Dr. Rawlings: You Reap What You Sow

By B Nkrumah, Houston-Texas

First of all, we thank the Good Lord who made it possible for the whole NDC thing (Congress) come to a successful end. While others were excited and others also sad, we should not overlook the importance of the outcome of this Congress. There were many things to be learnt from this Congress. We shouldn’t forget that in the days leading to the Congress, there were factions such as Get Atta Mills Endorsed (GAME) and Friends Of Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings (FONKAR) in heated debates, useless accusations and counter accusations, un-Ghanaian insults, infiltrations of each other’s private meetings, and the exchange went on and on… and I see post-Congress accusations too.

I will not dwell on those negative aspects of some of the groups and members of the NDC party but instead, concentrate on what lessons to be learnt from what Ghanaians witnessed.

Lesson 1: Defiant NDC Delegates

NDC has always been noted to be cohesive group; who could have predicted that there would ever be internal power wrangling as long as the founder lived. In the past, the founder was seen as the “god” of the party and when he spoke it was final. It always reminded me of the scripture in Eccl 8:4 that says “Where the word of a king is, there is power: and who may say unto him, what doest thou?” Fortunately, the delegates realized that the scripture was not meant for the founder and hence they challenged his power and won with their defiance against his calls to vote for his wife as the Presidential candidate. Just a recap of history, Mr. Rawlings, in the past had imposed, if you may will to say so, Prof. Mills and as “god” as he was, the NDC members accepted him. Lest did he know it was God’s plan. Although Prof. Mills lost twice to former President Kuffuor, Dr. Rawlings had always campaigned for Prof. Mills. Why didn’t the same people heed to his call to vote Prof. Mills out this time?

Lesson 2: NDC Greater Than the Rawlingses

In the past, the presence of the Rawlingses at any NDC function diverted all the attention to them. Whatever they uttered carried the most weight. We witnessed the attention and quietness the large crowd exhibited when the Rawlingses spoke, let alone to interfere with a hoot; it was like signing your own death certificate. What Ghanaians witnessed is the opposite of what they were used to. The presence of the Rawlingses was nothing more than any other member and when a Rawlings spoke, she was hurled with constant interference. The NDC activities, for the first time, took precedence over the Rawlingses. Certainly the actions of the NDC members indicated that the Rawlingses have diminished in control and power, if not eroded completely; what a sad moment for this family. It reminded me of the adage that said the first shall be the last!

Lesson 3: Don’t Rise Up against God’s Appointed (DRUGA)

God said, he is the One who appoints Presidents, Kings, Leaders, and people in authority. Therefore if you have issues with such people in authority then talk to God. What God has established, let no man attempt its destruction, lest you fall. Although many people who find themselves in political power, chieftaincy role with the slightest of power, and even in the political arena, always forget that power stays but a while. Therefore, what can these folks learn from the NDC Congress? Nothing different from what we know; that everlasting power (supremacy) rests only with the LORD. Any opposition will slumber and fall; that’s what happened, right? Prof. Mills is God’s appointed, although Dr. Rawlings introduced him to NDC members. We should know by now that God works through people (good or bad) to achieve His agenda. The lesson here is that if you DRUGA then your reign may be prolonged.

Lesson 4: We Reap What We Sow

I like Dr. Rawlingses in many ways; he is very consistent and persistent in whatever he believes in, even if that belief is wrong. Besides, he is a motivator of ‘doing the right thing’ even at the phase of threat or death. These beliefs are part of the fundamental ideologies of (P) NDC. As the father of the transformed PNDC, he instigated the same beliefs in his followers and they took them. I am not saying that was wrong, in fact, those ideologies are my personal core rules I live by every day. What I am gradually arriving at is that these same beliefs were used against him when he needed his “people” to vote for another Rawlings. The “people” believed that it was wrong for them to conspire and recall a sitting President who was doing outstanding job (their opinion, not mine) just because he didn’t use Rawlings caressed confession video tape in the murder case of the Ya-Na, or because the President did not appoint all his (Rawlings) allies into government as he had wanted, or because of a personal beef he has with somebody close to the President. On that note, these delegates and the elders of the party stood by the same ideologies Dr. Rawlings had preached time and time, and voted in the spirits of consistency and persistency in doing the right thing--- they avoided doing things right and did the right thing!

In summary, we cannot outlived the these turning points in the NDC history where the delegates, once controlled by the Rawlingses, rebelled against their them, and proved that the NDC party is greater than individuals. In addition, we also learnt that we cannot stand up against God’s appointed officials and not be shamed. Finally, as the article’s title goes, we reap what we sow, hence if you instill in the people revenge, they will give you revenge at one point in time. Alternatively, let them know that it is okay to switch make decisions on their own so that you can depend on them for their ability to depart from traditions when such departure is much needed.

Long live Prof. Mills! Long Live NDC!! Long Live Ghanaians!!!

Source:bnkrumah@yahoo.com