The Values Of Ghanaian Politics

Values can be defined as what is highly cherished while politics has been explained as the authoritative allocation of resources. In Ghana, politics has been and is equated to insults, casting of aspersions, slanderous statements and acts as well as violence.

The culture of toleration in our body politics, which is our highest value has been eroded all because of people's insatiable taste and hunger for political power.

In recent times both the ruling party, NDC and the main opposition, NPP have shown to the populace how they understand politics. They have shown in plain terms, that politics is about violence, insults, tensions, intolerance and hooliganism. And unfortunately, these "virtues" have always been preached directly or indirectly by these parties therefore destroying the beauty of our body politics.

Is it the display of violence that the people of Ghana look for in the quest to go democrat politically? Politicians and political parties must come again.

The recent attack that resulted in the demise of the late Adam Mahama is regrettable and condemnable;this should serve as a wake-up call that violence is abhorred and must be eschewed in our body politics because this is never the way to display our displeasure about certain attitudes of leadership in political parties. The insults on our airwaves and slanderous statements must cease for the good of Ghana.

Insults and lies are never the means of winning power nor do they put food on people's tables or better the lives of the citizens. Politics must serve as a means of contributing to national development, both socioeconomically and politically.

Government must work assiduously to better the lives of the average Ghanaian and the opposition must ensure that government of the day adheres to the social contract made with the people by delivering on its promises.

We value constructive criticisms, the offer of solutions and alternatives and display of being an alternative for governance and being credible to be trusted when government fails its responsibilities and honors.

To government, we value hardwork, competence, transparency, social justice and accountability. The lies, excuses and failures to heed to its part of the social contract is abhorred. These are the values for endorsing a political party in our politics and never violence, insults, hooliganism and casting of aspersions to win or retain power. Politicians as well as political parties ought to imbibe these values into the national government structures as well as their internal structures for a united and prosperous Ghana.

John Abbam Nyarko