Welcome, Greenstreet, To The Cantankerous World

And, as I proudly stand on the bridge of that lone vessel as she confidently sets sails, I raise a hand to shade my eyes from the glaring African sun and scan the horizon. There is so much more beyond.

Autobiography of Kwame Nkrumah: Kwame Nkrumah
                                                                                                           

Nevertheless, for those who knew and were devoted to him, for Pan – Africanists and for Ghanaians in particular, 'Kwame Nkrumah never dies'.

Kwame Nkrumah: A Biography: June Milne
HAIL IVOR!  HAIL GREENSTREET!  HAIL THE CPP! Are you excited? Well, we are advised not to use multiple exclamation marks to register our excitement and to persuade readers to be equally excited. When one writes an exciting piece, people would definitely read. Avoid this: Dance! Dance!! Dance!!! Make it: Dance! Dance! Dance! Tweeter, Instagram and WhatsApp correspondents are hereby warned!

For all critical political analysts in Ghana and elsewhere, the Convention People's Party's election for the presidential candidate for Election 2016, was as incisive as it was poignant,

In the run – up to the great day in the annals of the CPP, a lot of permutations and predictions emerged: ”It looks like Samia Nkrumah”, the Daily Graphic screamed, “We need a unifier and the person with that caliber is Ivor Greenstreet”, yelled James Kwabena Bonfeh a.k.a. Kabilla; “Ennye betee (but) we can do it,” exclaimed the supporters of Joseph Agyapong; to the four – time contestant, Mr. Bright Akwetey, he and the CPP “have to save Ghana now and save our natural resources”.

The result of the election held at the Trade Fair Centre, La, Accra, on Saturday, 30^th day of January, 2016, showed Ivor Greenstreet emerging winner with 1,288 votes, representing 64.21%. Samia Yaaba Nkrumah got 579 votes, Joseph Agyapong polled 83, and Bright Akwetey obtained 48.

The man of steel, Ivor had demonstrated his toughness and frankness at the NDC Congress in Kumasi in December 2014 Kumasi when he dared the President that his 'Better Ghana Agenda' was not being seen by the ordinary Ghanaian. He charged:”:.. Continuous dumsor, corruption from top to bottom, left, right, inside out and all the challenges you are facing (is) suffocating the Ghanaian people.”  He added: “The most painful thing is that you don't care; Yoo, NDC continue, we are watching you, Ghana is watching you. Do what you want to do; we also know what we will do”. At that time, he was the General Secretary of CPP, after having won the General Secretary-ship of the party twice. Now he, Ivor is the new kid on the block, and people are looking up to him for success for the CPP in the 2016 polls. The CPP delegates have also done extremely well, and demonstrated good faith for honouring Ivor who is physically challenged. Can't one predict the person the other physically challenged electorate would vote for?

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Samia Yaaba Nkrumah used her kinship of the First President of Ghana to bolster her campaign. Other critics of this position were quick to point out that it was dangerous to go on that tangent, because the party was not a family affair. Onzy Nkrumah, who claimed to be one of Nkrumah's sons was disqualified, and could not take part in the election. He would not be scotched—he took the case to court seeking an injunction to be put on the Congress; he could not succeed.

Some people are criticising Ivor Greenstreet for his success, laying a charge of money having changed hands. Where does money used as support for transport end, and where does money used as incitement begin? People in responsible positions had better refrain from this mischievous tirade. Otherwise, people would be forced to ask: So, when Samia won the Jomoro Constituency Seat, was that influenced by money? And when Samia won the chairmanship of the CPP, was that equally influenced by money? Joseph Agyapong appeared to be an honest loser. He saw the political game they had played like a football match: “You can get the fans to cheer you, but that does not mean you will win”. Let the other losers adopt this stand; they may have lost today, but they could win next time.

It is now time for Professor Badu Akosa and Professor Hagan, together with the other candidates, whether they lost or won –la crème de la crème–to form a formidable team to push the CPP agenda forward. It is not helpful for the party members to throw punches at each other, in a style that suggests jealousy or 'sour grapes'.

Prior to the 2000 election, people like Kwesi Pratt and Kweku Baako—ardent Nkrumahists– cast away the demon of enmity between the CPP and the UP traditions to lend their support to the NPP to clinch victory from the grip of NDC. These two men, together with a few others, played a big role –openly and surreptitiously—to ensure victory for the NPP. Some, like the mustard seed, fell by the roadside, some fell onto rocky field…still others switched camp, and joined the NDC. Even as early as 1996, Nkensen Arkaah, the 'stubborn cat', another staunch member of the CPP, had teamed up with John Agyekum Kufuor in the Great Alliance to contest the presidential election. After boycotting the 1992 presidential election, and losing the 1996 presidential one, the NPP prevailed, and won the 2000 and 2004 presidential elections. The NDC had never given any peace to the CPP – especially from the overthrow of the Limann regime, PNP, which was an offshoot of the CPP, in December, 1981, to the poaching of some ardent Nkrumahists into the NDC fold. Is there any need to name names? They know themselves, they also know one another, and they may have fled into the NDC fold for political expediency or for strategic considerations. Akatamanso will cover their political sins, if need be.

Flt Lt Jerry John Rawlings is said to have remarked that Nkrumah gave us nothing but the Ghana flag. And Kofi Awoonor wrote in his book: 'The Ghana Revolution—Background from a Personal Perspective': “Events became more compounded by the middle of 1981 when it seemed the regime, instead of concentrating on the tasks for which it was elected, was criminally engaged in preparing for the General Elections that were due in 1983. To this end, thievery and corrupt practices of every kind received official sanction. Regional Ministers were empowered to be distributors and sellers of essential commodities. Party women and functionaries set up as cement, flour, sugar, cloth, rice and soap distributors…The President even… raised up the hands of the accused Chairman Okutwer Bekoe, declaring his full confidence in a man whom a court had barred from serving as party chairman”.

2016 is a long way from 1965 when Ghana, under the CPP, was declared a one – party state and Nkrumah was made a life – time President. Now, the Constitution (1992) frowns upon 'one – party-ism'. In its stead, 'multi – party-ism' is extolled. Freedom of expression which was suppressed under Nkrumah has been restored—allowing all and sundry to speak their minds even about issues that border on sedition and libel. From the United State of America, Sekou Nkrumah has openly thrown punches at his biological sister: “She became the chairperson of the party, but then what did she achieve for the party under her leadership…nothing really has changed…apart from being naïve about local politics, the dynamics of which she has no knowledge, …her efforts are self—seeking…everything was about her”.

One legacy of the CPP, that is, one – party-ism is dead. Preventive Detention Act which allowed a person to be detained legally for up to five years is, like Old Roger, equally dead and gone to its grave. Ghanaians cherish their hard—won freedom.  Greenstreet may have to do the magic that will make 'Nkrumah never dies' epigrammatic (philosophical) rather than hyperbolic (exaggerated).

Africanus Owusu-Ansah
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