Many organizations particularly those in the retail industry frequently dispatched individuals to visit their own stores to do shopping, usually refer to as ‘mystery shopping’ This exercise is conducted ostensibly to find out how the local branch is handling their customer service. It is a major task to appraise the store’s performance and appropriate measures taken.

In the Bible it is recorded that Jesus Christ famously asked His disciples ‘what do men think I am’? Jesus Christ had wanted to find out how out there people viewed His personality. The question Jesus posed to His disciples is relevant today and more so for every person who wants to enter into public office vie election. It is becoming an embarrassment to many politicians for their inability to do an in-depth appraisal about their suitability or otherwise for the position they are aspiring to hold. I have tried hard to comprehend the rationale behind their tinkering. It is very regrettable that people you thought should know better are by their actions, destroying their reputation.

Days preceding the NPP Presidential election, I and many others wrote series of articles urging dozens of the aspirants to withdraw their interest from the race but sadly they did not listen and went ahead and lost miserably. Meanwhile, one of the failed aspirant, an author of a recent book, who is being criticized, has turned around cautioning the NPP to be mindful about how they are condemning his book; did he listen when some of us cautioned him to abandon his presidential ambition?

It is baffling that people, who had had the best of education, are failing to make sound judgment when it comes to vying for electoral positions. As politicians, if we failed to make a fundamental decision, then it gives people reason to doubt our integrity. There are many occasions when even a kindergarten kid can decipher that person A or B will not win a race but for some unknown reason this person will ignore perhaps all sound advice and still go ahead and contest. Frankly, I have no qualms with persons who aspire to lead their people but when the Youth look up to politicians as role model then prospective public office seekers must be circumspect.

Since the NPP declared it intended National election, many people have rushed to make public their intention to contest those positions. Have these persons asked the NPP supporters ‘What do Men think I am in the NPP’? If they have been strategically matured and asked this fundamental question, the NPP wouldn’t have witnessed the avalanche of people thronging to contest these positions. I am convinced that many of those personalities have not done a scientific and logical research about their suitability for the position they are aspiring to contest. It is also clear that many emissaries that those prospective candidates dispatched to the countryside to do a research about their suitability or marketability are truly doing a shoddy job just to pacify their pay masters. Others also rushed to contest positions without critically examining their likability.

It is however refreshing that the NPP Delegates are the most tactful people I have observed, they will certainly make the right decision. I have never believed that money does influence the delegates; the plain truth is that, money will never change the overwhelming decision of the NPP Delegates. Before the NPP 2007 presidential race, I did categorical state that the race is between Nana Addo, Alan Kyerematen and H.E. Alhaji Mahama.I went further by saying without fear in my articles that all the other candidates are wasting their money and precious time.

As the National and the Presidential race draw near, many names have pop up. And who in the NPP can advice those prospective personalities to abandon their ambition? Clearly the biggest problem facing the NPP is what to do with the number of people aspiring for National offices. Which personality in the NPP has the moral integrity to admonish those people? Let me make a subtle appeal: the chairmanship race is between Jake and Ntim, General Secretary; Nana Ntow and Yaw Asamoah (conspicuously absent from the list is Kwabena Agypong), National Organizer (Laud Commy will be missed, hope he is given one of the deputies, either Deputy General Secretary in-charge of Operations); can John Boadu ‘Bazooka’ Mocta Bamba and Isaac Ezumadze? Women Organizer; is Christian Churcher contesting? Then all other women aspirants should work extra hard, the same goes to the national youth position. Let me be blunt, all other aspirants should do the honorably thing and abandon their ambition. Today, what the NPP greatly need are personalities who are strategically minded, compassionate, and a resolved to serve the party with all sincerity. Who among those aspirants has the well-being of the party and strive not to favour any group or personality in the NPP? Whatever the eventual outcome of the February election, one thing is certain: new faces will virtually emerge.

Truly, the greatest dilemma the NPP faces is who to elect as its presidential candidate for 2012.Will the delegates nominate Nana Addo, or go for Alan Kyerematen, or is the delegates going for the perceived neutral candidate as some have argued. None of the three choices-Nana, Alan or a 3rd person- is without problems. That is the more reason why the NPP should have eminent people to counsel those prospective aspirants to abandon their ambition so that it will not cause problems for the party. Obviously, I can’t hide my admiration for the former Vice President H.E Alhaji Aliu Mahama, for his is one of the ‘angels’ in the NPP, though loathe by majority of the people, unfortunately his political passion seems not to resonate well with majority of the constituencies, so any suggestion of him contesting again will certainly be a sad moment for me. Ghana is very fortunate to have distinguished people like the former Vice President, a huge talent in the NPP, but sadly he is not the ‘constituencies’ choice. That is the truth.

I will urge the religious people in the NPP to pray for God’s intervention for Nana and Alan to show humility and allow the overwhelming choice to lead the NPP in 2012.

I can’t understand men, created in the image of God, will not bury their personal ego and sacrifice for party unity and salvage Ghanaians from their deplorable situation. There is absolutely no need for Nana and Alan supporters to weigh unnecessary war as Who Is Who for election 2012, clearly it will be a waste of resources and a potential field to cause confusion, to me it seems that the dice is already cast-the status quo in the NPP presidential chapter- seems for now, to be winning. A united NPP will undoubtedly wrestle power from the NDC.

MARTIN KWANING

Former TESCON President