Legitimate Demand But…

THE financiers of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) have reportedly threatened to withdraw their support for the party in the 2012 elections, if the government fail to award them contracts. They accused the NDC government of stabbing them in the back, after they had dolled out huge sums of money to support the campaign of the party, which helped the latter to wrestle power from the New Patriotic Party (NPP).

According to a report we have carried at our front page today, the contractors claim that after they had sacrificed financially for the return of the NDC to power, the government has left them to determine their own destiny, while certain moves were being made by leading members of the government to back known opposition businessmen, who are getting government contracts.

'It is disappointing that we have been left to our fate, in fact, we have completely been relegated to the background. Some of us have financed the party and today, you cannot get any support from the government, let alone any contract. It is a pity for us. For close to two years into the reign of the NDC, it seems to us that we are still in opposition. What is this', the spokesman for the contractors, Alhaji Ibrahim Mumuni told The Chronicle in an interview.

Alhaji Ibrahim Mumuni and his colleagues are all Ghanaians, therefore, they have the right to express their views if they feel they are not being treated well. The Chronicle, however, disagrees with their position that government contracts should not be given to known opposition party members.

If Ghana is to move forward as a country, then this winner takes all convention must cease. To us at The Chronicle, no matter the political colour of a contractor, if he or she qualifies to execute government job, the person must be given the opportunity.

If these NDC contractors indeed financed the party when it was in the opposition, then they have the right to demand that they should equally be given contracts, but to demand that the opposition should be blacklisted is not the best of statement to make.

Our democracy is growing, therefore, nothing must be done to create the impression that we are still at each others throat.  Your political opponent is not your enemy, and this is what the NPP and NDC must know.