I usually tried my best not to meddle in the murky waters of politics with my articles because of the wrath it exudes from readers. Nonetheless I am obliged to write this piece because of my personal involvement in the activities of NPP prior to 2000 elections. Just like many other Ghanaians I heeded to the call for a ‘Positive Change’ in the 1990s and volunteered as a party activist. One key factor influenced my decision. I was convinced the party had the men capable of fixing our tattered economy and bring back smiles on faces of the dog chain sellers on the streets of Accra. Affordable houses will spring up so Ghanaians will live in descent homes once again.
This is because the party is supposed to be full of men who have been successful in their various fields of endeavours. Self made and accomplished men, seasoned lawyers, economic giants, talented engineers, business moguls etc. Most of who owned houses in the plush areas of Accra before coming into politics.
Yes I heeded to the call and spent most of my youthful days as activist for the NPP. In my constituency West Wuogon (West Ayawaso) I was a NPP ward secretary which means I was highly involved in the party’s activities at the constituency level. My involvement in the party brought me into direct contact with Party Constituency Executives. For instance I met many times with the late Colonel Addai Dauh, the then constituency Chairman, George Amoo former MP for the Constituency, Dr Safo Adu etc. Together with some other activists we campaigned in hostile NDC strongholds of the indigenous Ga people in constituency at the peril of our lives.
Horrors of corruptions
Little did I know I was doing all these for the party leaders to visit horror on the loving people of Ghana? I am so angry with the leaders for this betrayal. This was not the ‘positive change’ they promised us during the party forums at the university of Ghana campus in 1990s which made us joined in droves?
News about sordid deeds perpetrated by NPP on the poor people of Ghana is all over. Corruption and looting at very high echelons of the party is rife on the internet. Bizarrely instead of refuting these allegations the perpetrators brazenly justified their actions. There was this so called diplomat who was reported of transferring a Japanese grant into his personal accounts and he came out to give a long Kweku Ananse story in his defence. The following allegations were all justified or defended shamelessly.
Kwamena Bartels giving state money to his children, involvement of Kuffour’s son in the hotel gate incident, his daughter’s shopping mall sprees. Hackman Owusu Agyeman affordable houses loot, Ghana@ 50 benders, the mystery of the jaguar cars and the Sahara gate? The 50 cent bling bling chains and ‘dongomi’ honours.
I feel so embarrassed because during our campaign days most of the electorates kept saying ‘NPP leaders are thieves, greedy’ etc. A cousin of mine made a poignant assertion to the effect the NPP leaders will sell the country if they win the election. He was perfectly right. The NPP leaders have not only looted state lands but bungalows as well. Almost half of affordable houses meant for teachers, nurses, workers etc were plundered when they were still under construction. I just can’t imagine how I am going to face my cousin and many others in the future without them blurting at me ‘we told you so.’
The thievery of Kufour had turned JJ Rawlings into a hero. Kufour’s marauding attitude has made mockery of IK Acheampong’s ‘kalabule’ and ‘fawu to beji golf’ (golf for sex) era. Kufour’s looting spree has made us missed Dr Kwame Nkrumah. Within the short time Nkrumah spent in power he built the Tema harbour, municipality, motorway, the Akosombo dam, schools and colleges, universities etc.
Kuffour’s insensitivity to the plight of ordinary workers has brought value to SSNIT flats housing schemes under JJ Rawlings. SSNIT flats were built not only in Accra but also in most regional capitals. In Accra alone we have the Adenta, Sakumo, Dansoman SSNIT flats. How a ‘man with vision’ could prioritised a building of presidential palace (Taj Mahal) over affordable housing scheme for workers and Bui Power project for our industries. This really beats the imagination. With all these so called luminaries in the party all they could boast of is such mediocrities as School Feeding Programme, NYEP, and NHIS etc.
What has got me so infuriated is the level of human suffering I witnessed in my constituency on a recent visit. Hard core foot soldiers of the party who I worked with during those difficult days are still starving. According to the few I spoke to immediately the election was won the party leaders who were always on the grounds with the foot soldiers quickly vanished to inaccessible lofts to join in the sharing of spoils of war. This began the era of 8 years of looting and property acquiring democracy (PAD) till the people of Tain said enough was enough.
Acute water shortage is one of the major problems of my constituency. At least after 8 years of NPP misrule I expected these counterfeit ‘self made men’ to fix the problem. I was so dismayed when I found out the problem has rather exacerbated. On my visit out of the 21days I spent the taps flowed three times. Each time it lasted less than 20 minutes and in trickles. It could not fill a pail let alone the overhead tank hanging above the house.
Currently some of these shameless party leaders are struggling over who will be the next best plunderer. I believe they don’t realise the harm they have done to the image of the party. I suppose this is not the type of vision great pace setters like JB Danquah, Dr Abrefa Busia etc had in mind when they laid down their lives for the tradition. These gracious pace setters will curse these thieves in their graves for bringing shame to the party. One thing the leaders could do to redeem the image of the party is to go on their knees and beg for forgiveness from the people before dreaming of going back to them for their mandate again. They should also throw their weight behind Atta Mills in his quest of cleaning the mess they left behind.
Francis Kwaku Egu, UK
Kwakuhull@yahoo.com
