Many a Ghanaian, especially our women folk view politics as a career not worth-pursuing or practising. They see partisan politics as a dirty game because of the accusations, allegations, insults, and violence that go hand in hand with it.
Generally, African politics has been tagged as dirty because some noble personalities who decided to make their intellectual prowess, expertise, and financial resources beneficial to the citizenry have had their integrity undermined.
In Ghana, high profile personalities like His Excellency, John Agyekum Kufuor and Nana Akufo-Addo have not been spared by their opponents in this regard. The Fiifi Kweteys, Ablakwas, Anyidohus, Ofosu Kwakyes, Kobby Acheampongs etc have "professionally" and consistently taken these noble men to the cleaners to satisfy their paymasters.
But should these political insults be a barrier to our quest to become successful politicians? For me, politics has become part of man's everyday life. Every Ghanaian practises politics covertly and overtly. For instance, anytime you complain about bad roads, bad education system, high cost of living, poor sanitation, high unemployment rate, high rate of taxes, abuse of fundamental human rights, bureaucratic nature of state institutions, electoral fraud, etc, then you are in the political game. It is therefore only appropriate for a person to pull his weight in such games to achieve the desire results. In this regard, Plato's argues that; "One of the penalties for refusing to participate in politics is that you end up being governed by your inferiors.” Do you want to be ruled by your inferiors, my dear reader? Obviously No!
Throughout the world, if you happen to meet and engage in political conversation with say three (3) Ghanaians, at least two (2) of them might be sympathisers of the New Patriotic Party (NPP). The other one might tell you he is not interested in politics and for that matter, does not belong to any of Ghana's political parties. Hardly would the last person tell you that he is an NDC sympathiser, unless you are lucky. Interestingly, if even the person failed to disclose his political affiliation, you would still find out after engaging him with a lengthy political debate. Currently, if you tune in to any Ghanaian radio station in Ghana or abroad, it would not take you 5 minutes to realise that the NPP dominates in the phone-in sessions. Over 80% of the contributors is sympathetic to the cause of the NPP and this fact can never be disputed.
A critical analysis of Ghanaian politics reveals that almost all NPP members and sympathisers show profound sense of pride in their party. They hold the NPP so dear and would never do anything to destroy it, if even they disagree with certain decisions made by the party leadership. For instance, whilst some other political parties have had factions and break-ways, the NPP has stood the test of time since the inception of the 4th Republic in 1992. Talk about the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and you would find out that the National Reform Party (NRP), Democratic Freedom Party (DFP), and National Democratic Party (NDP) have all come out of it. In the Convention People's Party (CPP), there is the Progressive People's Party (PPP). What is unique about the NPP is that, regardless of the occasion, arena, or time, many a Kukrudite would beat their chest out to let the know who they are. Whether it is through the display of party paraphernalia or through conversation or actions. An NPP fanatic will never feel shy in public.
However, unlike the NPP, an NDC sympathiser would always hide his identity because of the diabolic nature of the party. Most NDC fanatics operate in darkness and hold their meeting at odd times. In the United Kingdom, for instance, the NPP Branch always publicises details of the party's activities for the year, including meeting times, places, and agenda for public consumption. The NPP believes that it has nothing to hide. And this confirms the adage that; "wo tirimu fitaa a, Fite (Bosom) nkye wo", to wit, if you have a clear conscience, you would never be harmed by the Fite deity. Has anybody seen the NDC-UK do the same? No!
For the two successive Regional Chairmen of the NDC in Ashanti, Ohene Agyekum and Yaw Obimpeh to have invoked the spirits of Antoa river god, speaks of volume of this particular political party. For the Founder of the NDC, Jerry Rawlings to have attempted and staged three (3) coup d'etats killing several innocent Ghanaians tells a lot about the NDC, not forgotten how he used his blood to sign the NDC manifesto in 1992. Again, for the current leader, John Mahama, to have written a book entitled; "My first coup d'état" and "killing" a sitting first-class Azonto dancer without any recourse to thorough investigation goes to underscore the kind of diabolic people in the helm of affairs.
Based on the above inescapable facts, it is very annoying to hear people argue that both the NPP and NDC are the same. What comparison is that? How could anybody compare water and "dirty oil" and conclude that they are of the same taste or quality? Is it because they are all liquids? The fact that the NPP and NDC are registered political parties does not mean that they are the same. The membership, leadership, visions, and records of these two parties differ gargantually in all aspects. And I believe time and space may not allow me to go into details for the points raised above. However, if anybody takes time to read my article entitled; "Kufuor's Legacy of Development, Second to None", or "Who Said the NDC are Full of 'Brainless' People", the reader would definitely come to the conclusion that the NDC comes nowhere near the NPP in any aspect. Just have a look at Johnson Asiedu Nketiah calling the shots in the NDC? Which serious political party would elect such a person as its General Secretary? He befits only the NDC where "Greedy Bastards" surround the presidency and misbehave with impunity.
Fellow Ghanaians, the obvious choice for any Ghanaian floating voter for any future election is the NPP. Apart from being a national party that frowns upon fanning ethnic violence, electoral fraud, and propaganda to win political power, the NPP has a track record as well as the competent personnel to lead Ghana to the destination of economic independence. Our forebears started the independence struggle, and fought for freedom and justice under many tyrannical regimes without fear. The likes of Dr. J.B. Danquah shed their blood for you and I and others like R.R. Amponsah, Prof. Busia, Chief Dombo, and Obetsebi Lamptey were imprisoned because of you. The J.A. Kufuors, Nana Akufo-Addos, and Christine Churchers have also discovered oil in commercial quantities for mother Ghana. The implementation of pro-poor policies and programmes - national health insurance scheme, school feeding, metro mass, capitation grant, mass cocoa spraying, national youth employment, national identification programme, free maternal care etc gives credence to the fact that the NPP has no co-equal in terms of the proper management of Ghana's economy. Therefore, if anybody sits down and uses his brains to examine the current energy crisis, high cost of living, the unemployment situation, water rationing, massive corruption among public officials, the general apathy of Ghanaians and partisan nature of issues, and put the NDC and NPP in the same political soup, then I hasten to say that the person needs psychological and psychiatrical deliverance.
Fellow citizens, the time is running fast on us to redeem the image of mother Ghana. We cannot allow Chinese, Togolese, Malians, Ivorians, and Burkinabes, who have found their way into the NDC to determine our destiny. In the course of their heated arguments, Kofi Adams was portrayed as a Togolese, though he admitted being a Nigerian; Alhaji Bature was seen as a Nigerian; and Asiedu Nketiah, an Ivorian. And with John " Womaniser" Mahama as president, Amissah "Gay" Arthur as vice, and Nana Oye "Lesbian" Lithur as Minister of Gender and Children, where lies our dignity in the comity of nations as Ghanaians? Let's gird our loins and put the misrule of these nonentities on hold!
God bless Ghana! God bless the NPP!! God bless Kufuor!!!
Katakyie Kwame Opoku Agyemang, Enfield, London.
(Free SHS Ambassador) Official blog: (www.katakyie.com) katakyienpp@yahoo.co.uk 07577626433 A native of Asante Bekwai-Asakyiri
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