Winning Them All In 2028, Including Kennedy Agyepong. NDC's 'TILL-2044 MEDICATION' Prescribed

In the spirit of the statement contained in HE. John Dramani Mahama’s inaugural speech on January 7, 2025, that,

“Ghana's youth represent the heartbeat of our democracy”,

I have examined, diagnosed and now prescribed a power retention 'medication' that the National Democratic Congress (NDC) can take to make them immune to power loss, at least through the year 2044.

That medication is allergic to corruption, state property capture, arrogance, nuisance taxes, injustices, press stifling, human rights abuse and tribalism.

I am not claiming to be a political power doctor, witch doctor nor a therapist. I can, however, accept the description of maybe, a regular observer who like many others were forced to be spectators for the past eight years because there was no room for being the 2017 clarion call for citizenship.

Will I continue to be a spectator? Maybe yes with a smile, but with a spectacle of scrutiny, as has been pledged by many I guess.

It is said that patience is a bitter medicine, but when taken, can solve many problems. That patience of a medicine, I believe propelled HE John Dramani Mahama and the NDC to power once again.

The Political Food For Thought that I will propose as the foundation for successful power retention adventure is one that is based on the below two fraternal questions clothed with an answer for NDC to choose from. Whichever is chosen, must come with a framework well structured. One that will not in any way appear on the sight of the citizenry, and ring in their minds that the NDC are the same as NPP and just another political party that played with their pregnant emotions leading to the 2024 general elections.

Must NDC Act like in power, and Think like in opposition?

NDC must Think like in power and Act like in opposition?

I believe that to retain power as a party in power, you must have two solid structures; a governing structure, which is currently taking shape, and a power retention structure, which should be manned by the party and continuously be improved by empirical periodic survey data, with a focus or emphasis placed on continuous assessment of the governance structures performance.

The latter must not deviate from the wheels that drove them to power, and must be serviced with the best intentions to continuously to stand the test of time. Their paths must be kept parallel until the crucial eleventh hour to merge their forces as a testimony of the party's manifesto.

THE SACRIFICE

Granted his Excellency would have performed massively to the admiration of all the citizenry including some open-minded and levelheaded opposition parties in agreement, establishing a legacy that he will be proud of, one that majority of Ghanaians will be proud of, then any personal decision he will make will be welcomed and respected.

And if only the president will oblige, and God willing. He may choose to six (6) months to the end of his term, after seeing everything in their right place with tangible measurable reset results, he decides to bow out as president citing fatigue due to over working. A reason that would have been conspicuously evident at that time, and only if it would be endorsed by his doctors, that singular action will not only earn him another record in the history of Ghana and Africa, it will immediately radiate good will on his part and set a respectable high standard for the NDC to ride on.

His Excellency gets the opportunity to rest very well against the 2028 campaign where he would be needed the most as the only inspiring father of the NDC and the nation to secure power for the NDC flag bearer and all the Members of Parliament of his party he affectionately worked with to build his legacy; a majority they will need again to continue and protect his established legacy. Imagine an excellently fit president John Dramani Mahama campaigning for whoever emerges as flag bearer by endorsing and lifting the hands and all the MPs hand at every constituency for a repeat or upgrade of the 2024 splendid professor Joshua Alarbi led campaign.

The Vice president, Professor Nana Jane becomes the president for the remaining 6 months, making history again as the first female president. She will be cementing His Excellency’s legacy as well and give the world and Ghana the opportunity to tell a beautiful historic political story, especially coming from that part of the world where clinching to power and the withdrawal syndrome of many leaders find their medication in altering, and or subverting the the constitution and the will of the people to continue 'addicting' power.

Professor Naana Jane appoints Hon. Haruna Iddrisu as her vice to serve the remaining 6 months. They both, as a condition, decide not to contest in 2028, taunting that year to be the year of the youth across board, for quality leadership has never been in the bosom of only men and women with grey hairs. President John Mahama's quote I began with' "Ghana's youth represent the heartbeat of our democracy" will be an amazing confirmation of what the reset objective would have yielded.

Society therefore has a duty to protect and encourage ambitious quality youthful leaders to take challenging positions that will ultimately end the recycling of tired older leaders that mostly rely on the brains of the youth to be relevant these days, especially in this digital age.

THE CHEDDAR EFFECT

If there was anything unique that greeted the just ended 2024, Ghana’s election, it is the involvement of the youth; be it their physical presence, social media presence and many joining the Parliamentary race the first time. Most of the policies of political parties were largely fashioned around the youth, and the strategies carved from the fact that the older citizenry had continuously been slapped with disappointments over and over by their own peers in government and were looking up to the youth to emancipate them. A case in point is the picketting of pensioners, including a former Chief Justice of Ghana at the corridors of the Ofori Atta's Finance Ministry, following haircuts they never bargained for, nor had the luxury to choose their own styles, after wearing a dedicated Judicial wig for so many years serving her country from her heart, like many other colleagues of hers.

Nana Kwame Bediako, also known by many as Cheddar of the New Force Movement, nearly answered their call but for his late entrance. Cheddar’s late entrance as an independent candidate to gunner a respectable result, at least relative to the history of many independent candidates and smaller parties' performance over the years, equally attests to some degree of readiness of the citizenry for youthful leadership. I was not surprised when president John Mahama applauded him in the comfort of his living room on national television, as he listened to the results from the current embattled EC boss, Jean Adukwei Mensah.

Cheddar is yet to form his political party. So, for any political party to negate his strides going forward, including in the 2028 presidential run where he will be a force to reckon with, that party must consider fielding their best quality youth as flag bearer and running mate.

The days of fielding older experienced party stalwarts seem to be over, if a party is serious about winning power in Ghana. Their place in my opinion, must be strategic and advisory roles in their respective parties, and in some critical public institutions, including the Electoral Commission, National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), Council of State membership, Justices and Judges. At least to mirror the structure and methodology of most Ghanaian traditional family systems that guarantees some appreciable level of serenity.

ONBOARDING FORMER STUDENT LEADERS OF EARLY AND MID 2000.

With many past student leaders in the current political landscape both in Parliament and party office structures, I will not be surprised if the presidential election of 2028 and beyond is ultimately reduced to the battle of young former student leaders from the early 2000 to current.Quality will be abundant, but experience will prevail. Any political party that will relegate these former student leaders amongst them to the back burner must be ready to pay an unrecoverable hefty political price.

I am not prophesying like a phenomenon that has almost taken over Ghana's body politics where known qualified candidates will continue to doubt themselves if their win is not publicly proclaimed by a new spiritual constituency, represented by ‘prophets’ home and abroad dwelling in some kind of realm.

So, who are the NDC youth to possibly guarantee NDC's victory till 2044?

I will propose Dr. Edward Omane Boamah as the 2028 flag bearer, and Honorable Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa as his running mate. This might sound wild to many, but it is undoubtedly a formidable winning ticket that must never be underestimated. They will negate the Cheddar effect and win hands down giving the youth hope and a refreshing leadership. One that will continue HE John Dramani Mahama and the NDC’s probity and accountability message, as well as bolster the legacy of president John Mahama to be a Statesman that many aspirants will derive political boosting from periodically. That ticket will be trusted by Ghanaians to safeguard the national purse, for the two gentlemen have proven beyond reasonable doubt their capabilities, and have yielded results. They may be babies with sharp teeth to speak their minds, but surely are not babies with sharp claws to grab state properties for themselves.They continue to be reelected to serve till 2036.

I know both Dr. Omane Boamah and Hon. Okudzeto Ablakwa's leadership skills, back to 2002, when we were all National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS) Central Committee members and Omane Boamah was the NUGS president and chairman of the NUGS Central Committee (the National Student Parliament). The late John Kumah was then the NUGS representative on the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFUND) Board.

Interestingly, in 2002, Omane Boamah, the late John Kumah (RIP) and the 2024 Peoples National Convention (PNC)’s flag bearer, Bernard Mornah had a fierce NUGS presidency contest, and Omane won. Prior to that in 2021, and what I will describe as the battle of the best, saw the former MP for Bongo, Hon. Edward Bawa, Dr. Omane Boamah and Comrade Bernard Mornah of PNC put up one of the best NUGS presidency contests ever held, at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) where delegates wished all three were made co-NUGS presidents, but Edward Bawa won. I still remember the song Omane Boamah sang 23 years ago when he was being ushered into the Auditorium to present his manifesto.

The atmosphere was supercharged! Their fierce contest I believe was the reason both Mornah and Omane had to come the following year, and for the late John Kumah to join the contest. The students needed them! Should Omane Boamah become the flag bearer of NDC in 2028, he may face Bernard Mornah again as PNC flag bearer. Will the NPP also see reason to field former student leaders like another fire brand then, Frank Annoh-Dompreh, 2000 NUGS president as their Flag bearer, since John Kumah is no more to have given Ghanaians a particular spectacle of contest?

Our NUGS leadership will take over from Omane Boamah's team in 2003/2004 academic year, where as an elected National NUGS Education and Democratization Secretary then, I had the pleasure of working with Okudzeto Ablakwa who was a Central Committee member, especially in the area of retrieving some over 60 billion cedis from president Kuffour's administration as arrears for the GETFUND. It was at the time when our then NUGS president Prince Abdul Hannan Adams (RIP) passed away, and a new NUGS president, Ken Abotsi had to be elected at an emergency Congress to serve the rest of his term.

I vividly remember NDC mourning with NUGS with a statement published by the esteemed Modern Ghana media outfit on www.modernghana.com on October 28, 2003, with the caption, " NDC mourns with NUGS".

We, the then national executives led by Ken Abotsi continued the fight on the GETFUND arrears Prince Abdul Hannan, may he rest in peace, had inherited from Omane Boamah's team. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa was very instrumental in the retrieval of the GETFUND arrears. So, what he is doing now was already in his blood some 23 years ago, and we respected that investigative part of him.

NDC is gifted with many former student leaders, so are NPP, CPP and PNC, but it appears the opportunity for the youth is much better and brighter on the NDC side compared to NPP and the smaller parties currently. Talk about NUGS presidents Hon. Haruna Iddrisu of 1997, Edward Bawah of 2021, Omane Boamah of 2022, Okudzeto Ablakwa of 2005/2006 academic year and many more.

HON. OKUDZETO ABLAKWA AND HON. DR. ZENATOR RAWLINGS' CHEMISTRY.

Still painting the winning picture, I will propose Hon. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa to continue as flag bearer for 2036 to 2044 with his running mate being Dr. Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings.Okudzeto would have gained enormous experience as vice president to Dr.Omane Boamah and will come strongly with the vice presidential experience, like president Mahama had before becoming a president. This will give Ghanaians a rebirth of another president like John Mahama in Okudzeto, after having one in Dr. Omane Boamah.

Dr. Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings as a running mate; a springboard Professor Naana Jane Opoku Agyeman would have molded, backed by the charisma of her late father, Flt Lt. JJ Rawlings, will exhume the accountability and probity spirit of the NDC founder and Ghana's iconic president after Dr. Kwame NKrumah. That accountability spirit equally flows through President Mahama, Omane Boamah,Okudzeto Ablakwa and her. She would have the opportunity to learn from professor Naana Jane, not because they have the name 'Agyeman' in their names, but for her being a vice president too.

Hon. Okudzeto and Hon. Zenator will govern and be reelected to serve till 2044. Both Hon.Okudzeto and Dr. Ezanetor already have splendid working chemistry at the Public Accounts Committee meetings of Parliament. They are known for their grilling of public officials to account for every cedi belonging to the taxpayer. Does 2048 not look even clearer now? You can make the regional, national and popularity permutations using all variables you can think about known in Ghana politics if you like, and see how crucial Dr. Omane Boamah and Hon. Okudzeto Ablakwa stands tall in this circle relative to the dynamics of presidential elections in Ghana, for I have conducted mine.

Hon. Okudzeto worked directly under Vice President Professor Naana Jane Opoku Agyemang as a deputy minister of Education in the past. Dr. Omane Boamah on the other hand, worked closely under president John Mahama and even served in a ministry the current president is known to have also served and excelled in the past. Was it not the same for Dr. Omane Boamah in the Ministry of Communications? Two astute leaders are in the realm of affairs and the mentoring will continue under them even before 2028, if these proposed arrangements were to be given some ears, for it has been prescribed, not prophesied, for only God's power and will dictates and negates. Man's eyes can only see a limited distance where the hands cannot reach when stretched, whereas the creator's 'vision' and 'hands' are infinite.

In all these pictures painted, Honorable Haruna Iddrisu becomes Speaker of the 10th Parliament and possibly 11th Parliament, while the Right Honorable Speaker Alban Bagbin serves as member of Council of State from 2029 to 2040 if he wishes, I can imagine.

NOTABLE NUGS EXPERIENCES AND ALUMNI SALUTE.

Not to say only the NUGS presidents were, or are the only ones endowed with stellar leadership qualities, for it will be grossly unfair on my part to not emphatically state here that other student leaders, many of whom were behind the scenes, equally projected successive NUGS leadership to excel and gifted the nation many genuine young leaders it has today. Many continue to project the NUGS leadership for all students of Ghana and Africa as current leaders, or alumni.

The national leadership of the various Student Union blocs, and members of the Central Committee of NUGS, I salute! The Professional Students Association of Ghana, the Ghana National Union of Polytechnic Student (GNUPS) though a thorn in NUGS' flesh then, Teacher Trainees Association of Ghana (TTAG), Graduate Student Association of Ghana (GRASAG) University Students Association of Ghana (USAG) and the SRC leadership of the various Universities, Colleges and Secondary Schools. All those unintentionally left out, you are equally saluted! My camera man and brother, Hamza Alhassan, who took inspiration from many Central Committee meetings as an observer, and will later become NUGS president of NAFTI, I salute Sir!

I salute our then indefatigable African Student Union representative, Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed, now Honourable MP for Nanton.

To all those who fought and continue to fight for the ordinary Ghanaian student under all forms of difficulties, posterity will reward you, for you have contributed immensely to shape the destiny of the nation Ghana. Your individual and collective stories will definitely be told or written one day, no matter what, at least in some part of the country or the world, especially if you genuinely stood for the ordinary citizens of Ghana, Africa, and the world. To all fallen ones, may your courageous and beautiful souls rest in perfect peace.

And to all my 2003/2004 academic year NUGS national leadership peers, and Central Committee members, including the ‘GBOSA’ group that embarked on the ECOWAS trip and gelled with the unshakeable National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) from Lome to Dawumeh, to Lagos and to Abuja and Bauchi, in 2004, I salute you and the NANS leadership wherever you are.

Concluding on a serious but somehow lighter note, remembering the many news headlines we woke up those days to see and hear, especially this very one;

“Government Sues NUGS on GETFUND”

And this signature one from former president Agyekum Kuffour when he was answering the then NUGS president Ken Abotsi’s question on the 411 billion versus the 208 billion Cedis GETFUND arrears government owed GETFUND. Ken Abotsi who had just been sworn in then, following the demise of Prince Hannan Adams may his soul continue to rest in perfect peace, questioned the president at a public Town Hall meeting about when the arrears will be paid to avoid action from the students’ front.

President Kuffuor will retort in a subtle warning, while Osafo Marfo sat up to nod in favor;

‘I understand the youthful exuberance, but you do not begin your administration with a warning to government’ Of course they did not expect another Prince Hannan Adams that quick.

Other happenings of those times were when we were all invited at an Accra Regional Police office for our thumb prints to be taken, for allegedly breaking into our own office housed then in the GFA secretariat building at the ministries, Accra.

And our amplified fear then, that the national NUGS office was allegedly wired by some unknown faces in government, a reason that required us to relocate our meetings on crucial issues temporary in the evenings, to the front tables of On-The-Run Service Mart, then opposite the 37 Legon to Accra arm of the Trotro bus stop, only to continue seeing news paper headlines of what was discussed, as teasers the next morning by the late Baby Ansabah.

I catalogued all these to remind those former student leaders holding public offices today, and those to hold offices tomorrow, to not stifle upcoming student leaders, for they are Ghana tomorrow.

You treat them well, Ghana is treated well tomorrow,

For out of the bosom of NUGS shall be a president and vice president of Ghana soon.

I rest my PEN.

Mustapha Alhassan.

Pennsylvania, USA.