Sarah Adwoa Safo Must Consider Defecting To NDC To Cut The 'Nonsense' Short

Hon. Adwoa Sarfo in constructing her political path in the past seem to have not been fortunate to have someone she could trust enough behind her to tell her some aspects of her paths were crooked, or she probably had one but did not bother to check if the path she plied on for all those years as a die-hard NPP party member were crooked.

Did she actually listen to the advice of her respected family, especially her renowned gifted father? Or, with all due respect, being born in the party overshadowed everything and whipped her in line?

Well, for those barking at her from all angles, it is understandable, but she has every right under the law, and especially being a lawyer, to speak her mind and not be vilified, as long as she is doing so within the confines of the law.

Sarah Adwoa Safo by her professional training is not a novice in the political and legal landscape. She just happened to find herself among a group of politicians who have their own meaning of TRUTH with an informal training and adopted methodology of how to conceal it and deceive the ‘foolish’ masses to benefit from it. She kept struggling among this group who have infested a once known vibrant political party NPP of the 90s. Her training and exposure, especially in the western world, complicated the web designed by a few she fell in. She became like a ‘fish’ from the ocean caught in a fishing net, struggling in the net for sometime before she was put in a man-made pond where she no longer fend for herself, but depended on being fed periodically with the feed the manipulators planted, harvested and cooked.

The pond now broken she can now see and feel the ocean again and remembers every single thing that was considered unacceptable, wrong or abomination in the ocean she originally hailed from. Some of those abominations she vigorously defended or remained silent to let it fester.

Must she be crucified? As the ‘fish’, no. As human, she should be praised for exposing the rots in NPP, and for whatever reason she is speaking up, be it having some higher political ambitions, especially now that Ghana has produced the first female Vice President to pave way for women like her to set higher bars in their political careers, or want to be a reformist to reposition the party she was baptized in, it is her choice. At least, hers was not the ‘kissing of the cheeks’ to discreetly betray someone, as was reported in some scriptural tales about Judas’ betraying actions.

She boldly and timely spat the fire, and that fire is consuming those who tried raising her in the pond to be on their plate for dinner as an expensive tilapia laying by a luxurious and yawning Voltarian Banku or Ga Kenkey, prepared from ingredients harnessed from Dome Kwabenya market.

Honorable Adwoa Sarfo, however, did Ghanaians a disservice for not coming out with these expose’ when she noticed them, at least to show her love for the country first. Some may argue she chose her party first over Ghana that she swore as a lawyer and former member of Parliament that she will put first, protect and defend. Those people are right. It is not too late however to speak up, and it appears she is doing it now out of some regrets.

The NPP must thank Adwoa Sarfo instead of castigating her and working hard to gag her, to the point of obstructing her movement by preventing her from going out and speaking to the media. That NPP ‘prevention brigade’ whose main occupation is to physically stop party executives and leaders from exercising their rights and civic responsibilities must be ashamed of themselves. Where is the democracy they want us to believe they represent and practice?

They have shamefully rekindled the obsolete and archaic way of running a political party they used in 2013, by silencing and frustrating free speech and movement of their party executives. Lessons were not learnt from previous acid baths. They did this to former President Kuffuor when in January 2013 they tried to stop him from attending Mahama’s swearing in as President, as reported by Frank Agyei-Twum on Adomonline.com, and published on mordernghana.com on January 3, 2013, under the caption “NPP youth vow to stop Kuffuor from attending ding Mahama’s inauguration”.

These characteristics of NPP I want to believe drove the former New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament for Lower Akim, Hon. Gifty Klenam under Nana Akuffo Addo’s Administration to join the NDC party.

Gifty Klenam served once under Nana Akuffo Addo’ s administration as CEO of Ghana Export Promotion Authority. She secured her NDC membership Card in the Anlo Constituency, in the Volta Region and has been very proud of her defection.

When asked during an interview with JOYNEWS in Ghana why she defected to NDC, she state that “I did that on principle, mainly on principle and for me if you look at the NDC today, the next 20 to 30 years, they have the human resource to lead and develop Ghana”.

When further asked if her decision to join NDC was because they won power, she continued by saying “Anybody who loves Ghana and wants Ghana to develop, to be good for all of us as citizens will understand the decision I have taken and it shouldn’t be difficult for them to follow suit”.

This tag of opportunist usually slapped on many who want to move on to available opportunities where they will be comfortable and appreciated to contribute their quota better in national development, has become an obstacle and fear for many. It must stop.

It is about time that Ghanaians understood and appreciate the fact that in true democracies and national development, our political parties do not own us, the nation does by virtue of our citizenship status, for we are ‘rented’ to the political parties (teams) to honestly fight using different routes to achieve the best for the citizenry. Therefore, it should not be difficult to be on another team if your ultimate interest is to genuinely help develop Ghana to be a better place for the citizenry, which you form part of.

The question I guess baffling many Ghanaians now is, why will NPP always take the truth to be an injury, instead of it being a healing opportunity as NDC will do?

The advice from the former MP for Lower Akim, Hon Gifty Klenam comes handy for Hon. Sarah Adwoa Sarfo to consider, as that will be the best political repentance and move she will make to wean herself from the reputation deterioration that has just ‘infested’ her, especially if she has no ambition to contest the Dome Kwabenya seat again. Many may have reservations about that move and be concerned for NDC accepting and trusting her if she were to heed that advice. Trust must be built.

For the soccer fans, juxtapose that to say Kudus Mohammed leaving West Ham United for Arsenal. Will Arsenal management and supporters not trust Kudus in a match between Arsenal and West Ham, where Kudus is in Arsenal's Jersey?

Adwoa Sarfo has been a deputy Minority leader before and performed in various aspects more creditably than the exuberance some think Hon. Afenyo Markins is constantly exercising to the detriment of the NPP. She is an experienced law maker.

Ghanaians, especially the NPP must note that she has every right to join any political party and quit any political party she is a member of, and will not be the first person in history to do that. So, they better have this at the back of their heads when making some decisions relative to her.

Well, Gifty Klenam is not the only one concerned about the increasing lack of focus of the NPP. Hon. Cynthia Morrison, former NPP MP for Agona West, exposed a similar deficit in NPP prior to the 2024 general elections, which became part of the firewood in the fire that nearly gutted the efficacy of Ghana’s three arms of government’s independence. Hon. Cynthia Morrison however, did not have the guts to replicate what Hon. Gifty Klenam exemplified.

For those suffocating in the NPP, especially the former MPs and Executives, I refer you to the indefatigable Gifty Klenam for a ‘prescription’ of the medicine you already know exists for your political well being but do not know the dosage or time to take it. As a result, you lack the courage or justification to move on respectfully and honorably in the name of your dignity, Ghana’s development, and love for the people of Ghana.

A solemn advice for Hon. Adwoa Sarfo from my PEN. There still remains engraved in what I will refer to as the ‘political book of numbers and deceit’ yet to be written though, a verse that reads, ‘Use and Dump’. In this verse, the ‘Use’ has the power to promise heavens, usually at the earlier stages to heighten one’s adrenaline to say or do the unthinkable to please the guard of the heaven’s gate. Whereas the ‘Dump’ is mostly realized at the eleventh hour when benefits have already been reaped, or the character being used has lost its value and a new promising character is found with a promise of a higher heaven. Hell then becomes the option with no guard at its gate. The hell is then unleashed on a once darling character now taken to the dump. Ashes then become the only 'good' tidings of history you leave behind.

Defecting to another political party has never been a ‘political fornication’ nor ‘divorcing’ an irresponsible political party to ‘marry’ a responsible party deemed a sin, for thou shall NOT be cited for a ‘political adultery’ by any scriptures of a political party. Be it thy departing or newly destined political party. Amen.

I rest my PEN.
Mustapha Alhassan
Pennsylvania, USA.