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22.06.2012 Feature Article

Seperate Party from Nation

Seperate Party from Nation
22.06.2012 LISTEN

Ghanaian politicians should be mindful that, there is a clear distinction between defending party manifestos and policies and that of the nation. These two are seperate and you do not need to be a scientist to know this but common sense. In 1992 when the man in charge of place of convinient at Nima 411, who unfortunately did not have formal education was elected to represent the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in parliament ,some concern citizens questioned his contribution in the House but the then Minister of Local Government Kwamena Ahwoi jumped to his defence that English was not the only medium of communication in the House. The same minister a few years later came out of Cabinent meeting to justify why President Rawlings assaulted his vice the late Kow Nkensen Arkaah. Both issues were of national interest and has nothing to do with the party so instead of letting the matter die on its own ,a highly educated and scholar like Kwamena Ahwoi was in defence of the indefensible because of his party. I was very disappointed at the time .

This week, the Minister of Youth & Sports, Kofi Humado presented the final report of the expenditure of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa to parliament, but there were huge inaccuracies and discrepancies in the fingers presented by the former Minister Sena Akua Dansua and Mr Humado. This raised a red flag, because two ministers of the same ministry were presenting conflicting figures on the same World Cup participation by Ghana . The Minority ranking member on Youth & Sports Kwame Asiamah contested the fingures because of the difference in the figures presented by the former and current ministers. I doubt if this calls for the unintelligent and irresponsibible defence from the deputy Minister of Youth and Sports Edward Omane Boamah. He was furious on the radio show because the minority has raised a red flag over the issue. Was he defending the integrity of his party or that of the nation. If he was doing that for the image of the party am sorry that was, ethically, morally and academically wrong but if he was doing that for the nation he should stop the unnecessary and irrational behaviour and learn from his boss Hon Kofi Humado who came back to clarify the anolmalies in the fingers. Akua presented $7.195million while respectable Humado's amount was $16,998,997 a difference of over $ 9 million which can do a lot for a US city, let alone Ghana. Was the minority justifiable in questioning the difference ?. Its a shame that since 1992, Ghanaian politicians have not learnt to seperate defence of the nation from that of their parties and on occasions they act like the uneducated serial callers who spade opinions in Ghana. Unfortunately when I was growing up my assumption was any trained medical doctor was very intelligent ,well mannered and above all professional, but I have come to realise that is not always true, judging from some of the statements and utterances made by some of them. Am priviledge am living in advance country where educational qualification is not the only yardstick for appointing ministers of state into political office ,but consideration of life time work experience ,maturity and ability to use diplomatic language under any circumstances all goes into appointing a person. More than ninety percent of the politicians in America are very mindful of their actions and chioce of words. Dr Omane Boamah I listened to you from afar during the program and you had no defence to the issue . The Mayor of Columbus,Ohio, Michael Coleman's wife was arrested for drunk driving, at the time he was campaigning to become the governor of the state but had to abandone the dream all because his wife had been arrested, nothing happened to the police officer unlike the case of ACP Awuni whose job was threatened because of party affiliations. Dr Omane Boamah I will request you to rather direct your energies to uproot the financial mismanagent, greed and public theft, extorting money for visa connections to include non athlete and officials on trips at the National Sports Council. Akua Dansua tried but she failed because the place is infested with "mafia". Years ago while working for a newspaper in Ghana a friend who works at the NSC boosted to me that the place is their forex bureau, because that is the only ministry in the country which does not deal in local currencies, because almost all their participation is outside the country. The disgrace Mallam Issa ,Muntaka Mubarak and the recent Maputo and World Cup 2060 are fresh in our memories and all the funds were never in cedis.

Like the gentleman, and man of integrity did Mr Humado did he came back to clarify the difference which was the honorable thing to do and this has put the case to rest. The previous week when the Attorney General & Minister for Justice, Benjamin Kumbour appeared before the Public Accounts Committee, he did not have all the answers to their questions so he requested for a week to study what the law says on issue which was granted. We live in a civil society and it does not matter which side you belong to as a Ghanaians we have every right to know how the tax payer money is being utilised .

Learn from your boss Mr Humado , other experience and matured politicians how to conduct your self in public.

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