Is Alexander Afenyo Markin Getting Mad with Nonsense?

I was shocked to read from my fellow APSU, Mr Alexander Afenyo Markin that Effutu is under NPP, therefore there was no need for NDC to nominate MCE. I was not only shocked but also disappointed because it did not only come from someone who ought to have known betterbut also an APSU (see “NPP controls Effutu, no need to nominate an MCE - Afenyo-Markin tells NDC”, Ghanaweb, January 6, 2025). My disappointment made me to find out which year group Mr Afenyo Markin belongs to by checking our Augusco Year Group Record 1933 to 2017 and a search brought his name up as belonging to the 1997 Year Group (20 years after we left). This brief article is a discussion of the wrong and unconstitutional impression given by my fellow APSU to his party members and supporters.

I am not sure if one of our excellent English Tutors, Mr Hooper, aka ‘Oflow’ was still at Augusco when Afenyo Markin was a student there. If he was, then Afenyo Markin would not be upset by the title of this article because he would have known that when a student gave a ridiculous answer in Oflow’s class, he would tell the student that he was getting made with nonsense. Some of us enjoyed that to the extent that in our class, the clever but mischievous students deliberately gave ridiculous answers to invite Oflow’s signature response.

Now back to the subject matter. Mr Alexander Afenyo Markin is not only an MP but also an astute lawyer and former majority leader. He should therefore be in the known that Ghana has always been under one government formed by the elected president or a military leader. No part of Ghana has ever been under the control of a political party.

As a lawyer and an MP, Afenyo Markin ought to have known that a government formed by the elected president is different from a political party. Often, people make the mistake of equating a ruling party to the government. The two are not the same and for that reason, Ghana had been under the government of President Nana Akufo-Addo for the past eight years and not the government of NPP. During this period, Effutu was not under NPP, never has been and would never be. The same will apply on January 7, 2025, when President-elect, John Dramani Mahama is sworn into office and not under the government of NDC.

Afenyo Markin must also be aware that, the president has the mandate to appoint MCE for Effutu District, and the District Assembly members have a duty to those who elected them to work to approve the appointed MCE to serve the district. It’s not the role of assembly members to deliberately frustrate the appointment of MCE by the president.

It was strange that when he made these ridiculous statements to party members, many of them were in jubilation, cheering and dancing. It’s sad that as the incoming Minority Leader, he would use such a platform to misinform and miseducate his party members and supporters.

I will forgive my younger APSU because as Mr Ayikoi Otoo said at the 2012 presidential petition hearing in defence of the former NPP General Secretary, the late Sir John for contempt of court charges at the Supreme Court, that when politicians mount the party platform, they are possessed by “Gbeshie”, so they are out of control and not responsible for what they say. On this day, Afenyo Markin knew what he told his party members and supporters was unconstitutional, wrong and deceitful.

APSU, we are all proud of you and we wish you the best as the next minority leader but please do not deceive yourself and party members and supporters that Effutu is under NPP. There is no government in Ghana called NPP or NDC. There is only one government in Ghana and that is the one formed by the elected president of Ghana.

By Kofi Ata, Cambridge, UK