Must NDC Begin toThink Like NPP and Act Like NDC to Survive Under NPP Opposition?

The many strings an act of giving can have, which includes, what is gifted, magnitude of the gift, the giver, the recipient, and the place of gifting, can become an immediate crucifix heavier than the ones known in history for the giver to carry.

Sammy Gyamfi's act of kindness that has turned into a crucifix around his neck is miraculously blindfolding some NDC foot soldiers to negate who and what he stood for the past 8 years especially for the party. I pray it is short-lived, for their anger to some extent is understandable, especially considering the character involved. But, is their stance justified if Sammy Gyamfi's brief 'slip in judgement' cannot be justified?

His predicaments as it stands now must not make NDC to rely on whispers to act or take some destructive decision, for Sammy Gyamfi on countless occasions has repaired the images of many that have contributed to the success story of the current President John Mahama and Prof. Naana Jane administration that is now being sung globally.

I must admit that I was one of those who initially were of the view that he deserves suspension. However, upon careful review of the incident, the characters involved, and not speaking to Sammy Gyamfi to understand exactly what drove him into doing that at that particular moment in the open, and the maturity expressed by him apologizing and accepting he could have handled it better, I had to retreat. This is because he did not choose to spin the incident like what some did to justify extremely worrying incidents in the past.

If the NDC still does not know that their main firewalls to extend stay in power beyond 2028 rest on triangular unshakeable pillars among the many formidable pillars the party has, then they are in for trouble. These three pillars are not saints but are naturally gifted to harness and manage what is needed to extinguish an opponent's machinations aimed at weakening the NDC without fear or favor.

I may be wrong but deep thought given this assertion may exhornorate me. These unshakeable pillars believe it or not, are Asiedu Nketia, the NDC National Chairman, the embattled Sammy Gyamfi who is the Acting CEO of Gold Board, NDC Communication Director, a business owner, a lawyer and an astute Communication and Public relations person, and the famous Kevin Taylor, an investigative journalist and anti corruption crusader who is not an NDC member but believes in the vision and abilities of H. E. John Dramani Mahama, the president of Ghana. One of these pillars is currently being 'chiselled' at all corners for an unfortunate 'slip in judgement' in public.

Some of the opponents of NDC party are extremely popping champagne in private for finally finding a minute unfortunate act of indiscretion from a young communication and public relations heavyweight who is enveloped with brilliance and charisma in the corridors of politics in Ghana. One who has continuously been a sharpened thorn in their flesh as far as every political topic under the sun is concerned. However, unfortunate is the fact that these opponents are celebrating this misstep with the blessings of some NDC foot soldiers who are soon to realize the damage done themselves and party at its infancy if the breaks are not applied.

I hope the NDC leaders will not make the mistake to let whispers take the glitter away from one of the most valuable jewelry and assets in political power retention they have who extinguishes lies, propaganda and false accusation on them as individuals and as a party with ease without a drop of sweat no matter the calibre and expertise of the person involved, and on any platform; eveready like the good old days batteries.

It is important for government officials to always remember what they did not do or say in public or private to not cost them an election defeat, to equally not do it while in power either privately or in the open to cause their removal from office or attract the wrath of the citizenry, for the positions they hold today, is in trust. The Loss of that trust can be detrimental to holding those positions tomorrow.

The public, including party faithfuls on the other hand must also understand and begin to appreciate the fact that after the political campaigns and elections, come a unified nation with leaders for all and not for a select few, even if they were opponents. Failing to recognize that breeds divisiveness. Therefore, some of their actions towards public office holders must be measured. This includes requesting for genuine assistance. The officials have offices they can visit to place their requests. Public display of such requests put these officials in awkward situations, and in some instances compromise even their safety.

Public officials must also learn to direct people to their offices and ensure they give them listening ears when they visit. They must desist from responding to financial assistance in public. When they are in an unavoidable situation, to see wisdom in letting their assistants take care of these requests in public. Donating dollars must be completely discouraged unless it is extremely necessary when the official is in a dollar spending country. Cedis must be spent at all times in Ghana no matter what. Those cedis can be exchanged into dollars by the recipients if they so wish.

NDC foot soldiers and social media commentators should consider being measured in their reactions towards the alleged $800 gift incident involving Sammy Gyamfi and Agradaa. For all the harsh criticisms being hammered on him is becoming like a choir in a studio recording a music video to hand it over to their political opponent to play it back to them and dance graciously to it as Ghanaians match to the year 2028.

The NDC party must call for ceasefire and request the appointing authority be allowed to review the incident and come out with a reassuring confidence in the resetting agenda and way forward. This will put to rest the many angles being associated with Sammy Gyamfi’s gesture in the circulated video.

When it continues, it will be politically unwise to have one of their party’s sharpest thorns in the flesh of their opponents weakened. For the opponents want to achieve just that, having come from a heavy election defeat, and knowing how Sammy Gyamfi marshalled the communication department of NDC campaign to continue seeing released to augment the efforts of the many excellent communicators of NDC and lawyers in extinguishing issues their opponent blow out of proportion, like the failed Ntim Fordjour’s allegation recently.

Soccer lovers in NDC must ask themselves whether it is wise to sack one of your prolific strikers in a competitive game just because he caused an own goal when the game is at its earlier stages? NDC supporters and foot soldiers must seize the ‘adrenalin-inflated’ utterances and rally behind their down-to-earth communication director they have known for the past 8 years. The anger expressed the past few days is enough a piercing message to Sammy Gyamfi, and a blessing in disguise to all other appointees of the government to take a cue from. It is equally a message to the citizenry to not bump into officials begging for assistance in the open.

Unless those criticizing him as party foot soldiers and social media commentators are in the know that the $800 gifted Agradaa which currently is the equivalent of about 110 GHC was an NDC party’s funds. If not, then the cry that they as party foot soldiers needed to be the ones benefiting from the gift, and not a woman who nearly cost the NDC the 2024 elections when she attacked the then candidate President John Mahama and his wife, Mrs. Lordina Mahama just a week to the December 2024 elections, must be halted immediately.

Maybe it will be worth seeking an audience with their party chairman, Mr. Asiedu Nketia or Mr. Fiifi Kwetey, the general secretary to find out if Sammy Gyamfi is paid in dollars when working for the party. Though not appropriate to give dollars in the open as a public official, the manner he did it was not to exhibit opulence though it is his personal money, until it is proving he could not afford that amount or his declared assets totals under $800, which is impossible for a person of his stature.

From his CV, which is a public document with detailed timelines of employment positions held before venturing into politics, it is clear he could afford $800 then and now.

As a public official on the radar of taxpayers, especially in an era of resetting Ghana, he slipped in judgment at that material moment. As an acting CEO of Gold Board, and for lack of better words, being somewhat a property of the State in that capacity, for the public to learn that he carries money, especially dollars in his car, can be worrying.

For those aggressively associating the incident with his Gold Board position that quickly, maybe we need to be told if he was in the cause of performing his duty as the Acting CEO of Gold Board when this gifting occurred? Was he at the funeral in his official capacity as the CEO of Gold Board, and did the Gold Board as an institution send him to attend the funeral on their behalf?

I probably should ask whether the Gold Board budgeted, and authorized an amount in dollars to be gifted to someone at the funeral grounds, where Agradaa will appear as the luckiest recipient? Or she used some charms to persuade Sammy Gyamfi into giving out the $800 dollars, an equivalent of eleven (11) 50kg rice bags in Ghana. Have we also considered how much Sammy Gyamfi would have gifted Agradaa if she had not snatched the remaining cash to give her the sum of $800 which was how much the video depicted was in his car? Will it have been $20 notes to the tune of $200, $300?

We must begin to question if the inside of our cars are no longer considered private property, if the person we are dealing with is not a law enforcement officer? If so, since Agradaa is not a law enforcement officer, did she invade the privacy of Sammy Gyamfi, especially with her cameraman filming without the express consent of Sammy Gyamfi? Will Sammy Gyamfi had acted responsibly if Agradaa had not pursued him and requested the inside of Sammy Gyamfi's car filmed by her cameraman whilst her husband looked on?

For those on a daily press conference project hoping to launch a book of press conferences by 2028, I am wondering who their readers will be; themselves, or will it be converted to a digital manifesto by the time the 88th person finishes his or her turn?

Is it what I dreamt about in my deep sleep while watching the Sammy-Agradaa video? Those who harvested some gold and can now not bring it out of their rooms, including those who converted their dollars into gold and are now facing the genius wrath of Honourable Atto Forson, the finance minister and Sammy Gyamfi, the gate keeper of gold. Maybe I should rhyme it as the 'goal keeper of goals', to aid my recollection of it when I happen to wake up from some press conference induced sleep.

Are they the ones trying to make $800 dollars look like eight hundred million dollars ($800,000,000) to shutter the 'golden board' Sammy used as a gate to repel leakages that recently yielded 2.7 billion dollars of small-scale gold exports in only 4 reset months?

That notwithstanding, my small advice to all NDC public office holders, especially the younger ones, is that take your spouse with you to every unofficial gathering or occassion and let them be by you like belts that never misses their loops every step of the way to repel characters like Agradaa. After all, it is 'Till Death Do Us Part', so make it 'Till No Enemy of Progress Cause Us Pain'. If you are a husband or a wife of a government official or appointee, act everywhere around your spouse like his or her photographer but without a camera to be tempted to invade the privacy of others.

With a big disclaimer, I will say please spouses, do the above only on unofficial duties, and ask not for per diem or upgrade your travel ticket in the cause of your photographer escapades, and if you see dollars, say something! If you smell dollars, say something! Because the Law is the Law.

I rest my PEN.
Mustapha Alhassan,
Pennsylvania, USA.