How Ghana's politics threatens peace, stability

In advanced democracies, a change in government simply means a different idea for pursuing a similar objective of making life better for all. It is about a different view on how to get to where the whole nation wants to go.

This is why there's little talk about the next elections once a new government's term of office begins.

In spite of the countless issues and criticisms, Donald Trump's administration has been subjected to, I haven’t heard any American talk about is the 2020 elections. Their democracy has been sustained because the politicians don’t run every show.

In our part of the world though: the politician has the power to influence university admission, police, and military recruitment and even who is given the job of handling the latrine.

This is why the peace and stability we take so much pride in and take credit for isn't sustainable.

There's too much at stake for the current system of governance to be sustainable.

The signs are there for all to see. The radical takeover of jobs supposedly offered by the government by party boys, the dismissal of even non-management level workers to accommodate party faithfuls and the merry-go-round fashion in which it happens should tell us that we are sitting on a time bomb as a nation.

In 2000 when the NPP won the elections, their supporters went after the toilet and market handlers. The NDC hit them back in 2008. Today, it is the turn of the NPP and we know what has happened this year alone.

Not ones, not twice but countless times, the NDC have indicated they’d retaliate when they come to power. A time will come when the opposition will match the government of the day head-on.

We should not act surprised if we succeed in pushing ourselves to that end.

Why should a change in government affect an entire military recruitment? Why should a young lady who is just an administrative assistant lose her job because she got her job during the tenure of the previous government (I’m referring to all previous government?

When defeat in elections means that even the downtrodden might lose their means of livelihood, then we are sowing a bad seed that will one day see people spill blood to protect their jobs.

We have been there before: in 2008, we were just a snap of the finger away from crossing the line.

Elections are associated with so much tension in our part of the world because it means the daily bread of even people who in ordinary circumstance shouldn’t matter or be worried.

If this practice is institutionalized, one day, the unthinkable will happen.

This week, the news of Mr AyisiBoateng’s promise that opportunities will be given to NPP members has instigated a reaction from all manner of people and institutions in this country.

Even though as an Ambassador he should have left this for someone else to say, every single Ghanaian who is honest will admit that the man only confirmed a well-known practice.

With the removal of the bonding system covering nurses, the power is back in the hands of government and they’d decide who to employ and who not to employ. It will later be extended to the teachers.

My question is: how partisan will appointment of nurse be with the bonding system removed?

This is why I am worried as a citizen of this great nation because we are doing more each day to make elections and politics a do or die affair.

The NDC members who lost their jobs are waiting for the day their government takes over so that they can show NPP where power lies.

The question is: will the Invisible, Delta and all the forces bow out like a Nana Addo or Bawumia would?

This is where the danger lies.

We must make a conscious effort to reduce the powers of politicians and the influence of politics on access to jobs and every citizen’s piece of the national cake.

Government contract should be won on merit, people shouldn’t require the MPs signature to fast-track their passport processing.

The time to change is now!