One For Alliance For Accountable Governance (AFAG)

AFAG members

When the AFAG was formed by a group of young men from the opposition parties some two years ago, I wanted to write a piece to congratulate them for coming together to fight for the voiceless.

On second thought, I shelved the idea because like many groups that have come and gone, they may have a fine idea but lack the courage to hold the bull by the horns.

Then they started issuing interesting statements and challenging the status quo.  Unlike the Committee for Joint Action (CJA) led by prickly  Kwasi Pratt, who insulted the sensibility of Ghanaians and even the then sitting president in the person of Mr. John Agyekum Kufuor, this particular group is made up of well cultured young men with a purpose.

They seldom backfire since they thoroughly make research before issuing any statement.  And they are not the noisy type.  In fact call them complete gentlemen and you will not be far from the truth.

However, what is seriously lacking in the activities of the AFAG is their inability to get their roots in the other regions apart from Accra.  I had cause to write some time ago that people who live in Accra should not have the funny feeling that Accra is synonymous to Ghana.  There are people out there who want to hear the message.

In fact, there are millions of people out there who want to be part of AFAG and sometimes join the demonstrations but sadly the group is held up in Accra alone.

Now that we are in the election year, the time has come for AFAG to extend its tentacles to all the regions and big towns in Ghana.  They need to get cells in the villages so that they can really understand the suffering of the masses out there.

For me it is payback time.  It's a matter of 'you do me I do you some'. In 2008, the Committee for Joint Action (CJA) demonstrated across the nooks and crannies of the country, accusing the Kufuor administration of corruption, insensitivity, bad governance, and topped it up with this cocaine issue.  Anytime armed robbers attacked, the CJA pointed their crooked fingers at Mr. Kufuor.

When the Kufour administration wanted to sell Ghana Telecom, then candidate Mills led a CJA demonstration to kick against it.  He was seen carrying a placard with the inscription: 'Ghanaians can manage their own businesses'.

At Techiman in the Brong Ahafo Region where they demonstrated to show their disgust at the increase in the prices of petroleum products when the world market price of crude oil rose to $140 Dollars per barrel, Ama Benyiwa Doe told the ecstatic demonstrators who had converged on the Zongo L/A park that when voted into power, the NDC would reduce the price to twenty thousand old Ghana Cedis.

She told the poor listeners who could not read between the lines that the NDC, in government, would remove all the taxes on petrol so that the common man on the street would not have to bear the burden.

Clad in all red attires and headgears, the demonstrators sung, clapped and danced to jama music when the lady made those unfortunate statements.  Even when the Kufuor regime reduced the prices of petroleum products a few days to the presidential run-off, candidate Mills told Ghanaians that: 'I will further reduce it drastically when voted into power'.

The man ended up increasing it and went further to increase it drastically.   During one of such CJA demonstrations, ex-president Rawlings referred to the sitting president, Mr. Kufuor, as Atta Ayi, a notorious armed robber.

Today, the same man, Rawlings, is telling Ghanaians that the Mills administration is the most corrupt since independence.  Today, a day never passes without a reported case of armed robbery.

As for cocaine, this time around it has turned into soda, with the police and the judiciary pointing accusing fingers at each other and a confused president and his vice setting up funny probes and committees.  Because the issue has hit them hard in their faces, they are applying knee-jerk reaction which will not yield any good results, anyway.

The sages say if you throw a ball against a wall it will surely come back to you.  AFAG should seize the moment and hit the streets across the country to show the NDC and CJA that they alone do not  hold the right to demonstrate.  Sitting in Accra and speaking on radio stations is not what is required now.

All political parties in the opposition should sponsor the group to embark on series of demonstration to show president Mills that 'one bad turn deserves another'.

If indeed demonstration is the language understood by the Ghanaian voter, then AFAG should speak that language and stop issuing statements.

Indeed if almost all those who led the AFC demonstrations are rewarded with ministerial and Deputy Ministerial positions, as well as other appointments, then members of AFAG should be reminded that when the NPP comes to power they would not be treated badly.

That is why members should gird up their loins and get on the good foot.  Just strike, now that the iron is hot.

As for me, I have ironed my red pair of shorts, red T. shirt, red socks, red headband with my red boots to march and ready waiting for AFAG in my home region where anything red is synonymous to mourning.

The last time when teachers and fishermen demonstrated, the security forces beat them up.  When members of CJA demonstrated all over the country, not a single person received any beating.

If the members of AFAG hit the streets and a single man is beaten by the police, 'West Africa will burn' (apology to ex-president Rawlings).

As democrats, members of AFAG should be reminded that no Jupiter can raise a hand against them if they decide to hit the streets after getting a permit from the police, and so they should not be cowed into thinking that the police will not spare them if they go on demonstration.

I know by now some legalistic purists may interpret this proposal or strategy as incitement to civil disobedience.  If indeed it is, so be it.  After all, are we not tired of intimidation and obstreperous bullying?

Just look at the frenzied pursuit of cash and landed properties by MMDCEs, ministers, party big wigs and other government appointees despite the yawning poverty facing the great majority of the citizens of this land once called Gold Coast.

Mills cannot tell me he is not aware because it is a common knowledge which needs no verifications.  It is not Rawlings alone who knows how corrupt the Mills/Mahama administration is.

The way the MMDCEs are grabbing wealth is a common knowledge in all the municipalities, metropolitans and districts they operate.  Yet we are daily being bombarded with tales of success stories as far as the management of the economy is concerned.

If president Mills fails to heed the early warning signals that some of us have continuously been bringing to his notice, history will not treat him lightly.  Indeed, some of us may come under attack for vulgarizing politics beyond toleration, the principal charge stemming mainly from our unreprieved, acerbic observations and scrutiny of government officials and of course the conduct of public officials.

We are not perturbed a bit because duty called and we responded. As watchdogs, it is the singular duty of journalists to expose the rots and leave the rest for the public to judge.  In fact, it is our duty to point out institutional lapses etc. and leave the rest to history.

I sincerely believe there is sweetness in good writing which amuses as it hurts because just as curative medicine may often be bitter, those who come under my chastisement should take it like a physician applying harsh remedies to an inveterate disease.

Good morning, Dr. Sackey of Accra.   I have taken notice of the comment you sent to my inbox and thank you for being one of my many cherished admirers.  I will be back, God willing!!

By Eric Bawah