Open Letter to Nana Ohene Ntwo and Johnson Asiedu Nketia of NPP and NDC respectively.

From mid December 2006, Nana Ohene-Ntow and Johnson Asiedu Nketia will assume the role of king makers in Ghanaian politics. Power from the president will gradually shift from his grasp as he becomes a lame duck president to elected Presidential flag bearer of NPP and NDC. From now until election of the flag bearer of the 2 parties, the press will focus their immediate attention on Nana Ohene Ntwo and Johnson Asiedu Nketia. As the general secretaries of the New Patriotic Party and National Democratic Congress respectively, Messrs Ohene-Ntow and Asiedu Nketia occupies the enviable position of facilitating the selection of the presidential flag bearer of their parties. Each candidate will seek their attention with the hope that they can sway the delegates in their way.

These two gentlemen must ensure the selection of the presidential candidates of their respective parties is elected fairly, with no favours to any one person. They must ensure the selection of the two candidates is transparent and democratic. They must ensure the delegates attending the presidential congress in December vote for the right candidate, bearing in mind that the chosen or anointed one must carry the hope and aspirations of Ghanaians everywhere. The development of Ghana and eradication of poverty from our motherland is more important and thus the next president must come to office with this sole aim of bettering the lot of his compatriots. Rent seeking and endemic corruption among politicians must be abolished to by gone years. The goal is VISION 2020 – middle income economy by 2020. Ghana deserves better.

The presidential field has widen and the quality and the experience of the candidates are such that whoever finally emerges to lead the country for the next 4 years will have the support of the whole country irrespective of party affiliations. Thus it is imperative that as the two major parties prepare for their December presidential congress the whole country pray that Messrs Ohene-Ntow and Asiedu Nketia have the wisdom and strength to conduct a successful election and ensure the right candidates are elected. The hope and aspirations of the country lies in the hands of these two gentlemen and their delegates.

The candidates are required to present their manifestos to the delegates and state how they intend to address the many issues facing the country. Messrs Ohene-Ntow and Asiedu Nketia must ensure no delegate is influence by money, favouritism, name recognition and/or tribalism but solely on the candidate he/she feel has the leadership quality, skill and talent to conduct the affairs of the country in this global storm. It is true that in any elections, candidates form their campaign teams and each team tries to get as much delegates as possible to pledge their support for their man. Thus December 2008 presidential elections might follow the same pattern as the past, however, what makes this election different is the number of candidates standing and the quality and rich experience that all brings to the delegates of their parties. Nana Ohene-Ntow and Johnson Asiedu Nketia must be impartial and ensure the election does not divide their respective parties and to greater degree the country. The unity of the NPP and NDC is paramount to the safety and security of the Ghanaian people and the country.

Issues that confront the country are enormous. Soon Ghana will be 50 years old, yet poverty in the country has increase despite the best efforts of the government to address the problem. Inequality between the rich and the poor and between regions has double and widen. In Ghana today, many people go to bed without food. Majority are the young and the old. Many children orphaned by HIV/AIDS roam the streets of the metropolis aimlessly with no home and no hope in sight. In a related article, “Children Abandon School to Fend for themselves”, this writer highlighted the plight of school children abandoning school, some as young as 8 years old, to work as farm hands, labourers, and street hawkers to fend for themselves. The introduction of user fees in education and health during structural years threw a whole generation into poverty. Many families withdrew their children from school so that they can save the money to buy food. Young female were withdrawn from school in favour of the male siblings. Today in Ghana a whole generation of girls are missing school due to poverty.

Many secondary schools and universities lost some of their best teachers/lecturers to brain drain during the lost decade. University of Ghana, Legon and Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology lost over a quarter of their best teaching staff. They are yet to recover.

Brain drain affected every aspect of life in Ghana. Ghana’s medical establishment almost collapsed. The best doctors, nurses, dentists, pharmacists, laboratory technicians and researchers left the country during the economic crisis. Ghana’s two prestigious teaching hospitals, Korle Bu and Okomfo Anokye became a place where people go to die, and not to be cured or nursed to health. These two medical institutions trained some of the best African medical professionals ever to emerge out of Africa...

Due to persistent hunger in the rural areas, many migrated to the urban centres in search of food and shelter. The population of Accra, Kumasi and Tamale metropolis doubled over night. Kumasi Magazine, Ghana’s foremost industrial slum became a magnet for the youth who were desperate to learn trade.

Messrs Ohene-Ntwo and Asiedu Nketia must remind the delegates of the importance of selecting the right candidate to take the country on to the next phase of Ghana’s development. At this crucial stage in Ghana’s democratic history, the whole country must remember Messrs Ohene-Ntwo and Asiedu Nketia in their prayers, at the churches and mosques as the 2 parties go to the presidential congress. Nana Ohene-Ntow and Johnson Asiedu Nketia understands the economic difficulties that the faces and thus must emphasis this in their opening keynote address to their delegates. That one speech alone can ensure the right candidate is chosen. Nana Ohene Ntwo and Johnson Asiedu Nketia carry the hope and aspirations of the Ghanaian people with them as they go to congress in December to elect their presidential flag bearers.

God Bless Ghana.