AND THE VICE PRESIDENT RE-ACTS BY HITTING BELOW THE BELT?

His Excellency, Vice President John Dramani Mahama was launching the Centre for Freedom and Accuracy, a non-governmental organization whose Executive Director is Mr. Andrews Awuni, a former press secretary of Ex-President Kufuor and he delivered a speech extempore to vehemently condemn the recent behavior of NDC foot soldiers for indulging in some acts that many described as a violent act that has the potential to dent the image of the party and government. wherever those NDC foot soldiers behaved that way, investigations should have been conducted there first – since there is no SMOKE without fire, because so many negative activities are happening in the Districts.

In my opinion, I sincerely believe that it was a slip of tongue by the vice President unless he comes out to repeat the same condemnation again, because he delivered his speech on the platform of our No. 1 Political opponents last April. Do you know what? This writer traveled to the Castle and booked an appointment with the Vice President on 16th April 2010, just to meet the Vice President to discuss some serious issues for 15 minutes with him and the receptionist told me that I will be called through my cell phone if he really wanted to see me – and for 3 days in Accra, I heard nothing, so I left for Obuasi. Here is a fine gentleman we are all hoping to vote for him as our FUTURE PRESIDENT and he has hit very hard below the belt. The greatest test of democracy is to tolerate opinions that WE HATE TO HEAR, because the NPP did everything humanly possible in this country to enable them cling on to power during the 2008 Presidential and parliamentary elections but they lost even though they had monopoly over the media in terms of adverts and coverage’ Huge bill boards of Nana Akuffo Addoh, were assembled. All those who matter in the music industry, and their media did so much praise singing from 2007 to 2008 even when those arrogant leading members of the NPP’s speech and general behavior hurt the sensibilities of many Ghanaians, but since it was impossible for LIFE to snatch DEATH, it finally laid its icy hands on, the NPP which was rejected in favour of Professor John Evans Attah Mills, NDC in January 2009. We want pro-active DCE’s who will listen to the people and not ceremonial DCE’s who will drive along with their Acting Wive sat public functions talking BIG and doing nothing.

Therefore, if government and the NDC top leadership fails to investigate and find out the grievances of these foot soldiers and decide to blast and condemn them in the media, and on national T.V. then I dare say that what RUINED the NPP in its LAST YEAR will RUIN the NDC in its FIRST term if the government is not extra careful with these foot soldiers ss because some MCE’s and DCE’s believe falsely that the District Assemblies are THEIR PRIVATE COMPANIES and they have the right to choose NDC members whom they can work with and whom they can reject even if they were appointed by the Central Government Are such MCE’s and DCE’s not out to destroy the party rather just because they can not see ANYTHING beyond their stomachs? With all due apologies and respect to the Vice President, when the President was sworn in as the Head of State of the Republic of Ghana, January, 7th 2009. He made the following appointments.

1) Cabinet Ministers (2) Deputy Ministers (3) Regional Ministers (4) Deputy Regional Ministers (5) District and Municipal Chief Executives (6) Board members of the various institutions and some board members even sit on more than four or six boards. The foot soldiers are the SIXTH BATCH and NOT the FIRST PEOPLE to ask for appointments as stated by the Vice President in his address at that forum organized by the NPP. It was our political opponents’ platform that was why most footsoldiers were angry with his speech.

WE CAN’T HIDE THE TRUTH ABOUT THE NOMINATIONS OF DISTRICT CHIEF EXECUTIVES

During the nomination of DCE’s, we noted looming trouble as ALMOST EVERY party official both at the Headquarters in Accra, the Regional Headquarters and the District levels holding meetings at ODD TIMES in connection with the nominations. Secret meetings upon secret meetings with their phones switched off behind closed doors but all failed to produce results as it rather produced CHAFF in stead of MILLET. Some party officials were selling nomination forms at GH¢100.00 which kept ordinary people out of the race. Then came some chiefs who claim that they have been given the Authority by the President to propose candidates, and candidates who were summoned to appear before the chiefs had to perform customary rites. Constituency chairmen, assemblymen and all claimed to have been granted the right of having the last SAY. In some instances, some corrupt practices were alleged to have taken place – can you then blame the NPP for those acts or what?

The official team went round conducting interviews without knowing who had done what in their various localities, especially with their contributions to local politics as well as their loyalty to the party .

Wrong information, as well as fat lies obviously took centre stage and it became obvious that wrong choices could EASILY BE MADE and when such DCE’s and MCE’s got appointed finally, they became very arrogant and saw their offices as gold mine and can do what they like, damn the consequences. When their names were released for the positions, there many cases where even the local constituency executives found some MCE’s and DCE’s as COMPLETE STRANGERS whose names WERE NOT among those SHORTLISTED. The whole method used in the selection of DCE’s is OUTMODED.

No one disputes the fact that the government needs efficient hands on the ground to enable them disseminate policies to the people, but it is NOT FAIR AT all for such men and women to be drawn from fence sitters who just jumped into the BATTLE FIELD when the BATTLE was completely over. His Excellency, the Vice President MUST START LOOKING IN THAT DIRECTION with all due respect because the NDC foot soldiers are REALLY NOT DUMMIES at all and they are saying that gone are the days when monkeys work for Baboons to chop. At worst, they will simply recoil when the government ordered the police to arrest those foot soldiers who will demonstrate for the removal of any minister or DCE. Therefore to avoid any arrest by the police, they will rather suffer in silence and duely reply the government with their THUMBS in 2012. This is the REAL SITUATION on the ground. With its experience in government, the NDC can not find any comfort in the present excuses they are now offering – or is the party saying its men on the ground have also copied the BAD HABITS of the NPP which was rejected by Ghanaians or what? 8 regions voted for the NDC, and we must build on that and stop blaming or condemning the poor foot soldiers of the Great NDC. Nobody must under rate the intelligence of these foot soldiers of the NDC at all. Those who really suffered in the party are sidelined whilst some fence sitters were given appointments – hence the protests by the foot solders. Until our DCE’s and MCE’s see themselves as SERVANTS of the people instead of MASTERS of the people, until they stop behaving like TIN GODS and DICTATORS who must be worshiped and obeyed without question, the VALUE will remain the SAME for it is NOT the duty of President Mills to run all over the country for Ghanaians to see that he care for them, it is rather the DCE’s and MCE’s who MUST care for the people because they represent the president.

I shall be back with just one example of a particular constituency where some few executives have HIJACKED the NDC and are behaving as they like leading to 3 unequal divisions in the party and nobody cares. This article has been written in memory of those NDC foot soldiers who met their UNTIMELY DEATHS in a fatal motor accident on their way to attend an NDC rally at Tamale during the 2008 general elections. They would NOT have died like that of they had remained in their various houses – others were also MAIMED FOR LIFE, and I vividly remember very well that the then Vice Presidential candidate, now Vice President of the Republic of Ghana paid a visit to those injured NDC members at the Tamale Government Hospital.

Their deaths must NOT be in vain.

(2) Finally, let me also pay tribute to the late Chief of Gushiegu at the age of 80 years who was MURDERED BY NPP members in August 2008, and the NPP members were allowed to go scot free. It took the NDC several days to even protest against the violence and murder of the Chief. Whereas the NPP was very quick to RE-ACT to issues (at times) within 24 hours, it normally takes the NDC several days and even weeks them to RE-ACT to issues raised during the 2008 campaign. Therefore the death of the Gushiegu Chief too must NOT be in vain – The list is endless but this is a tip of the ice berg. The solution this problem is to launch an INTENSIVE POLITICAL EDUCATION FOR NDC MEMBERS NATIONWIDE that is the ONLY SOLUTION to the general behaviour of these NDC foot soldiers and nothing else, since some of their agitations at times turn violent and it can easily threaten NATIONAL SECURITY. IS ANYBODY LISTENING? Aluta Continua!

Clement Sangaparee Municipal Organizer United Cadres Front Obuasi

Email: clement sang@yahoo.com

Distribution All Media Houses Accra