But for the sarcasm that the NDC cast on the image/picture of Nana Akufo Addo-the NPP presidential nominee, and my patriotic duty to set the records straight, I wouldn’t have bothered writing this article.

In 1972 in his desperation to deport about 50,000 Asians from Uganda and thereby win the confidence from the Ugandans, then president ldi Amin announced that God had appeared to him and informed him that Uganda’s economic problems were being caused by the Asians population and thus gave the Asians 90 days to leave the country. In the USA, a republican used a deceptive poster to lure the people that God had spoken to him that he is the only person to represent them in the senate. Admittedly, it is not uncommon when some politicians used all kinds of words/slogans to deceive the electorate in voting for them, so the NDC using deceptions to woo voters to their agenda is part of the methodology.

Of late the NDC has been embarking on an agenda of setting the records straight with their various press conferences, ironically the party is not setting the records straight on the image/picture used by their presidential candidate. I was wondering why in every official document a recent passport picture of not more than 3months is the legal requirement, so why has the NDC kept the image/picture of their presidential candidate of 2004? Obviously they may have reason that the person who stood as their presidential candidate in 2004 is the same person for the 2008 so in the wisdom to save money, it makes sense to use the same posters and image/picture of the 2004 period, they are wrong, because in politics it is about doing the right thing rather than considering cost. So the appropriate thing for the NDC campaign team was to have used the current image/picture of their presidential candidate. In 2004 then presidential candidate Kufour 2000 image/picture wasn’t used and rather his current image. So I urge the hierarchy of the NDC to do the right thing by withdrawing the 2004 image/picture of their presidential candidate and instead his current picture. May I also ask which of the image /picture of their presidential nominee will be submitted to the EC-is it the 2000, 2004 or 2008? I am also setting the records straight.

Another deception in the NDC campaign is the use of “Prosperity for All Not A Few’’ which has been inserted in all their bill boards and posters. Which country in the world can ever provide prosperity/wealth for all her citizens? There is absolutely no way a political party or a country can wipe away poverty and thereby provide prosperity/wealth for all. The paradox in the NDC deceit is that they accused the NPP of deceiving Ghanaians so how on earth can they provide prosperity/wealth to all Ghanaians. The NDC thought they can exploit the good people of Ghana by this message –“prosperity for all and not a few’’.

Even with this inscription-“prosperity for all Ghanaians and not a few’’- the NDC invariably is sending a signal to all political pundits that they have buried their core political belief- socialist’s orientation. The socialist tenets do not subscribe to prosperity/wealth and thus it is confusing when they are now rushing to borrow centre right ideals. The prosperity/wealth theology which is a capitalist jargon asserts that prosperity/wealth is earned not distributed, so how can a socialist NDC claim to provide wealth to all Ghanaians. There are even schools of thought who have a different perspective about the prosperity/wealth message. Jonathan Walton, professor of religion at the University Of California at Riverside, asserts that the message for prosperity/wealth will influenced some of it’s adherents to universally take high-risk loans which they can not pay and invariably crumble the economy. It is again very incomprehensible how the NDC can provide prosperity for all Ghanaians. For me the inherent contradiction this pledge exposes, gives the clearest evidence how the opposition NDC is desperately trying to win power with deception and propaganda. Again the NDC should be careful with the prosperity/wealth message, for all those who have preached this message have ended up disastrously. In 2007 Senator Grassley (USA) opened probe into six televangelists who preach “a prosperity/wealth message’’.

Another issue worth mentioning is that the P/NDC has been in power for 19 whooping years and if all this while they weren’t able to provide prosperity/wealth for all Ghanaians, what is the guarantee that they will be able to do so now. Frankly speaking it is not even feasible to provide wealth/prosperity to all Ghanaians. It is these politicians conduct that make the Ghanaian to look upon politicians with disdain.

During the P/NDC tenure in office business people who did not subscribe to their ideology were humiliated or denied asses to the market. We have not forgotten how even their Founder and Leader-Mr. Jerry Rawlings mounts platform and cast slur and innuendoes on entrepreneurs who did not share in their philosophy, so what has change now that all those they perceive as their political enemies can be made prosperous under an NDC government? Perhaps the wind of change engineered by the NPP is blewing in the NDC. At times it beats my imagination how the NDC are so bent on winning this year’s election as if their whole lives hinges on this year’s election.

The plain truth is, if there is any political party that can provide prosperity for the majority, and I mean majority of the people of Ghana, then it is rather the NPP which has opened the economy to all manner of Ghanaians irrespective of their political affiliation-no individual is deprived of doing business because s/he belongs to the NDC or stumbling blocks put in the way of NDC businesswo/men. Again the NPP international reputation is increasingly giving confidence for foreign investors to invest in this country-that is the only means by which wealth can be created for majority of Ghanaians. For me, the NDC is masquerade-they have still not been able to reform the party and their over-reliance on propaganda will surely backfire. Let Ghanaians be aware that the NDC socialist orientation is an affront to today’s globalisation theology, and the feeling amongst some developed countries or foreign investors are that they are not entirely comfortable in doing business with a group of socialist disciples. The NDC affiliation to socialist countries such as Venezuela, who sadly are suffering will be a recipe for chaos for this country. The numerous occasions that Nana Akufo Addo has been invited to speak on genuine international community platforms give testimony to how they trust the NPP than any party currently in the country.

Mr.Jerry Rawlings said many times that if he is not able to make the poor rich/prosperous, he will be prepared to face the firing squad. The question is, was he able to honour all his promises? Why then did he not avail himself for the firing squad? Many families have soon not forgotten how Mr.Jerry Rawlings and his socialists disciples tortured and killed their parents, confiscate their properties and the children (this writer inclusive) dreams for the future destroyed by these people, who sadly are making the most noises as if they are heavenly angels. Seriously speaking the P/NDC regime is usually seemed in retrospect to have been overshadowed by a more insidious wickedness and democratisation of violence. For me what the NDC (so long as their henchmen live) can provide for all Ghanaians is the capability of striking fear and intimidation into the hearts of all Ghanaians. As a prelude to what might happen should we make a mistake in voting for an unreformed NDC is what happened during their manifestos launch, when their presidential candidate was humiliated by the founder and leader of the party- yes Mr. Jerry Rawlings is in total control of the NDC period.

I will entreat the NDC that instead of “prosperity for all Ghanaians and not a few’’, they should rather write or use “fear and intimidation for all Ghanaians and not a few’’. With this inscription they will not be tagged as hypocrites.

MARTIN KWANING (Former TESCON PRESIDENT).