The world at large was witness to the ugly scenes of violence that characterized the last NPP Congress which elected Nana Akuffo Addo as flag-bearer of that Party. So intense was the disturbance that the Congress was halted for 15 minutes. Yet the NPP would want the world to believe that it was a remarkable achievement.
One such effort, to one?s utmost dismay, was captured in a story placed on the worldwide web (Ghanaweb) by an NPP apologist titled ?NPP?s Violence Free Congress; a Sign of Victory in 2008?.
One finds this effort of fact twisting a trade in stock of NPP activists. The question that agitates the mind is; does the NPP have a moral right in trumpeting and magnifying previous unpleasant situations at rival political party forums which were but sparks compared to the horrid and repulsive situation at its recent Congress?
Thanks to the benevolent Ghanaian media that is reluctant in re-echoing the downsides of the NPP Congress. That perhaps lends strength to such NPP goons to be at what they are good at; fact twisting intended to re-write the ugly lines of history.
It was a shameful spectacle that the NPP failed to demonstrate the character of peace and non-violence which it professes to hold dear. What happened at the Congress at some point turned it into a chaotic theatre of mayhem and it was certainly ugly.
Deservedly however, the NPP has every cause to celebrate since it managed to sail above the stormy weaves of disintegration that challenged it. Advisedly however, it must not get ?Gobbelian? with the facts; ?a stupendous lie repeated with zeal overtime gains credibility?.
The election of Nana Akuffo- Addo undoubtedly put to rest the serious jostling and acrimonious campaign waged by the seventeen (17) aspirants that reached dizzying heights of near ugliness and which threatened to tear apart the Danquah- Busia tradition. It absolutely was remarkably refreshing the mature manner in which the aspirants pieced together their differences as they pledged to support Nana.
Nana Akuffo- Addo, a thorough- bred Danquah-Busia horse, well deserves his victory. He undoubtedly waged a good fight and the discerning delegates obviously rewarded his loyalty and commitment to the ?Property Owning? Philosophy of their tradition. Admittedly he was the finest of the pack and rightly so. Unquestionably, Nana has fine political credentials. He characteristically bubbles with political stamina and astute maturity but sometimes tainted with unnecessary volatile emotions. His competitors too have sterling qualities, especially Prof. Mills, largely viewed today as the political colossus in Ghana.
Reflecting on the unpleasant events that characterized the Congress, one turns to shiver down the spine, and wonders whether those typify what to expect in the 2008 general elections: the open display of vulgar opulence and the alleged indiscriminate vote buying; an anathema to democracy and fair play.
It appeared most of the aspirants were neck deep into bribing the delegates, tainting them as dishonest. Perhaps the discerning delegates though accepted the alleged bribes, failed to reward the highest bidder in fear of risking party cohesion and unity. It was most repugnant the allegations that NPP aspirants purchased or attempted to buy the conscience of delegates; a significant blot on the image of the NPP which cannot be easily wished away. If indeed the rumors of unimaginable cash was used to entice delegates are founded, then it confirms the sky- rocketing corruption perceived to have bedeviled the NPP led government. Clearly, this attitude poses a danger to election 2008 as the NPP, aware of its dismal economic showings might want to buy its way to maintaining its grips on power in order to further impoverish majority of Ghanaians it has made poorer (courtesy the recent UN report on standard of living in Ghana).
The NPP since year 2001 keeps moving Ghanaians further away from economic freedom and happiness. If indeed the maxim that poverty kills, finds expression in economic science, and admittedly the NPP-led government has made most Ghanaians very poor; then what does the NPP represent?
In Ghana today, access to quality means of life has so narrowed to the benefit of those directly connected to the top echelon of the NPP; depriving majority of Ghanaians essential goods, a clean environment and sustainable employment. There is no evidence of a clear-cut governance strategy for achieving socio-economic development. The plan to transform the Ghana Poverty Reduction Strategy (GPRS) into practical realities remains unclear. The GPRS is impressive on paper but fails in real terms to reduce poverty, not even by the one percent mark since its inception.
The Ghanaian worker is poorly remunerated; yet the NPP-led government continues to congratulate itself for insignificant and sometimes non-existent achievements.
For nearly eight years (which the NPP in 2000 said is all it needed to turn around the situation it has worsened: courtesy UN Report on Standard of Living in Ghana) it has been lip service to transforming the Ghanaian economy which has become unfocused and sluggish under the NPP. The NPP gloried so much in the HIPC funds, coupled with four billion cancellation of Ghana?s debt; but to what extent has it reduced poverty? Indeed so much money was realized from HIPC. How much was it in sum total and are the benefits crystal clear in the lives of the people?
Ghana also two years ago benefited greatly from the Millennium Challenge Corporation Account (MCC) intended for transforming the country?s agriculture sector, yet that sector remains what it has always been with the domestic economy revolving heavily around it (subsistence agriculture), though it employs 60% of the workforce.
Many say this government has been a lucky one because of the enormous cash inflow it benefited from. For instance, receipts from the gold sector is all time high ( 861 dollars an ounce compared 250 dollars in 2000) along with record high prices for cocoa, bringing substantial financial cushioning to the state. However can the majority of Ghanaians proudly say they feel the impact of these resources?
Sadly, the country continues to witness a not doing well private sector and a wobbling social and public services sector. Social services like education and health have sadly taken a dip under an NPP watch. The state of these two sectors is so appalling with many children unable to gain access to them. Since the advent of this government, school-going age youths hawking along our streets have more than quadrupled, while guinea-worm infestation that was near eradication in year 2000 resurfacing with vengeance.
The recent Christmas and New Year celebrations in most homes passed like any other day because people could not afford a decent meal as the price of a bag of rice and chicken like all other commodities keep rising every other day. Rather it was largely characterized with religious activities which are good because many prayed for a true positive change in their lives.
One does not need to go further afield to find appropriate words to aptly capture the situations most Ghanaians find themselves in. The NPP in year 2000, then in opposition provides the words. A story by K. Fredua Agyeman, published in the Vol. 9 of the Statesman Newspaper, April 9, 2000 states:
??on the state of the economy, John Agyekum Kufour who criticized the government for criminal conduct said the tendency of the Rawlings regime to treat Ghanaians like a conquered and subjugated people from whom a punitive price for mere existence ought to be extracted is soon bound to erupt into a chaotic situation that may prove expensive for all?.
That was the NPP then, a time the price of a gallon of petrol was selling at six thousand four hundred old Ghanaian cedis, whiles the world market price of a barrel of crude oil was hovering between 34 and 38 dollars. Today a barrel of crude oil on the world market is between 98 and 100 dollars whiles Ghanaians are paying fifty thousand old Ghana cedis per gallon of petrol. Does this not amount to cruelty?
It is interesting to note what the NPP said in year 2000 when petrol price was selling at six thousand four hundred old Ghanaian cedis:
?Kufour condemned the recent increases by government as attempts to squeeze water out of stone and spread poverty across-board and cautioned against stretching the tolerance levels of the Ghanaian any further?. Story by K. Fredua Agyeman, published in the Vol. 9 of the Statesman Newspaper, April 9, 2000. With the escalating fuel prices today under the NPP administration, would one be justified in saying government is attempting to squeeze water out of iron? The main area of debate for this year?s elections will not be so much about personality but the state of the economy and socio-economic policy. However with the personality factor, John Atta Mills has a well built stature, equally so are Edward Mahama and Paa Kwesi Ndoum. What Ghana needs today is a sincere leadership that can help it find its way back to prosperity.
Nana Akuffo Addo, undoubtedly a fine respectable gentleman, finds himself unfortunately in a captive position to defend the lackluster economic record of the government and this puts him in a situation of most likely not becoming the next President.
Nana must also be wary of the tremendous support of President Kufour in order not to attract what happened to Mr. Ntim in the NPP chairmanship race a few years ago and Allan Kyeremanten in the recent NPP flag bearer contest. Perhaps the President does not have in him what brings luck to his favourites.
