The stinky nature of Ghana politics: Where are the real patriots?

In this period I intend to grub into the minority NDC’s new found patriotism, the apparent hypocrisy and their weird approach to providing opposition and alternative solutions to the NPP government.

It is absolutely true that the opposition is obliged to put the incumbent government on its toes. But the all-important question is: do the opposition NDC operatives really have to grumble and criticise for criticising sake?

“Being in Opposition is not just about opposing the Government. “There are occasions when the Opposition agrees with the Government if the policies and programmes proposed by the Government has wide support, and is soundly based, then it’s only natural for the Opposition to agree (Dr Brash).”

It really saddens my heart to venture to state that in so far as we have individuals whose responsibility is to provide credible opposition, but have over the years reneged, and continue to renege on their mandated duty, Ghana may never realise any meaningful advancement in our lifetime.

Sometimes, one cannot help but to giggle over the minority NDC operatives renewed zeal to expose and prevent perceived sleazes and corruption in the NPP government.

It is indeed ironic to witness how the minority NDC operatives are gleefully hopping around the globe (from United States to Luxembourg) with the view to detecting perceived corruption by the embryonic NPP government. How bizarre?

Well, if the reincarnated NDC anti-corruption crusaders are so serious to detect and prevent sleazes and corruption, why did they turn a blind eye to Ibrahim Mahama’s tax evasion, the scandalous corruption cases involving the infamous Bus Branding, Brazil World Cup, the Ford Expedition vehicle, GYEEDA, AZONTABA, SADA, SUBAH, the purported $300million debt incurred on the faded STS housing deal, the dubious Embraer 190 Aircrafts and hanger for the Ghana Armed Forces and over a US$100 million oil revenue loss between 2011 and 2013 as reported by the Public Interest& Accountability Committee?

Perhaps, more than anything else, the NDC Party apparatchiks are trying their level best to convince their aggrieved supporters of their consuming desire to recapture power in 2020. That is indeed the quintessence of a desperate opposition.

Let us however be clear: in as much as the minority NDC operatives are trying their level best to placate their unhappy supporters, they cannot and must not try to throw dust into our eyes.

Verily, Kweku Baako Jnr was absolutely right when he stressed forcefully that the minority NDC operatives were seeking to ‘internationalise their incompetence’.

Dearest reader, isn’t it somewhat ironic that the opposition NDC operatives have soon found their voices and screaming and scolding at the roof top about alleged sleazes and corruption?

To me, it is an illustrative case of let us give a dog a bad name and hang it. Obviously, they are trying their level best to bring to the fore the non-existent sleazes and corruption. How pathetic?

Well, whichever way one may view their apparent hypocrisy and dishonesty, it nonetheless beggars belief that in spite of the unbridled corruption, the arrogance of power and the irrevocable incompetence by the erstwhile NDC administration which resulted in massive economic collapse, the NDC apparatchiks would still have the moral authority to accuse others.

Truly, the NDC operatives idiosyncratic attitude and behaviour do not represent patriotism. Candidly, no true patriot would desperately try to thwart the progress of his/her country.

“A patriot is a person who vigorously supports their country and is prepared to defend it against enemies or detractors. “Every patriot has qualities of bravery, devotion, and honour.

“The term patriotic refers to believing strongly in one's country and defending its honour. “Naturally, a patriot is bound to feelings of national loyalty because of an intense and passionate love of country.”

In fact, if we were to go by the preceding extant acceptations of patriotism, we can confidently and honestly deduce that some of our current crop of politicians patriotism is questionable.

I will venture to state that when it comes to patriotism, there are not many politicians in our midst who can equal the intrepid and real patriots like Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah of blessed memory, Dr J. B Danquah, Edward Akufo-Addo, Emmanuel Obetsebi-Lamptey, Ebenezer Ako-Adjei and William Ofori-Atta of blessed memory, who worked synergistically with other level-headed colleagues to gained independence for Ghana in 1957.

In a historical standpoint, the patriots were the loyalists, colonists, who remained loyal to England and King George. For the patriots, there was no alternative but to gain independence from England, the Mother Country.

In that regard, they worked strenuously to bring those men who were on the fence or neutral into their brood, knowing that they needed to build a massive support base. Patriots were masters of propaganda, as they composed literature to spread the cause of American nationalism.

Take, for example, Thomas Paine, a patriot and writer, shared the sentiment of his fellow man in a famous pamphlet called 'Common Sense.' His words echoed, 'These are the times that try men's souls,' and helped to incite the people's spirit against England.

The story was told, in a historical perspective, that there were many great patriot leaders following the French and Indian War and leading up to the Revolutionary War because of the constant tensions between the colonists and British soldiers.

One such patriot was General George Washington, the Commander-in-Chief. He led the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War, which consisted of a patriotic crew of soldiers from all the colonies.

Apparently, Washington's bravery and ingenuity on the battlefield roused support from them, and they elected him the first President of the United States (Source: study.com).

Let us therefore be honest, there is nothing patriotic about the squalling NDC apparatchiks conduct when a staggering GH51.2 million of Ghana’s money was doled out to Woyome for no work done.

How can the vociferous NDC operatives exonerate themselves from blame when the country’s scarce resources were capriciously and wilfully wasted under their watch?

Where is the patriotism when you allegedly gave two four wheel drive cars and a luxury bungalow (estimated to cost a staggering $470,000) to Madam Akua Donkor of Ghana Freedom Party (GFP) for no work done, whilst other Ghanaians struggled to feed their families?

If there was any sense of patriotism amongst former President Mahama and his appointees, how could they connive and surreptitiously import about 43 vehicles at a staggering cost of $9 million at the blind side of the incoming NPP administration?

If those cabals are not unpatriotic and insensitive to the plight of the impoverished Ghanaians, how come they conspired and paid dubious judgement debts to a tune of GH800 million to the detriment of the poor Ghanaians?

If they are morally upright and patriotic, how come they created loot and shared all the monies belonging to GYEEDA and SADA, which were meant to transform the lives of the needy in society?

Where is the patriotism when they squandered funds meant to transform the lives of the penniless in society through cloudy deals such as the Brazil World Cup, the infamous bus branding, SUBA among others?

In sum, the rejuvenated anti-corruption crusaders and the supposedly true patriots, the minority NDC operatives, so to speak, approached their duty lackadaisically whilst in power, so I was not a bit surprised when discerning Ghanaians showed them the exit on 7th December 2016.

K. Badu, UK.