The
Ruling NDC of Ghana is facing a political crisis which is packed with
lessons not only for its party members, but, for all Ghanaians and maybe
the whole of Africa. A little over three decades ago,
J.J. Rawlings was an ordinary soldier serving the state. Like many other
Ghanaians, he was disgusted with the socio-economic situation borne out
of horrible politics, and managed to get some people follow him with
the hope of bringing some drastic and very much needed changes to our
society. In the first coup attempt, he was arrested and detained, but,
having touched the hearts of his fellow colleagues early on with very
selfless speeches, they risk their lives to take him out of cells and
made him a King. I am trying very hard to imagine his
thoughts and feelings when he heard the cell was being opened to get him
out. Perhaps, he thought about what he would tell God if he got to him
in eternity. Many a Ghanaian rightly and genuinely
accepted him and worked very hard with him right from the AFRC through
the PNDC era to the NDC. But, because he is a soldier and jumped the
political fence to power those who worked with him feared and seldom
criticized him like he’s doing others today. They rained praises on him
and made him felt like a saint who knows no sin. Those who criticized
him from among his well known opponents he dealt with them drastically. In
2000, the God who brought him out of cells to do the house cleaning and
holy war and build the country chose Ghana another man, J.A Kufour to
continue from where Rawlings had reached. But, the All loving, All
clean, all Acountable Rawlings kept insulting him day and night. It is
only fair that I say Kufour sometimes retaliated, thereby, making babies
of both of them. It isn’t, however, on record that
anybody in the NDC told Rawlings that wasn’t the way to go as a former
president. Sometimes, he was even praised for telling what his praise
singers (I nearly wrote songers) called ‘truth’. Very
often, sycophantic party members metamorphosed into communication gurus
to explain better Rawlings’ utterances and communications which nobody
in the world understood, not even Rawlings himself, apart from them.
Members of the NPP, on the other hand, complained bitterly about
Rawlings’ attitude towards Prez Kufour. His allegations, rumors and
insults which the NDC supporters called TRUTHS, the NPP’s called LIES. Everybody
apart from Atta Mills and I, mistakenly thought that with his party and
Atta in office, they would hear less of his insults, wild allegations
and rumor mongerings. Today, he’s on top of the roof asking Atta out of
the driver’s seat after two years of what he calls slow driving. He says
his wife could do better. Is Rawlings knowledgeable,
wiser and intelligent than everybody in Ghana? Does he love Ghana than
my grandfather, Michael Ablorh, whose name you wouldn’t have known had I
not written it here now, but served this country as a teacher from the
age of 18 until 60, mostly in rural communities and went home with
virtually nothing? Interestingly, the NPP members who cried out loud against
Rawlings’ LIES yesterday now think he’s a TRUTH teller. Kufour
isn’t loud. He's noted for that; he can't do to Mills what Rawlings did
to him. But, isn't Rawlings doing his work for him after all? Or,could
it be that he understands Mills better than anybody else? What solid
achievement could Kufour mention in his first term. Positive Change Part
1 was called a FOUNDATION and part two saw most of the things the NPP
boasts about today. Health Insurance, Feeding programme and most of the
projects you could think about came in the second term. Kufour wouldn’t
be an hypocrite to say Mills has done nothing. It is time
we started thinking about how to build mass parties around principles
and not around personalities. Rawlings is a great man. Ghanaians
appreciate all what he has done for this country, but, we can’t show
appreciation beyond what we’ve showed him and his family all these years
by making his wife a president. He has done his part, and should allow
others to do theirs. He, like every other citizen has the right of
expression and as expected of Kwame Nhyira, he must exercise his
responsibly towards nation building. Ghana has lived
beyond Nkrumah, the man who announced our independence and showed so
much commitment towards national development. And, if Rawlings dares
God, Ghana would live without him while he’s still alive. It’s so
painful to see such a great man misuse is charisma and throw his glory
to political power after much service to country. BUT, who made him what
he has become today if not Ghanaians and NDC in particular?
Raymond Ablorh
raydelove@yahoo.co.uk
