Opinions of Saturday, 28 April 2018

Columnist: Rockson Adofo

NPP are hurtling into opposition in 2020

The author is calling for accountability and transparency in government The author is calling for accountability and transparency in government

From practical observations, any politically-savvy and honest individual can conclusive tell that NPP is self-rushing into opposition in 2020. As said in one of my recently published write-ups, the lack of politically-strategic knowhow by NPP often prevents the Danquah-Dombo-Busia fraternity from either coming to power or not able to stay longer in power when elected.

The NPP members who are highly educated and chance to land ministerial and other such higher positions often erect an impenetrable or impregnable wall around them. They become totally different and unapproachable persons. They shed their campaign-time friendly ethics to assume shocking characters same as snakes shed their old skins.

Yes, having moved further rungs up the political ladder into a higher social class, one is expected to behave a bit differently, especially those with egos. However, most people within the NPP overdo it. They do not hesitate to bite the hand that fed and continues to feed them. This act of lack of farsightedness is the culmination of deficiency of political strategies.

If one listens to the contents of a YouTube post titled, “If We Don't Help The Market Women We Will Go Down - Kennedy Agyapong To NPP”, as indicated in the YouTube link below, one will stand agape at the lack of seriousness by NPP as a political party acclaimed to be overflowing with so-called “book long”. They indeed lack tactical strategies to appreciate the value of the ordinary electorate to enable them stay longer in power to realise the fullest implementations of their policies.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2niuUisXfY

How do you remove people’s source of genuine livelihood without anticipating that you will incite their anger? They will turn their anger on you if you had not provided them with a replacement as it is the correct view of Kennedy Agyapong (Hon). Dealing galamsey a deadly blow is a step in the right direction to saving the nation’s ecology but not chasing out market women without providing them a place to go to carry out their genuine business.

As said in the video, the Assemblymen and the Ministers appointed from Ashanti region are all not living up to expectation. They only care about themselves but not the collective interests of the citizens. They allegedly award government contracts to their cronies regardless of which party they belong to while leaving the majority of the ordinary people to suffer or to fend for themselves.

If you turn your back on the people who fought hard to elect you as soon as you gain a position, and behave as though you never knew them, is that not an act of political suicide emanating from your lack of political strategies to stay in power longer to deliver your teeming promises?

I have a distant relative in Kumawu popularly called Kasco; although he completed only elementary school, being an ardent member of the NDC, he could visit the late President Evans Atta Mills at the Osu Castle. He could go to the NDC Headquarters in Accra and was warmly received. Finally, he became the Recruitment Manager, if I should put it that way, for the Israeli Company that was contracted to provide Kumawu and her environs with pipe borne water. People were wondering how he could communicate with the Israelis yet, he carried out the duties of his position with distinction.

I heard in recruiting the manual labour force, he would tell them that many people are jobless so if you work six months you will be laid off to give another person a chance. By this strategy of his, he could court the friendship of many because at least, he offered many people the chance to earn a little income.

He would never be offered that opportunity if he were in the NPP, to be honest with you. He would never even dare decide to visit the Jubilee House because he is a Mr Nobody. Where is your strategy NPP?

Until we recognise our problem of lacking in strategies, the first step to addressing our actual problem, the floodgate of opposition is widely open for us in 2020. Much as I always agree with Kennedy Agyapong (Hon), I beg to differ on one statement he made in the video. He said, “I don’t agree with people blaming Nana Addo. They have to blame the Ministers from Ashanti Region”. Yes, some of the allegedly lazy and non-performing Ministers who could possibly double as saboteurs or “greedy bastards”, courtesy of former President Jerry John Rawlings, the buck stops with His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, my adorable similitude of biblical Joseph, Moses or David.

If the Ministers are not working as they should, he has the presidential prerogative of “hire and fire”. Why can’t he shuffle them off? Why should the NDC contractors who have enjoyed during their eight years tenure of office continue to enjoy by having most contracts under NPP? Yes, they are all Ghanaians but are they the only ones born to enjoy the fruits of the country? This amounts to lack of political wisdom and strategy on the part of NPP. Those in power don’t give a toss because they believe in “you scratch my back and I scratch your back” philosophy. Are there not people in the NPP fraternity who are qualified enough to be awarded contracts?

Should the trend continue as it is, the NPP should consider themselves as surely going into opposition in 2020. It should not take a rocket scientist or a prophet to tell them this. Still corruption is rife in Ghana with the police taking bribes in the open on the roadside. The fear that people had in Nana Addo as a no nonsense strict person has evaporated overnight. Why and how?

His own friends and family members or cronies are the very those that are bringing him down by their actions and inactions. If he loses the election in 2020, his determined fight against galamsey to rescue our farmlands and water bodies will be reversed by the NDC for the devastation to resurface to hurt mother Ghana and Ghanaians. The free Senior High School education will be stopped by the NDC. What then will be the legacy of His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to show to posterity?

SOLUTIONS:

The president must start a reshuffle and shuffling off some of his Ministers. He should direct all his appointees to respect Ghanaians and show concern for the people. They have to recognise that they lack political strategies to stay in power longer hence there is the need to devise strategies based on truth but not falsehoods. He should check how contracts are awarded. Should he fully entrust his appointees to do that job, they will continue to award them to same few people they have alliance with. Appointing further family members and cronies to fill top positions must cease with immediate effect. It is not fair on the President himself and the larger Ghanaian public. I don’t believe in using NDC equalization tactics to justify all the actions by the NPP. What is not right is not right, PERIOD!

Anyone who has a smart phone should put it on recording when going to a person who may have the taste for demanding bribes from people. Use your phones to secretly record police officers taking bribes either in the open or behind the curtains. It is by these little but effective actions that we can successfully fight corruption, the bane of Africa’s socio-economic emancipation.

Is it going to be “Aben be bom” for NPP in 2020? If they don’t change course as demanded, but obstinately stick to their guns, then surely, it shall. This is not prophetic but prediction based on unfolding events. Have I become the enemy of NPP by telling the truth? If yes, I care not. We voted for a change of clean break from the evils of the NDC but not to wallow in the same or far worse mistakes.