Should Politicians Be Trusted?

It is becoming increasingly difficult for the public to trust politicians because campaign promises are not being fulfilled.

Though these disturbing signs have been with us, oscillation of politicians provide ample justification why we should not trust them. Does this not fit into what Bob Geldof said, “You can't trust politicians. It doesn't matter who makes a political speech—its all lies.” What a damning indictment on those who seek our mandate!!!

After winning the 2008 elections some people could look the electorate in their faces and tell them there is a vast difference between campaign platform talk as opposed to real issues on the ground. Now however, the electorate has taken a serious view of it and are openly exposing people in government with the help of the media.

What we witnessed when Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings and President Atta Mills picked their nominations forms to contest the NDC presidential slot on the 8th and 9th July, 2011confirms the fears many have been entertaining all along. The “Be Bold” strategists say because their candidate respect Ghanaians, they deliberately reduced traffic jam in the capital city by launching their campaign on the following day. The“Asomdwehene” camp in answer to hosts of morning shows on radio categorically said the President does not play with his time and so therefore by 10.30 a.m. at most, he would have finished and returned back to his office. We leave the good people of this country to make a decision on the opulence and ostentatious display which painfully resulted in a five-hour 'go slow'. Whether his supporters returned to work after 1.30 p.m. is a matter of war with their conscience.

Nana Konadu and former president Jerry Rawlings have catalogued the failed promises of the president which make him unfit to lead their party in 2012. President Mills says he has won the Sunyani primaries hands down!!!

As the two sides of the divide hurl insults at each other and reveal things that the opposition would never have had access to, they are playing the ostrich through the engagement of naked denial. The privileged few in the National Democratic Congress party keeps insisting that after congress they will work together in a loving way to face their opponents at the presidential and parliamentary elections next year. I am surprised.

How can the people trust politicians when close friends of the Rawlings and those who benefited from his19 years rule mount a platform and tell him the party is for all. Today those fair weather friends and former confidants of Rawlings claim that the Rawlings factor is irrelevant because they do not need him to cling victory next year. Some even refer to him as Mr. Tape.

When is the president going to ask for investigations into allegations from FONKAR and other pro-Konadu groups that his government is corrupt, bribes delegates, sprays cash, allocates seized cars to its functionaries? FONKAR said at its press conference yesterday that the Mills side is engaged in intimidation, sabotage and molestation against them as the campaign warms up. Have we come to a dead end of the Herbert Mensah tape now that he says Jerry Rawlings has it? These and many other questions negatively affect good governance and ought to be answered.

Ghanaians are getting fed up with the way our politicians are running this country and are likely to listen to the advice of former US president Theodore Roosevelt “Any people anywhere, being inclined and having the power, have the right to rise up, and shake off the existing government, and form a new one that suits them better. This is most valuable—a most sacred right—a right, which we hope and believe, is to liberate the world”.