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11.11.2017 Feature Article

Dear Ghanaians, I apologize for the NPP’s hypocrisy (opinion)

Dear Ghanaians, I apologize for the NPPs hypocrisy opinion
11.11.2017 LISTEN

Note: the writer, Shuk Abubakar is a PhD Research fellow in Innovation and Business Management at University of Hertfordshire, UK

As a card-carrying NPP member, I’d like to apologize to all my fellow Ghanaians. I am apologizing because, my party (the NPP) repeatedly claims that, we place transparency, accountability, above all else, but our actions since returning to power tell a different story, especially when we mix national security, politics, corruption and the management of the national economy. We as a party feel no compunction, even, misusing the story of NDC party’s previous actions to ignore our leader’s questionable practices.

"We know a 419 scam when we see one and that, unfortunately, was the hallmark of the administration of former president Mahama. Ghanaians will find out more soon as people are held legally accountable. With the record that former president Mahama has in the area of governance, it is incredible that he would have the effrontery to talk about '419 scams'... “, Vice President Dr Bawumia responded to Ex-President Mahama, in an attempt to defend his Government against Ex-President Mahama’s comments that. “…. how can you launch a Google GPS system that is freely available on our mobile phones and say it is the best national addressing system?” Mr Mahama wondered, adding: “It’s such a pity. Why would you embarrass the president so much? You go and take a whole president to bring him to come and launch a system that is 419,”.

“When I read his reasoning for such a description, it was evident to me that he has no clue about what he was talking about and was just engaged in parroting propaganda. I actually had a good laugh.” Dr Bawumia added.

Such “harsh” response and assertions of support for the widely ridiculed “NATIONAL DIGITAL PROPERTY ADDRESSING SYSTEM (NDPAS)” are likely why many Ghanaians would not feel comfortable to comment on our Government actions.

That’s is right. A man in a high-profile position representing the great office of vice-president of Ghana from the supposed “incorruptible” party, after national outcry for “embarrassing” His Excellency President Nana Akufo-Addo with a “419” digital addressing application which cost Ghana $2.5 million (GHS9.9m) when it already existed on mobile phones, not only did not hide in shame, he doubled down. Dr Bawumia denied the allegations that the system is a ‘419’ and evoked the term “parroting propaganda,” which is well-known jargon in Ghanaian political discourses, NDC and NPP, to elicit as much support and sympathy from the party faithful as possible.

“With the record that former president Mahama has in the area of governance, it is incredible that he would have the effrontery to talk about '419 scams” Dr Bawumia Pronounced on his facebook video to supporters. ““We have spent $2.3 million on a NDPAS and I dare say it is money well spent for the benefit of all Ghanaians. It is not money finding itself into the pockets of a few cronies. We did not spend it on Akonfem, bus branding, over-priced mansions and contracts, ghost roads, etc. We have spent it on something productive.”

Dr Bawumia plans to weather this political storm with bullish response and with help from the same ‘anti-corruption’, ‘pro-transparency’ party members who during the campaigns mercilessly lambasted the then President Mahama and his party after his party was caught in the bus branding saga. And there is no reason, the president would order an investigation into this ‘419’ GPS system, for in our party, “corruption is as old as Adam”, and in the eyes of many members, the only corruption worth condemnation is the corruption under NDC.

The line between right and wrong is no longer determined by the constitutional definition of corruption; it is a matter of which Governing party or officials were the perpetrators. I wish I could say tha,t what happened last December (i.e. the election of an ‘incorruptible’ Akufo-Addo to the presidency of Ghana) had herald an end to gargantuan day light corruption in Ghana.

News, now, of questions surrounding how the contract for the ‘419’ GPS system was awarded, the issues surrounding fuel contamination saga at BOST should move us to anger and disgust; instead, I’ve heard from fellow party members trying to change the subject to John Mahama and bus branding saga. I want badly to equalise how the contract for the ‘419’ GPS system was awarded with the bus branding contract under Ex-President Mahama, but there’s little reason to believe that had Mahama bus branding happened under current NPP, things would have been different.

I’d like to apologize, Ghana, because we call our leadership ‘incorruptible’, but my party of the Dankwa-Busia tradition possesses political hypocrisy and moral cowardice that knows no bounds.

Recall his excellency President Nana Akufo-Addo, for example. Before he was elected, he campaigned on the promise of fighting corruption. This is why I was convinced that once his two-deputy chief of staffs were accused of corruption for charging ‘gate fees’ to access the flag staff house, he’d suspend them and initiate an independent investigation, because of the anti-corruption principles he had long assured Ghanaians were important to him. He didn’t, and a few weeks later, their accuser, popularly known as A-plus leaked a tape voice recording showing the then Deputy C.I.D Boss was trying to cover up wrongdoing on the part of the two Deputy Chiefs of Staff. Instead of reprimand, ACP Maame Yaa Tiwaa Addo-Danquah was immediately promoted to Director of C.I.D., and her Boss who was investigating her part in the leak tape was unceremoniously dismissed to make way for her. That was the end of the allegation.

And recall, the members of NPP invisible forces and Delta forces rampaging and forcibly taken over government offices and even freeing members brought to justice in our court (a personal affront to the president who is an accomplished Lawyer), yet the attorney general refused to clamp down. This was direct contrast to the hypocritical outrage from NPP members when Former President Mahama, pardoned Montie three prisoners. Worryingly, there are more examples despite our party being in power for less than a year. One can recall the hypocrisy of the circumstances surrounding the arrest of NDC, serial caller, Frank Kwaku Appiah, popularly known as Appiah Stadium, who insulted His Excellency President Akufo-Addo; or the questionable Bond sales to franklin Templeton, which the opposition NDC accused the Finance minister of “securing $2.25 billion bond for cronies”.

Unfortunately, political hypocrisy is a bipartisan nationwide affair, but in NPP, it is different and cuts deeper because the party wrap itself in the cloak of civility, incorruptibility and free speech, which is supposed to be a sign that we operate on a higher plane and know where we stand on corruption, free speech and civility, irrespective of politics. But I have realised that, it hasn’t meant that at all. NPP members and elders are frequently given our leaderships “immorality passes” because we see our allegiance to the party instead of our country. That’s is damaging to Ghana and it’s particularly damaging to our party and the trust bestowed on it by Ghanaians.

So, finally, I’d like to apologize because we are not who we’ve long claimed to be, and it is hurting what we desperately want to believe, which is that, our Motherland is still a great nation to be a ‘citizen’ not a ‘spectator’.

By: Shuk Abubakar
Email: [email protected]

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