The National Executive Committee of the NDC is itself undisciplined

By Dr. Michael J.K. Bokor

Monday, March 31, 2014

My good friends, when I heard that the NEC of the NDC had appealed to President Mahama to reinstate Gabriel Barima, popularly known as "DCE Tweaa", I quickly concluded that the major problems confronting Ghana in this 4th Republic go beyond the incompetence displayed by the various governments that have ruled the country since January 7, 1993 (when the 4th Republic took off) to encompass gross indiscipline in the political parties.

No democracy that is designed to succeed has room for the kind of indiscipline that shot Mr. Barima out of political office.

In this 4th Republic, particularly, several instances of gross disrespect for the citizens have been displayed by those put in political office by the citizens. In fact, the government functionaries are guilty of disrespecting the citizens in many guises, insulting their senses and sensibilities, but getting away unscathed because the existing structures cannot be used to tame them.

Such is the problem confronting us, which is why I unreservedly condemn the NEC of the NDC for even daring to call for the reinstatement of Mr. Barima.

I hold in high disdain the NDC leaders' needless interference in this matter and the preparations toward twisting arms and placing themselves on a collision course with President Mahama.

Indeed, they have no justification at all for urging the reinstatement of DCE Tweaa.

The circumstances are clear: This DCE Tweaa showed absolute disregard for the very people over whom he had been presiding as the direct representative of the President. No matter what might have ruffled him to make the utterance for which he is now known and ridiculed—especially when that utterance and its aftermath led to his being removed from office—he went beyond bounds and came across as unfit for the political office that had bloated his ego.

Had he simply asked the question(s) "Who said Tweaa.... Are you my co-equal?" and ended the matter there, he wouldn't have had as much to worry about as his sorry situation now proves.

Against all entreaties not to over-extend matters, he stormed out of the function and undermined the integrity of the local power brokers invited there. He exhibited so much incontinence as to devalue the authority and integrity of President Mahama himself, which led to his being taken to task.

He apologized for his lack of self-control and was pardoned; but as if seeking to take undue advantage of that misdemeanour, he stepped up his campaign of self-promotion, taking an undue advantage of the public attention given him as "DCE Tweaa", which cost him his job.

As if unaware of the far-reaching negative consequences of Mr. Barima's incontinence and the damaging of the NDC/government's interests, these NDC leaders are turning round to ask that he be reinstated, basing their call on "frustration":

"The National Executive Committee (NEC) of the NDC in a statement issued on Sunday March 30, 2014, appealed to the president to reconsider his decision to sack Mr. Barima.

The statement signed by the party’s General Secretary, Johnson Asiedu Nketia, said their investigations revealed that Gabriel Barima acted out of frustration after some staff of the Mankranso hospital started “heckling him using unprintable words directed at him including, the word “tweaa”.

NEC also warned that if the decision to sack him is not revoked, “it will dampen the enthusiasm of other DCEs in their attempt to deal with indiscipline and corruption in their various areas of jurisdiction”.

(Source: http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/artikel.php?ID=304825)

Absolute nonsense! Concentrated stupidity on the part of the NDC's NEC to justify Mr. Barima's incontinence on the grounds of frustration!!

If mere frustration can motivate him to be so irresponsible and undisciplined in public, what else won't he do under other circumstances?

And is he the only person who would ever been "frustrated" in political office to warrant his arrant awkward behaviour and gross disrespect for the chiefs and people of the area over which he presided?

Considering how political opponents and all manner of people are frustrating President Mahama's efforts, calling him names, and even lambasting his ethnic group, what will happen if he also decides to lose control of himself to behave in such an awkward manner?

It is troubling to hear them claim that the dismissal of Mr. Barima “will dampen the enthusiasm of other DCEs in their attempt to deal with indiscipline and corruption in their various areas of jurisdiction”.

How disciplined are these DCEs themselves to want to instill discipline in others? Several instances of their misconduct or acts bordering on thievery and corruption abound, but they are not being dealt with because of the lethargy in governance.

As Kofi Adams has already pointed out, putting pressure on President Mahama to reinstate this DCE Tweaa will not add any value to the NDC; instead, it will erode a lot from it.

If these NDC leaders have anything to offer President Mahama, it should be in the form of sound advice to help his government solve the problems that are gradually but steadily eroding public confidence in it and threatening the party's viability for Election 2016.

This Asiedu-Nketiah and his group seem to have too much time and too little to do. They shouldn't be allowed any foothold at all because they will worsen problems instead of helping solve them.

Asiedu-Nketiah and other characters like this DCE Tweaa make the NDC unpopular and should be told the truth.

I shall return…

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