Maverick NDC strongman Squadron leader Clend Mawuko Sowu (rtd) has cautioned against comparing the output of governments within restricted time frames because any such comparison only entrenches the perception that people do not understand political pluralism. He says it at best can only lead to ?political patronization.?
Commenting on the ruling NPP?s ?two years of positive change,? the former Member of Parliament for Anlo contended that two years is in fact, too short a time to judge the output of a government. He said it is particularly unwholesome when it is viewed in relation to the first two years of the previous NDC because the political, social and economic environment could not be the same.
Throwing some more light on his submissions to the Network Herald, Mr Sowu felt no political analyst worth his salt would compare the first two years of the PNDC with that of the NDC because the circumstances that existed within that those periods were very different. ?It would therefore be morally wrong to compare the first two years of the NPP with that of the NDC.?
He suggested rather that people make it a point to analyze what a government has itself to do and how it has gone about doing what it set itself. For instance, the retired Squadron Leader tasked Ghanaians to refer to the government?s letter of intent to the International Monetary Fund on January 31 2002 describing the policies that the government representing the country intends to implement in the context of its request for financial support from the Bretton Woods institution.
He submitted that it only when the people begin to appreciate that performance is dependent on the government, individuals and the environment that we could conclude that people are ready to judge on manifestoes and not through comparisons of what someone did or did not do.
National development is very dependent on building on the (solid) foundations laid by others, Mr Sowu said when an infrastructure like road has been put in place by a previous government, the attraction for the people should not be a political campaign promise of building a new road but how the already existing facility has been used or could be employed to generate income.
Referring to the high marks given the architects of the 1966 coup by NPP chairman Haruna Esseku, Mr Sowu entreated Ghanaians not to attempt to even remotely rewrite the history of the country.
He said while he will not countenance any overthrow of a regime today, promising to offer himself as an ?anti coup squadron leader? should the need arise, the former Anlo MP who still has eyes for his constituency in the 2004 elections said he does not expect anybody who belonged to the UP tradition to condemn Mr Esseku?s position.
Using lots of image that had the smell of insinuation, he said ?apart from the obvious,? the fear and air of uncertainty that prevailed in the First Republic was such that an overthrow was inevitable. ?People who attempt to dispute the issue are only behaving as ostriches especially those who belong to the Danquah/Busia tradition.
To him the only guarantee against national disturbances of such magnitude is when governments give their people the opportunity to say their peace as the government is trying to do, except he thought that the recent busting of Captain Von Bakustein at Ho in the Volta Region is a big minus.
Maverick NDC strongman Squadron leader Clend Mawuko Sowu (rtd) has cautioned against comparing the output of governments within restricted time frames because any such comparison only entrenches the perception that people do not understand political pluralism. He says it at best can only lead to ?political patronization.?
Commenting on the ruling NPP?s ?two years of positive change,? the former Member of Parliament for Anlo contended that two years is in fact, too short a time to judge the output of a government. He said it is particularly unwholesome when it is viewed in relation to the first two years of the previous NDC because the political, social and economic environment could not be the same.
Throwing some more light on his submissions to the Network Herald, Mr Sowu felt no political analyst worth his salt would compare the first two years of the PNDC with that of the NDC because the circumstances that existed within that those periods were very different. ?It would therefore be morally wrong to compare the first two years of the NPP with that of the NDC.?
He suggested rather that people make it a point to analyze what a government has itself to do and how it has gone about doing what it set itself. For instance, the retired Squadron Leader tasked Ghanaians to refer to the government?s letter of intent to the International Monetary Fund on January 31 2002 describing the policies that the government representing the country intends to implement in the context of its request for financial support from the Bretton Woods institution.
He submitted that it only when the people begin to appreciate that performance is dependent on the government, individuals and the environment that we could conclude that people are ready to judge on manifestoes and not through comparisons of what someone did or did not do.
National development is very dependent on building on the (solid) foundations laid by others, Mr Sowu said when an infrastructure like road has been put in place by a previous government, the attraction for the people should not be a political campaign promise of building a new road but how the already existing facility has been used or could be employed to generate income.
Referring to the high marks given the architects of the 1966 coup by NPP chairman Haruna Esseku, Mr Sowu entreated Ghanaians not to attempt to even remotely rewrite the history of the country.
He said while he will not countenance any overthrow of a regime today, promising to offer himself as an ?anti coup squadron leader? should the need arise, the former Anlo MP who still has eyes for his constituency in the 2004 elections said he does not expect anybody who belonged to the UP tradition to condemn Mr Esseku?s position.
Using lots of image that had the smell of insinuation, he said ?apart from the obvious,? the fear and air of uncertainty that prevailed in the First Republic was such that an overthrow was inevitable. ?People who attempt to dispute the issue are only behaving as ostriches especially those who belong to the Danquah/Busia tradition.
To him the only guarantee against national disturbances of such magnitude is when governments give their people the opportunity to say their peace as the government is trying to do, except he thought that the recent busting of Captain Von Bakustein at Ho in the Volta Region is a big minus.
