I have listened to Dr Kwabena
Adjei, the chairman of the national
Democratic Congress pour his heart out on the seeming
intra-political
brawl in his party.
Not only am I stunned by his oversimplification of events, I lament over the
untenable rationalization of the politics of attrition going on in
both party and government and an attempt to gloss over the issues.
I don’t want to sound condescending; however I am amazed at how Dr
Kwabena Adjei sought to distance himself from the mess he helped created by simply
saying he does not know Herbert Mensah as an NDC sympathizer.
Where is Dr Kwabena Adjei coming from? Is he coming from the planet
mars? If he claims he does not know Herbert Mensah, what was he doing
with the party hierarchy during the campaign? Did Herbert Mensah help
finance the NDC campaign in election 2008? What was Ato Ahwoi doing with Herbert in
his office during the campaign if indeed he is not a party
member? Did candidate Mills visited Herbert Mensah’s office in the run
up to the election 2008 to discuss election strategies?
We need answers to these questions.
With all humility, Mr Chairman, you have got it all wrong. You are part
of the bigger problem. What has your leadership done to assuage the
fears of party members on the divisions in the party?
Like children, Dr Kwabena Adjei and his executives have discarded their
decisive moral stance against indiscipline, attrition, treachery and
politics of patronage by so-called powerful people in government, and
have instead used primitive attacks to defend the unacceptable behaviour of Ato
Ahwoi and others!
Instead of dealing with the problem head-on by calling Ato Ahwoi to
order, the party chairman is preaching divisions in the party.
I can hardly conceal my sorrow when I hear people talk about the
problems coming from the Rawlingses.
Ato Ahwoi is the divisive element in the NDC and his utterances are
destroying the cohesiveness of the party. He should be told in no
uncertain terms. First, he threatened that Spio Garbrah could only be
appointed as a minister of state over his death body and now he has
resurrected a very thorny issue of President Mills’s health which in my
estimation could come back and hunt the President.
There were several tales of him denying party sympathizers access to the presidency.
What good reasons do we have to validate the actions of Ato Ahwoi? In
any case, what was wrong with what Herbert said? If the man says he knew ministers
in the current administration who are nurturing presidential
ambitions but did not mention names, what was wrong with that?
All these problems in the NDC can be traced to the doorstep of Ato
Ahwoi. He lies, schemes and manipulate for his selfish gains. And
instead of the Party leaders calling him to order, they are rather
stoking the fires by their public comments.
Part of the problem is also stemming from the government and the current executives
who thought they could marginalize certain
groups/individuals in the party by excluding them and their followers
from decision making.
What was the basis for Asiedu Nketia’s press conference? Was it
necessary?
What is the point really?
Has Nana Konadu really come out and declared her intention to contest
President Mills? In Any case, haven’t we heard President Mills himself
come out boldly to declared his intention for re-election in 2012? Again haven’t we
also heard Vice President John Mahama declared his
presidential ambition through Honorable Algban Gbagbin during a ceremony organized
in one of the villages in the upper west region? Until now,
John Mahama has not dissociated himself from that pronouncement and I
haven’t heard the party leadership make any statement to that effect.
Therefore why all this knee jerk reactions?
In the eyes of many party faithfuls, Dr Kwabna Adjei has lost his credit worthiness.
The party leadership has failed to deliver in this
particular instance. They must focus on their own shortcomings instead
of taking a position on an issue that has the potential to divide the
party.
Dr Kwabena Adjei has so far divided and polarized the NDC more than he
has united it since his re-election as chairman.
The NDC is not any better than it was in the 1990s, and now is the time
to huddle as one people and ask serious questions.
As the party evolves, and begins to acquire the frightening face of an
intra-party democracy, many party members are caught in the furrow of
ignorance and cryptic ululations for corrupt party leaders. Our sense of criticality
is only limited to tearing the Rawlingses apart, while our
political paymasters indulge in treachery.
Those who entertain the thought that, they could amass wealth at the
expense of party unity must rethink their position. And those who see
leadership as heaven’s gift for politicians, and as such would not
challenge the political leadership, will live to regret their hypocrisy.
There is huge leadership crises in the NDC and someone must sit up and
whip the likes of Ato Ahwoi into line.
Each of us has a role to play to effect the needed changes. As a social Democrats,
we can either choose to dance to the lyrics of the
new
order, or stand up to be counted.
The party leadership must rise to the occasion and polish the party to
reflect the lofty ideals that they spout. A healthy NDC will reflect in
the way it governs.
The leadership must breathe sensitivity into the party, at the same time breath out
sycophancy, hypocrisy, treachery, attrition, politics of
patronage as well as politics of entitlement.
The NDC leadership must have the courage to hold the party together by
steering clear from divisive politics. And whiles at it, they must
discard the vindictive suggestions of their policy advisers, and reach
out to past executives to build a united party and a better Ghana.
Dr Kwabena Adjei, this is the time for you to show leadership. Come
through or be gone!
We shall be back
Emmanuel Dela Coffie
emmanuelcoffie488@yahoo.com/www.delacoffie.wordpress.com
