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Sat, 08 Jul 2017 Feature Article

Political Power Should Not Be Regarded By Ghana's Politicians And Political Parties As A Business Opportunity

Political Power Should Not Be Regarded By Ghanas Politicians And Political Parties As A Business Opportunity

It has now become clear to many discerning and independent-minded Ghanaians - who are one-nation patriots and nationalists - that there is a fierce battle for control of our nation's byzantine system being waged within the New Patriotic Party (NPP).

Every Ghanaian ought to understand that the outcome of that battle will directly affect all who reside within the borders of the Leviathan that is the Ghanaian nation-state.

Consequently, we cannot be mere onlookers, but must perforce side with those in the NPP, for whom power is a useful tool for creating a fair and just society - one in which the rule of law prevails and those who wield power serve the interests of all Ghanaians: not just that of a powerful and greedy few out to increase their net worth at society's expense.

Ordinary Ghanaians must reject the notion that financing political parties is a lucrative business, and that somehow it entitles those who finance election campaigns to special privileges and endless opportunities to obtain government procurement contracts regularly - as a Kweku-Ananse-return-on-investment. Alas, therein lies the path to the slippery slope that leads to the egregious high-level corruption slowly bleeding Mother Ghana to death - which is why we must reject it.

The more responsible sections of the Ghanaian media must ensure that the resources of our homeland Ghana are utilised for the common good - not divied up by a vampire-elite driven by unfathomable greed and who are never satisfied regardless of the stratospheric heights to which their net worth rises.

Politics is not and cannot be a business opportunity. Ever. Period. We must reject the cynical notion that those who finance the election campaigns of political parties in Ghana are somehow entitled to special privileges.

They are not. Full stop. After all, nobody forces any Ghanaian citizen to finance the election campaigns of individual politicians and political parties. Politics should be about giving back to society - so that the lives of others less privelaged than one's self can be bettered.

Politics is an opportunity to serve one's country and one's people honestly and deligently - by playing an active role, together with other like-minded individuals with whom one comes together for that purpose, using our nation's political parties as vehicles for attaining that common-good purpose: of creating a just and prosperous society that benefits all Ghanaians.

We must never allow a wealthy, powerful and greedy few to hijack political power in our country - and treat it as a smart business move to secure endless government procurement contracts: as a return on capital expended to finance election campaigns of politicians and political parties. Enough is enough. Haaba. Ghana's political class and political parties must not regard political power as a business opportunity.

Kofi Thompson
Kofi Thompson, © 2017

Writer & activist for environmental justice & human rights. . More Born into a farming family, I speak truth to power to amplify the voices of victims of injustice.Column: Kofi Thompson

Disclaimer: "The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect ModernGhana official position. ModernGhana will not be responsible or liable for any inaccurate or incorrect statements in the contributions or columns here." Follow our WhatsApp channel for meaningful stories picked for your day.

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