Why Atta Mills Became Its Candidate

And Why Truth Must Remain Party's Foundations

The recent blatant display of ostentatious and questionable wealth by various candidates of the NPP during that party's Congress epitomized the stark difference between the NDC and the NPP.

How can public servants earning the salaries they have earned as Ministers afford the kind of lavish campaign they put up? Where did they get such wealth over just a period of seven years?

Prof Atta Mills commenting at the time on the wanton exhibition of wealth by various NPP candidates had the following to say: "As Vice President of Ghana, there is no way I could afford the kind of lavish campaign they are conducting? Where have they got all that wealth in just a few years," he queried. What the NDC presidential candidate in effect was conveying was that while the government of the NDC epitomized modesty and selflessness, the NPP government symbolized greed, ostentation and selfishness. While NDC was conscious that power was an avenue to work diligently to improve the conditions of the ordinary people, the NPP, pursuant of its philosophy of property grabbing democracy, first and foremost looks at power as an avenue to benefit self and family before thinking about the masses.

Many Ghanaians, including some members of the NDC have had occasion to question why the NDC soon after losing power became so broke. The obvious answer is that the overwhelming majority of NDC officials were so focused on working for nation, that their obsession and preoccupation was not the accumulation of personal wealth. These ministers and officials of the NDC have remained with us since January 7, 2001 when the NPP assumed the reins of power. Ghanaians have had ample opportunity to view them at close range, to gauge their standard of living, to see the homes they live in, the cars they drive- in a nutshell, Ghanaians have had the opportunity to weigh them up close and personal- they have been weighed and have not been found wanting at all.

The examples abound- the simple lifestyle of Kwamena Awhoi, Tony Aidoo, Ibrahim Adam, Dr Kwabena Adjei, Kwame Peprah, Ato Dadzie, Ama Benyiwa Doe, Johnson Asiedu Nkesia, (just to cite a few) are ample testimonies of the modesty, selflessness and truthful stewardship demonstrated by officials of the NDC.

The emergence of Prof John Evans Atta Mills, first as Running mate, then as Vice President then party presidential candidate, is another major indication of NDC's passion for Integrity, Truth and moral leadership. The reason why after so many years in public office, the NPP cannot pin a dot on Prof Mills is because the man is a true example of NDC's commitment to honest, truthful and transparent leadership. And the reason for all this excellent example of integrity in leadership was the standard of modesty, selflessness and truth displayed by the Founder of the NDC, President Rawlings.

One senior Minister of the NDC once commented as follows- "We must forever be grateful to Rawlings for raising the standard of honesty and integrity so high that it made it difficult for us to ever fall prey to the greed and avarice that comes with public office." He went on to say that but for that, the vicious NPP government would have virtually thrown all of them in prison on charges of corruption and abuse of office.

Why is the NDC then so formidable?

It is because the spirit that gave birth to the NDC continues to inspire the party and its members- that spirit of truth and of social justice- that spirit that fiercely opposes the use of public office to benefit oneself at the expense of the collective, is the major difference between the NDC and the NPP.

Here is a primordial example- whereas, President Kufuor's first concern in office was to spend billions of cedis to make both his private residence and the castle comfortable for himself, Rawlings' obsession was not about living in comfort at the castle but the need to work diligently to send roads to places that were inaccessible, water to folks that did not have it, light to our rural communities and to generate and distribute the resources of the nation in a way that all Ghanaians regardless of tribe, region, class or any form of sectionalism could feel the benefits of development. That marked difference in the motivation of Rawlings and of Kufuor summarizes the essential distinction between the two parties. whereas NDC stands primarily for the welfare of the people, NPP, first and foremost stands for self- the former believes in the government of the people for the people, while the latter essentially believes in a government of the few for the few. Truth, Courage and the drive for social justice have always been the driving motivation of the NDC. That is why it was so disappointing that when the NDC initially lost power, many of its functionaries recoiled in their shells and were not courageous enough to stand up and defend their legacy of dedicated and truthful service for Ghana.

That inability to stand up and speak courageously and truthfully had continued to characterize the behavior of a number of former appointees of the NDC throughout the nearly eight years of NPP rule.

Ironically, Positive Defiance has always been the clarion call of the National Democratic Revolution- "Do not look on while things go the wrong way- speak up boldly and truthfully to correct the wrongs," has been the anthem that has constantly been intoned throughout the tenure of the NDC.

In essence, the NDC derives its democratic revolution from the belief that wisdom and right ideas are not the exclusive preserve of a few.

The NDC, as party has had great opportunity over the last few years in opposition to do a thorough self evaluation as a way of putting itself in a position to hold aloft once again the true and genuine aspirations of the people of Ghana. But for that to become a reality, the NDC must once more re-dedicate itself to Truth and Courage. The party must more than ever before actively encourage the culture of saying the truth as it is- for if the NDC cannot be bold to tell itself the truth at all times, what difference will there be between it and the NPP, the Mother of all political lies? If the NDC lacks the candour and the boldness to shine the light upon itself, how can the party have the moral courage to continue exposing the falsehood and the immoral leadership of the NPP? Ghana, under the NPP, has experienced scandal after scandal, because the NPP has never stood for truth and moral leadership. A seed of falsehood cannot bear fruits of truthfulness. That is why the nation's moral fiber has continued to plunge under the NPP. If cocaine, corruption, lutocracy, kickbacks and other base, vile and reprehensible behaviors have become the norm in Ghana, it can only be because of the fundamentally corrupt nature of the NPP as a political machinery.

The NDC is not made up of angels- but at least, the party has mortals who are earnestly striving to place national interest ahead of self interest. But to achieve this on a sustainable basis, there must be a renewed commitment to truth at all levels- not only a commitment to truth but a struggle to actively embrace truth no matter how unpleasant and uncomfortable.

With Truth as the party's armour, Ghana's new found oil resources will be safe in the hands of an NDC government. Without it, there will be little difference between the NDC and the NPP looting and lying brigade.