By Kwame Okoampa-Ahoofe, Jr., Ph.D.
Garden City, New York
May 23, 2015
E-mail: okoampaahoofe@optimum.net

Ultimately, the New Patriotic Party's victory in the 2016 general electon will mark a defining moment in both the history of the party as well as postcolonial Ghana. If the governance record of the NPP is anything to go by, 2017 is likely to mark the beginning of the economic, political, social and cultural recovery of the country. Too many things have gone wrong with the country at all levels of endeavor. The economy is in IMF-World Bank receivership, with the value of the cedi miserably pegged at 25 US cents. In other words, one dollar is presently equivalent to four Ghanaian cedis, so-called. And it is very likely that, short of a miracle or Divine Intervention, the cedi will continue its downward spiral.

What continues to complicate matters is the Mahama-led government of the National Democratic Congress' apparent inability to rectify the problem of erratic power supply, which has caused a drastic shrinkage in industrial production and, in effect, the national economy. Against the foregoing backround, it makes little sense that instead of seriously strategizing for an Election 2016 victory, and a chance to making the country work again, the chief administrators of the NPP should be scheming against one another in the sort of politically regressive violent factionalism that resulted in the criminal acid-dousing death of Mr. Adams Mahama who, until his tragic death on Thursday, May 21, was the Upper-East's Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party.

And so, really, it is quite refreshing to hear Mr. Paul Afoko, the NPP's National Chairman, vow to ensure that the country's most progressive party emerges victorious in Election 2016 and resumes national governance come January 2017. But, of course, Mr. Afoko's vow is only a promise that needs to be promptly and practically transformed into a progressive agenda and action. And we have absolutely no doubt that this can be done. For it has been done before in the not-too-distant past, albeit with a different set of administrators at party headquarters.

Indeed, I had actually expected Mr. Afoko to have latched onto the indispensable theme of party unity and leadership cohesion, especially being that Mr. Adams Mahama's death resulted from widely alleged frosty relations between the deceased and the NPP's National Chairman. Shortly before his tragic and untimely death, Mr. Mahama had poignantly articulated the most important problem hindering the healthy onward march of the party - that is, the imperative need for Mr. Afoko and the party's General-Secretary, Mr. Kwabena Agyei Agyepong, to learn to professionally work with each and every one of the legitimately elected administrators of the party, at both the local and national levels.

Instead, we heard Mr. Afoko on Kasapa-Fm Radio station on the eve of Mr. Mahama's burial rather vaingloriously promising to put his and Mr. Agyepong's enemies to shame by guaranteeing that the New Patriotic Party returns to power in January 2017 (See "We Will Win 2016 Elections To Shame Our Detractors - Afoko" Starrfmonline.com / Ghanaweb.com 5/23/15). It is quite obvious that the chaotic events that apparently led to the death of his archnemesis and homeboy, Mr. Adams Mahama, have yet to sink into the mind and conscience of Mr. Afoko. At any rate, who are the detractors being sworn at/against by Messrs. Afoko and Agyepong, if not themselves?

My one solemn advise to these two men is that they would be the wiser to consider delivering victory for the New Patriotic Party at Election 2016, in tribute to the memory and honor of Mr. Adams Mahama. Anything short of the foregoing is sheer hogwash!

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