Mills remains focused

A feature by Christian Agubretu

Accra, Nov 18, GNA - Current events unfolding in the National Democratic Congress (NDC) appear to be interesting when likened to the philosophy that "There can be no disharmony unless there are two who are anxious and willing to dispute - Your silence is the basis of your peace." Yesterday it was former President Jerry John Rawlings, founder of the NDC who was criticizing the ruling NDC government under Professor John Evans Atta Mills; the next day it was the posters of Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings found all over the country and the action was believed to be the handiwork of some foot soldiers of the party who were calling on her to contest the presidential primaries of the NDC for the 2012 elections. In another development, Mr Kofi Adams, NDC Deputy General Secretary and spokesperson for the Rawlings's would be on this or that radio station, at pains to explain the stand of his masters.

On November 11 this year, the Ghana News Agency (GNA) reported that Mr Samuel Adu Yeboah, Central Regional Chairman of the party said the earlier the party stopped disturbing the electorate with the unnecessary accusations and counter-accusations, the better it would be for the party. "In fact the people are getting tired with the impasse which, to some of them, is un-called for.

"Using the media to solve problems is tantamount to washing our dirty linen in public which is not good enough for a big party like NDC." Mr Adu Yeboah who is a lawyer, appealed to the leadership of the party to either resolve their impasse before the end of 2011 or forget the 2012 general elections.

He noted with concern that the people who were to see to solving the problem were themselves right in the centre of the dispute. The Regional NDC Chairman appealed to all well-meaning members to intervene to save the party from handing over power to any other party on a silver platter.

Mr Adu Yeboah is further reported to have reminded those struggling for power that the party's future fortunes were tied to the good performance of the current government and pointed out that if it failed, Ghanaians would not give any member of the party the mandate to rule this country in 2012. "Why do we want to kill the hen that lays the golden eggs and expect to get the eggs", he asked, and pointed out that opponents of the party were jubilating because the party was creating conditions for them to win the 2012 elections very easily.

One is tempted to say that that is his conviction about the events in the NDC.

Another GNA report quotes NDC party activists, Mr Kwae Nkrumah and Mr Stephen Edward Moore, Mfantseman East and West Constituency Chairmen, who appealed for calm in the party, saying if an early solution was not found to the impasse within the NDC, it could harm the party in the 2012 elections. Mr Nkrumah urged foot soldiers who were calling for the replacement of Professor John Evans Atta Mills for the 2012 elections to explain what they meant by government side-lining the former first family and foot soldiers which was the basis for their agitation.

He said "side-lining" had many connotations and that Ghanaians who elected Prof Mills to office had to know what they were referring to. Mr Nkrumah pointed out that in the run-up to the 2008 general elections the New Patriotic Party used "a vote for Mills is a vote for Rawlings" as a campaign message which went down well with the electorate. He said the constituency executives of NDC had to explore every means to refute that message and to make the people to believe that the learned Professor would be his own man when elected and that he would not allow anybody to dictate to him on how to govern the country.

The Constituency Chairman said if there was anyone who interpreted President Mills' efforts to disprove the NPP's campaign message as having side-lined certain people then that person had a problem. For his part, Mr Moore appealed to Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings to declare her position on the agitations for her replacing Prof Mills in the 2012 elections for the teeming supporters of the party to know where they are going.

This reminds one of what Mr John Dramani Mahama, then running-mate, and now Vice President, said in Kumasi during his campaign tour in 2008 when he answered questions from the media.

In response to a question, he said that former President Rawlings was a great leader and that the issue of macro measurement being adopted by some people was that if the former President distanced himself from the party then he was being sidelined and if he got closer to the party then he was dictating to it.

In connection with the same issue, one founding member and a stalwart of the party, Squadron Leader Clend Sowu, had called for an earlier congress of the party to forestall peace and unity in the party. While all these were going on, political analysts and some party activists were having a field day making a mountain out of a mole hill by giving all sorts of interpretations to the seeming confusion in the NDC as if the party was to collapse the next day.

To some observers, Prof. Mills is seen as a weakling for not authoritatively declaring a stand on the burning issues within the party so far, and to others the posture adopted by the President is the wisest thing to do.

All said and done, those party figures behind the "feud" have not done anything to prevent the government from governance. President Mills, his Vice and all the Ministers are continuing to run the state machinery. It should not be forgotten so soon that President Mills had survived the Swedru Declaration and brazed the Obed Asamoah fracas, not forgetting the threats of others swearing that once they were alive Prof would never become a President.

President Mills shoved off many tackles from the opposition and soared above the rumours that he was dead in South Africa, went through a Herculean campaign and emerged victorious.

If these things were anything to go by, one cannot but agree with Mr Koku Anyidoho, Communications Director of the Presidency, who said in an interview with the GNA that "President Mills remains unruffled and continues to be focussed in carrying out the mandate given to him by Ghanaians." This author believes that by his present composure, Prof Mills is bringing out one of the finest philosophies in life as far as peace and reconciliation are concerned. In the final analysis, whether or not President Mills is on top of the issues remains a judgement of the electorate at the end of his term in office, when he would be seen to have successfully prosecuted the party's manifesto on which Ghanaians voted him into office. 18 Nov 10