..... Paul Afoko, Kwabena Agyapong And Their Surrogates Rather Becoming Dissidents?
Once in a while, I’m troubled that the opposition NPP politics is weak, more than two decades after the re-introduction of multiparty democracy; the opposition NPP political outfit continues to be afflicted with internal conflicts which find space for NDC to use it as a measure to fan tribal politics thus throwing darkness anytime to gain political capital.
But any true democrat can discern that, the NPP is more credible and it has emerged as a credible, strong alternative to the ruling National Democrat Congress (NDC) in terms of governance and management of our resources.
However, the power struggle that has bedeviled the country’s biggest opposition parties since the maiden multiparty general election of 1992 is a worrying trend and the earlier this stop the better.
The current crisis in the main opposition party, in the Elephant family, which has led to the suspension of controversial Chairman Paul Afoko is no exception and follows the common script prevalent in other alternative party, namely CPP.
Mr. Afoko was suspended as National Chairman of the Opposition following accusations of sabotaging the party. The Party must take a firm decision on all perceived and known saboteurs, as he (Afoko) awaits a final verdict that should see him stripped of his Elephant membership.
The turbulence that also affects other party officials such as Kwabena Agyapong, the General Secretary must be dealt immediately and decisive comes less than a year to election. The seeming lack of quality internal regulations with definitive sanctions procedures, swift prudent principles based on internal Party structures and weak foundations could be said to be the opposition’s undoing.
The NPP crisis is attributed to lack of democracy within the party with the Afoko camp arguing that he is the victim of power-mongering must awaken the Party to review the internal structures to ward off future occurrence.
The ruling NDC party and its supporters has been on crusade on an issue which has nothing to do with poor governance been meted to the country, with a view to entrench its stay in power.
The gravitating point in political parties is that, intra-party democracy has been a huge challenge in Ghana and this is a consequence of the result of over two decades of a quasi-single-party mentality of the NDC governance.
Though term limits give a party the chance to grow through leadership development. Different members have different ideas on how to bring the party forward.
The Party’s majority support front concerns news is not about that internal democracy; it isn’t just about term limits but about the Chairman and the General Secretary intransigent and diabolic path been pursued.
Being an opposition party chair isn’t an easy task and Paul Afoko should be more than happy to hand over the position to another person provided that the constitution is adhered to; but should not have continue to serve as long as most of party members did not want him to.
Weak party foundations have also been blamed. According to Dr. Amoako Baah, a political science lecturer at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, the upheaval in the “Elephant Family” shows that it has like most other Ghanaian opposition parties a fragile base.
If a sense of institutionalization was there, it would have provided for intra-party conflict resolution and management mechanism to solve any differences.
Is the NPP becoming a weak opposition party or Paul Afoko, Kwabena Agyapong and their surrogates rather becoming dissidents?
Dr. Amoako Baah added that due to a lack of institutional frameworks, most political parties "are being run as private companies". He cautions every reasonable person and political parties should view conflicts as challenges to be overcome. Therefore what is happening to the NPP is peculiar.
To the NDC and its partners alike, thinks NPP has no right to suspend their Chairman for failing to follow the internal structures. However, when members of the NDC contravene the NDC Party rules the Party has a right to discipline. What an absurdity, inconsistency and deceitful reasoning - the usual Communist mentality. Four legs good two legs bad.
Most of the elderly were used to a single party system where the President/Chairman’s word was final... in trying to change that, we have ended up in serious wrangling, but I can assure you it is not only the Opposition that has intra-party fights; NDC has problems too”.
Is The NPP Becoming A Weak Opposition Party? Definitely not! The sages say the only truism to a free governance ought to be to trust no man living with power to endanger the public liberty.
To echo and add voice to the feelings of the brave few, that great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds. As the vast majority of human beings dislikes and even dreads all notions with which they are not familiar.
That’s why when reformers or visionaries make their appearance; they have always been sneered at as treacherous and intemperate or overly zealous or impatient person.
It is the people that should bring about a change of government. No real social change has ever been brought about without a revolution... revolution is but thought carried into action.
I cannot help fearing that as a country we may have reach a point where we look on every new idea as a danger, every improvement as a toilsome trouble, every social progress as a first step toward revolution, and that we absolutely beg to be excused to move at all.
My final thought is that, the greatest challenge confronting us this day is: how to bring about a revolution of the heart, a revolution which has to start with each one of us? Not to be corrupted into accepting depravity and persuaded to accept mediocre governance for a bowl of porridge.
