By Kwame Okoampa-Ahoofe, Jr., Ph.D.

Initially, I was tempted to chide the New Patriotic Party's general-secretary, Mr. Kwadwo Owusu-Afriyie's rather wild assertion that the government of the National Democratic Congress, operating behind the facade of our national security agencies, may well have orchestrated the vehicular accident that nearly snuffed the life out of Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, the NPP's vice-presidential candidate in Election 2012 (See "National Security Wanted to Assassinate Bawumia - Kofi Jumah" MyJoyOnline.com/Modernghana.com 3/20/13).

On another level, though, I was almost humored by the fact that the development of constitutional democracy in Ghana, and much of the African continent, in general, was rapidly enlightening the people, in view of the fact that Dr. Bawumia's accident was now being blamed on his political opponents and detractors rather than witchcraft, which has primarily and hitherto been the norm.

Of course, I have absolutely no doubt in my mind that the government of the National Democratic Congress may well be squarely behind the Bawumia accident. But I was, nonetheless, also very interested in knowing who had reportedly flown the former deputy-governor of the Bank of Ghana to Accra, the nation's capital, for prompt medical attention and discharge. If, indeed, the airlifting of the lobally renowned economist had been executed under the auspices of the Mahama government, I thought, then, perhaps, a different culprit ought to be fingered.

For, indeed, if the NDC government were so desperate to liquidate Dr. Bawumia, what really prevented it from causing the plane, or helicopter, ferrying the target of a plausible assassination attempt from crashing the medium of transportation? Perhaps, then, that would have made such a morbid scheme all the more suspicious, isn't it?

The fact that the National Democratic Congress has a long and an unenviable track-record of using the most violent means to "take care" of its most formidable opponents, makes it all the more plausible that Mr. Owusu-Afriyie was not merely blowing hot air with his accusation. The proof, of course, inheres in the fact of national security agents having reportedly tailgated the Bawumia convoy from Accra to Bole, where the NPP's deputy leader had attended the funeral of a paramount Gonja chieftain. This was a routine political protocol, to be certain.

If, indeed, it is accurate that the Bawumia convoy was being doggedly tailed, or trailed, by agents from the national security offices, then the Mahama government has some explaining to do before the court of Ghanaian public opinion. For the only circumstances under which the movements of any key operatives of the main opposition New Patriotic Party could be legitimately put under government radar, or surveillance, is in a strictly national emergency situation, whereby the government felt palpably threatened. But presently, it is significant to observe, the country is not under any such state of emergency, the raging constitutional crisis or challenge to the legitimacy of President John Dramani Mahama notwithstanding.

What is surprising here, though, is that key NPP operatives like Mr. Owusu-Afriyie ought to be talking law and the constitutionality of the allegedly systematic harassment of major opposition leaders like Messrs. Bawumia and Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey by Mahama government operatives, rather than engaging in half-speculative accusations and counter-accusations among themselves and with their political and ideological opponents.

I make this observation because Mr. Owusu-Afriyie is known to be quite a remarkable lawyer; and it would be absolutely far better for "Sir John" to be doing what he professionally best knows how to do than be needlessly and unwisely embroiled in an internecine rhetorical fisticuffs with Nana Akomea, the communications wonk of the Akufo-Addo campaign.

In brief, if Mr. Owusu-Afriyie and his NPP associates are convinced of being under undue national security surveillance, for no palpable reason other than being the most formidable political and/or ideological opponents of the Mahama government, then, needless to say, the right and intelligent thing to do is for these apparent national security quarries, or preys, to seek a court order restraining them from being harassed and treated like alien enemies in their country of birth and citizenship.

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*Kwame Okoampa-Ahoofe, Jr., Ph.D.
Department of English
Nassau Community College of SUNY
Garden City, New York
March 26, 2013
E-mail: okoampaahoofe@optimum.net.
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