I have been giving a thought-provoking consideration to the practice of democracy in Ghana and how best or not Ghana stands the chance of getting developed by that system of government.
From empirical observations and critical scrutiny of how democracy is practised in Ghana, the country of my birth, there is no hope that the country stands any chance of appreciable advancement in her pursuit of socio-politico-economic emancipation, unless there is a drastic change of direction.
It is obvious how political baton of government is changing hands between the two main political parties, thus, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP), on an 8-yearly cyclical alternation.
While one party, thus, the NPP, in their duration of power takes the nation one step upwards on the development ladder, the NDC reverses it two steps downwards when they come to power. This leaves the nation retrogressing, but not stagnating at best. With such a system, is the country’s anticipation to develop if it has any, not doomed?
I have personally observed with concern how the NDC go to every length as they could, to undermine the NPP government. They lie about her to the public. They sabotage her efforts through criminal undertakings, encouraging their members and supporters to engage in nefarious and criminal activities that have the potential to cause public disaffection towards the NPP government and party.
Is it not too fresh in our minds how then NDC National Chairman Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo, was secretly audio-recorded when coaching some NDC members and activists in a secret meeting to kidnap people, kill people, cause arsons in the country, insult Supreme Court judges, etc., to let appear the NPP government too weak and hated by the public to finally vote them out of power to be replaced by the NDC?
Is it not too fresh in our minds how President Akufo-Addo’s NPP government waged a serious war on illegal small scale and alluvial miners (galamseyers) only to be sabotaged by former President John Dramani Mahama of NDC who went to the galamseyers promising to resource them to expand their activities if they voted him to power in election 2020?
The nation’s water bodies, fertile and arable lands, forests, cocoa crops, etc., have come under the vagaries of the illegal small-scale mining yet, because of democracy and the warped understanding and practise of it by Ghanaians, the government feel so impotent dealing with it.
If it were a dictatorial or autocratic government, led by a farsighted visionary leader, the nonsense about the havoc being wreaked on the nation by the galamsey activities, sabotage by any political party and the propensity to cause capital destruction as are the traits of NDC, would not dare happen at all in the first place.
Democracy in my candid opinion is not good for Ghana in particular, and Africa in general. The black mentality portrayed by the black man in their approach to governance and advancement does not make democracy the possible way forward. The evidence on the ground is too obvious for any level-headed person to bear me witness.
Ghana’s democracy has given rise to the practice of corruption by government appointees or politicians in general and their agents and assigns. They do so with impunity.
Ghana’s democracy has ramified corruption within state institutions, the judiciary not being an exemption. This has made it extremely difficult to fight malpractice and malfeasance in government institutions hence the decline in socio-economic development in Ghana.
Democracy is not made for black Africans who are mostly selfish, myopic, individualistic, wicked, greedy, and fond of always pursuing their personal rather than the collective interests of the society at any given time.
A new system of government that can work better for the collective interests of Ghanaians must be designed for us.
The system is working well in Rwanda and currently in Burkina Faso under the able leadership of President Paul Kagame and Military Leader (Head of State) Captain Ibrahim Traore, respectively. Why and how?
Find out the reasons for yourself, o, ye dear fellow Ghanaian and public reader.
The writer will support any type of government or person that can stop the devastation visited upon our water bodies, fertile and arable lands and forests and the lawlessness and eyesore official corruption ongoing in the country by their word of mouth or order.