Beware Of Death - NDC Cautions

THE NATIONAL chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Dr. Kwabena Adjei has expressed worry about what for him is the tendency for some of his compatriots to forget that death awaits everybody.

The NDC chief made the observation during a consultative meeting between the caucus of political party chairmen in collaboration with the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) at the National Peace Council (NPC) secretariat in Accra.

While painting a gloomy picture of the country, Dr. Adjei pointed at the US Embassy area where according to him, beautiful and expensive mansions were springing up at a time when others have to cough up 500Gp to pay for a place to lay their heads at night.

Such contrasts, he noted, were sources of tension in any given community.

Ghanaians, he said, are not forgiving, and recalled what the founder of his party, Mr. J.J. Rawlings once said: “abaa ye dibo Takyi e da ho” to wit, the whip used in beating Takyi is available.

He buttressed his position by pointing at the incidence of 'skirt and blouse' voting pattern in parties by aggrieved voters, the overall interest of the parties concerned, notwithstanding.

This, he contended, is an example of the typical vengeful spirit of the Ghanaian.

'Skirt and blouse' voting is the situation where a voter varies his votes for a presidential and parliamentary candidate, in vengeance.

When the subject of causing financial loss to the state cropped up, the NDC chairman was quick to kick at its timing.

Dr. Adjei explained that it should not have come up at a time when the proceedings of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) were ongoing.

“Besides, the media were mischievous in the way they handled it.”
As for PNC's Alhaji Ramadan, his anger with the law was visible when he noted that its application could be arbitrary.

He said because of the apprehension of the law's application by a government, it could resort to rigging an election to obviate the possibility of being charged under the law.

On the Representation of the People's Law, he said he and others have been assured by the Electoral Commission that the law would not be implemented in next year's polls, saying with that, he and his people have no quarrel.

Pastor Mensa Otabil, Founder and Overseer of the International Gospel Church was uncharitable with the country's political parties when he queried them for what according to him is their mutating nature in respecting policies.

Explaining, he pointed out that when a party adopts a policy when it is in power, the same political grouping kicks against same when it is in opposition.

Chairing the meeting was the Chairman of the Council, His Eminence Peter Cardinal Appiah Turkson, who welcomed the chairpersons of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), People's National Convention (PNC) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC).

The meeting was part of an ongoing consultations and discussions aimed at addressing some of the challenges of democratic consolidation in the country.

Cardinal Turkson led the political parties in a frank discussion about motley of issues bordering on democracy in the country.

He reminded the parties that their role was not firefighting but to adopt measures which would obviate potential troubles.

By A.R. Gomda