered the rising star of the NPP.
No doubt the Establishment or incumbent government may have many qualified candidates (who are already in government or part of the Establishment) however Arthur K and Frimpong Boateng appear to be more popular with the people. Men like Addo Kufour, Akufo Addo, Dan Botwe, Osafo Maafo and the many more from the Establishment may be good candidates with the right credentials and reasonable political achievements but unfortunately their records stand tainted for being part of a government that continues to fail Ghana. As part of the executive branch of government any candidate so chosen to bear the NPP flag in 2008 shares the blame of questionable leadership and therefore would find it hard to win the support of the masses. Should they be so chosen Ghana may witness the lowest turn out of the people in history in the general elections.
Unfortunately by following a leader who hardly knows what direction to take the country for the past five years (election years) one becomes a victim of circumstance. To choose to become the forerunner of the NPP (and for that matter the opposition party of the NDC with Atta Mills and co) is a wrong decision at the wrong place and at the wrong time. The people?s anger is raging at the Establishment for failing to adopt a plan and a road map for the economic emancipation of Ghana. And for this all the good guys in government today and yesterday are all guilty. At best they (Establishment Club members) may consider running in 2012. The truth is the Establishment would not be taken any serious in 2008 so why should the NPP or the NDC bother to feature the old familiar faces to their detriment? These leaders have never walked their talk.
Arthur K. and Frimpong Boateng are not part of the Establishment and have never been a part of it. These two statesmen therefore have very good testimonial and would carry NPP far in 2008 general elections. Any of these two candidates would be a better flagbearer for the NPP over anyone from the Establishment should they be judged against corruption, given that the Party and its leaders and aspiring Presidential candidates are all embroiled in some corruption allegations or enmeshed in sordid corruption and other scandals.
Dr. Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng, is the head of the Cardiovascular Unit and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the nation?s Premier Teaching Hospital, Korle Bu Teaching Hospital. As the Hospital Administrator, Frimpong-Boateng has chalked many professional achievements including restructuring the Maternity Ward and providing hospital equipment to Korle-bu using internally generated funds.
Arthur K. is currently the CEO of the Family Health Centers, Inc, which is the largest community Health Center in the state of South Carolina in the US with 250 employees and has offices in 4 counties with about hundred and twenty thousand (120,000) patients a year. Arthur K. is a member of the Orangeburg County Chamber of Commerce and has just been appointed as the governor?s representative on the Board of Directors of the South Carolina Diabetes Initiative, which is established by law and takes the leadership role in all aspects of diabetic care. Arthur K has been honored by a US Senator for his work in Wisconsin (Russ Feingold) and the House Carolina state Senate. As a result of his work, Arthur K has been involved in providing healthcare for the poor and in dealing with state and federal officials in the area of the economy and healthcare.
The only thing though which may hurt Frimpong?s candidacy in the general elections could be the speculation that it was President Kufour himself who have asked Frimpong Boateng to contest. ?He(Dr. Frimpong Boateng) is not certain how to respond to the charge of being ?Kufuor?s poodle?, seeing that the only reason he is contesting is because President Kufuor has asked him to contest? (Palaver in Politics News of Saturday, 25 March 2006). Professor Frimpong hails from Daabang-Nkawie, home town of President Kufuor.
Kennedy, popularly known as Arthur K has risen through the ranks by dint of hard work and merit. Arthur K. is admired for his humility and integrity. He appears to be a great mix of a Ghanaian. Though a fanti from Asebu in the Central Region, Kennedy was born in the Volta region and educated in Ashanti (primary and secondary) and Greater Accra (Presec and Legon), Canada and the United States. This makes him a good mix and a unifier. By birth Kennedy is an Ewe man, by upbringing Kennedy is an Ashanti man, by education a Ga and by descent Kennedy is a Fante man.
We may take religion out of politics but we cannot take the fear of God out of good governance. We need leaders who would be true to their word in 2008; leaders who fear God enough to abstain from lying to the nation; but would hold their promise as a bond. Kennedy or Frimpong would be a great choice for the NPP ticket. ?Who may ascend the hill of the LORD? Who may stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to an idol or swear by what is false? .(Psalm 24:3-4)
Views expressed by the author(s) do not necessarily reflect those of GhanaHomePage.
