The impending 2008 general elections are generating a lot of anxiety and excitement. Whilst the flag bearers and other party officials are crisscrossing the length and breath of the country with their messages to Ghanaian, some followers of these parties are spewing falsehood to the electorates and discrediting other personalities.

Recent developments on the NPP campaign platform where musicians and actors follow the flag bearer and perform during campaigns has generated some debate amongst Ghanaians. One school of thought is arguing that these actors and musicians should not mount campaign platforms and campaign for the party of their choice. MUSIGA and Ghanaians with that school of thought are arguing that Ghanaians from all the political divide look up to most of these artiste. The Musician Union of Ghana has cautioning its members to desist from campaigning for the political parties of their choice.

Personally, I am against the call by MUSIGA and the other Ghanaians asking artiste not to campaign for political parties of their choice .My only beef with those artiste is that they should campaign on issues and desist from attacking personalites.The argument that our democracy is young and we should experiment it for sometime before artiste campaign for political parties of their choice is untenable because a journey of thousand miles begins with a step. In the first place, these artistes are Ghanaians living in this country. The programs and policies of any government affect their living standards too.

I am however worried about the way some of these artistes campaign for their parties. One person who is spewing falsehood and spreading hate campaigns is Maame Dorkono.The actor turn politician.I know the NDC have ignored her blabbing because she is not worth their ink and paper and see her as a good riddance to bad rubbish. She was reported in media as urging Ghanaians not to vote for the NDC because former President Rawlings is roaring like a lion seeking to devour them. I found this statement unacceptable and unbecoming of a talk show host and an artiste. This was a woman who “confessed” that she was offered the platform to contest a parliamentary seat by the NDC on a silver platter in 2004.I recall the current flag bearer campaigning against her at her constituency and telling the people that parliament is not for “ concert party” people, today the “ concert party woman is leading his campaign. How interesting! I am sure she is leading the NPP to elect the president of the concert party association of Ghana; because we have been told before by the NPP flag bearer that she is a concert party woman.

Maame dorkono cited intimidation and the NDC failing to seek the welfare of women and children during their tenure as some of her reasons for leaving the party. When did the former first couple started intimidating her? Was it after the NDC has lost power and if it is after the NDC has lost power why didn’t she make the whole Ghana aware of it then? What is her motive for doing it now? She is applauding the NPP for their achievement in the area of women and children. I don’t have a problem if she is praising the NPP government for that but I am sure she has not forgotten the immense support that she had during the NDC time towards those same activities. She was made to host “by the fireside” which was a programme aimed at empowering children and teaching them good morals. She was hobnobbing with the former first family and had the opportunity to attend conferences and programs on women empowerment. If for nothing at all she was given the opportunity to build her capacity on issues relating to women and children during the NDC area and that has made her what she is today (a so call advocate for women and children).She even had a golden opportunity to stand on an NDC ticket without a challenger. Her status in society today can be attributed to the mentoring of the former first lady. If all that the NDC did for and other women did not advance the cause of woman in this country, then she should tell us what women empowerment is all about.

The former President is a Ghanaian and has been in this country since handing over power peacefully to the NPP administration. He has used various platforms to apologies on excesses during his reign. He has no ill motive against anybody and has been speaking his mind on national and international issues, although some of his remarks have not gone done well with a section of Ghanaians. He still has a large following in this country and no matter the hate messages that she spreads about the former first couple, she can never and would never be like them. If you are a member of a political party and you decide to resign you go your way quietly, you don’t insult and make disparaging remarks about that party and the leaders of the party. The moment you do that then Ghanaians would see you as a shameless opportunist and that is what Maame Dorkono has proven to be.

Mustapha Jimah

Accra mjimah@yahoo.co.uk