File photo
Politics, as the name depicts from Mariam Webster Dictionary refers to the activities that relate to influencing the actions and policies of a government or getting and keeping power in a government.
It is a known fact that politics contributes in small way to the development of every country of Ghana is no exception. The never-ending desire for development by electorates in Ghana cannot be measured. Unfortunately, their desires and expectations have never been met.
Despite that electorates remained hopeful that one day their desires and expectations may be met so we keep generously rewarding politicians who consistently lie and deceive us by voting them into power.
The novel, “Money Galore” written and published by Amu Djoleto in 1975 has explicitly and convincingly drummed home the idea of political deception in Africa and beyond. In fact, those who read this novel will agree with me that Mr. Abraham Kofi Kafu, the main character in the novel, portrays this attribute.
In the novel, Kafu is a senior history master in the National Secondary School in Cape Coast. \\He sees politics to be the only lucrative area where one can cheaply make it life through lies and deceit.
In his interactions with Rev. Opia Dan Sese, he says, “There is no money in teaching, and if you want a promotion just to earn a little more, you have to appeal to some devils either here or in the department.
The job carries no respect. I have to change all that! Politics, politics is the answer. With politics you can change anything!” It is my view that our leaders’ parochial interest is largely responsible for the increasing level of underdevelopment, poverty and wanton marginalisation across the country.
Politicians in Ghana are invariably seen playing around the gallery with their usual trademark political rhetoric when indeed the solutions to our problems are not far-fetched.
I believed strongly that Ghana could have been a better country if our politicians were sincere enough with the electorates than the usual parroting of a well-crafted rehearsed speeches throw the electorates in to constant confusion.
In our country, politicians are noted for thriving on long unnecessary speeches and sensational controversies just to engage the gullibility and attention of the electorates. This tactic that characterizes their speeches leaves no doubt, that approximates what I essentially view as a classic sign of a deliberate attempt to swerve the electorates of what was promised them during the campaign.
In the novel, “Money Galore” we see Mr. Kafu refers to a promise he made to the school as a political promise. Rev. Opia Dan Sese in the novel representing the few Ghanaians who hold politicians responsible for their campaign promises, asked Kafu, “can I have the cheque before I leave? I mean the encyclopaedias for the boys, er, for the school”. Kafu responds, “Good Lord, Osofo, it was a political promise.
I didn’t mean it. I didn’t expect the boys to expect anything. Why, the boys are daft!” In fact, the above statement has given an adequate cornucopia of political actors in our current political dispensation. A practical example of the above statement is that during the 2016 campaign, the current president of Ghana, Nana Akuffo Addo, who was the then presidential candidate on the ticket of NPP, lambasted the then erstwhile government headed by John Dramani Mahama of the NDC on the insecurity of citizens in the country.
Now the reality has dawned on us but people are forced to remain silent except some of us with the sharp pens.
In fact, Nana Addo and his running mate Dr. Bawumia, presented a mouthwatering political promises to the good people of this country which led them to emerge victorious in the 2016 elections. Chapter 14 page 147 of their manifesto cajoled Ghanaians into believing that Ghana will be saved under their leadership.
It states, “Ghanaians are becoming increasingly concerned about their security, due to the increasing levels of crime and lawlessness under the Mahama-led NDC government.
Today, Ghanaians do not feel safe. The Mahama-led NDC government has failed the people of Ghana in terms of the security of the country and of its citizens. Our existing laws are largely not enforced, and when they are, much interference from the executive.
The NPP government will secure peace and security for all Ghanaians. Under the NPP government, Ghanaians will feel safe on the streets and in their homes. Ghanaians will go about their daily business in the secure knowledge that their persons, properties and lives are safe under an NPP government.
NPP believes that the strict enforcement of our existing laws by our security agencies, without selectivity, will go a long way to sanitize our nation, assuage the fears of the citizenry and dramatically transform our society…”
The question I want ask is that are Ghanaians saved as promised by the then presidential candidate of the NPP? Haven’t we seen, heard or watch the broad day light armed robbery attacks on our people? Court proceedings was halted and the judge manhandle in this region, Mobile money agents are being attacked on daily basis, individuals are robbed on daily basis, companies attacked daily, policemen are shot dead by these robbers, just to mention but few. I’m wrong to refer to this as a political deception?
Also, in 2012, the NDC government led John Dramani Mahama promised the good people of this country that they were going to implement one term insurance policy but that turned out to be political gimmick.
In the same year, they promised building ten more teacher training colleges, unfortunately, it also turned out to be one of the political deceptions. Ghanaians were once again promised 200 community days senior high schools but only 123 of them were built. If this is not political deception, what else could it be?
Unfortunately on our part, the current crop of leadership we have on this campus (UEW-K) is towing the line of our national politicians. The current SRC president of this institution, Joseph Tuffour Clifford, before assuming office, was seen as a potential credible leader.
His campaign promises to students of this institution were mouthwatering. His unrelenting penchant to putting previous administrations on their toes to deliver was uncommon.
But as I speak, local assembly members are not given the chance to contribute on some issues which he thinks will prevent him from realising his personal parochial interest.
At the last emergency local assembly, an amount of Ghc81,200 was read from the SRC budget for “Artist Night” in the pending SRC week celebration meanwhile benches and study centres are on campus do not meet the increasing numbers of students on campus making it difficult for students to have group studies after lectures.
Before elections, Joseph Tuffour Clifford, the then presidential candidate again promised establishing a COLTEK mineral water project which will be a good source of income to the council but as I write, he has not even given a single exercise book to the level 100s as souvenirs which has been the basic thing every leader does in spite of the degree of his incompetence.
In spite of all these, Clifford spent Ghc19,822.00 on “Akwaaba Night” per the audited financial statement presented at the local assembly.
More shockingly, their budget statement captured yet another entertainment programme duped “Gospel rock show” amounted to Ghc10,420.00. In summation, a whopping sum of Ghc111, 442.00 would be spent on only entertainment in his tenure of office. What an ostrich play with the students’ populace! Must we remain silent and allow people of his calibre to play on our intelligence?
In conclusion, we have for far too long allowed the element of morose delectation and unhappy joy to eat up our sense of rightly holding our politicians accountable for their political promises. We must put up a deep spirited defence against these deceptions.
We must not sit down and allow these pre-elections political saints to play the convenient game theory of political deception with us anymore. These tactical-zero sum politics must not be accepted by the electorates.
The existence of a gross mismatch between the talking and walking the talks is too worrying hence electorates must not allow themselves to be hoodwinked by these political actors.
Electorates must put their heads together and unison wage intellectual war against these politicians than the continuous generous reward they get from us in the name of development. Electorates must be strategic in electing leaders.
