The political climate in Ghana; drawing the lines on friendship

For what is worth, a good friend is worth more than silver and gold. Especially if you have been on a long journey of tested trials and temptations together.

The political climate in Ghana in my opinion does not draw a straight line between where conflict of interest ends and begins. It doesn't. At least not consciously.

We all recently remember the NPP flagbearership race for 2024 where the mention of Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto is tagged as one of the candidates vying for the nomination to be the next presidential candidate for the NPP come 2024.

Nothing bad really, nothing bad at all right? Except when Dr. Akoto chips in that vote for me, I am the right candidate to lead this party because I have been good friends with the president for 44 years. I have got what it takes to continue the legacy of Nana Akuffo Addo.

Those are some heavy words to buy electorial votes of your electorates. One obviously not based on competence and capabilities but based on long existing Friendships between two people trusted with the seat of political power in Ghana by Ghanaians.

I believe, it then makes perfect sense to proceed further with this question….

Which comes first in vying for political power, is it friendship or competency??

The latter should be the ideal choice for appointments to political office in Ghana but the effect of the former or as we call it here "whom you know" does have a stronger constituency in our Ghanaian political environment. As odd as it may seem, these values ought to be properly arranged in order of our societal moral structure.

● Competence

● Experience

● Academic Qualification

● Track record

● Hardwork

● Connections

● Lobbying

● Conscientiousness

Thrusting people into political office should be engineered smoothly providing an enabling environment for these moral systems to smoothly operate. Our moral fibre as Ghanaians whether vying for political appointments or standing as a candidate in a local or district assembly elections should be set on these principles. This is to ensure that the mandate given by the Ghanaian people to our political leaders, ministers and honourable members will be accorded with the needed respect it deserves.

Ghana obviously deserves better here!