Cry My Beloved NPP

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) is overflowing with intellectuals. They have the “can do” pedigree; being highly educated in various fields of study. However, they typify the saying, “two wise captains cannot be in the cabin of the same ship piloting it at the same time”. This means, none of them would like to listen to the other since each thinks they are right in whatever they suggest or do hence risk running the ship aground.

Who is controlling who in NPP? Each government appointee is right and a lord in their own eyes and in their department. Consequently, things are falling apart and sooner, the centre cannot hold. I have been writing bemoaning the near-absence of strategies to prop NPP, the metamorphosed Danquah-Busia-Dombo UGCC, in power for long to firmly secure their usual farsighted implemented policies. They are good at implementing good farsighted policies for the collective interests of Ghanaians but they are found wanting in strategies to keep them in power for long.

The NDC as a party and people are full to the brim with comparatively less educated persons yet, they are able to win elections and do devise strategies to hang on to power much longer. Why? This is a home work for the NPP hierarchy to do to find out how that is possible. Their ongoing fatuous “Unity Walk” throughout the nation is not only a strategic healing process to bring the NDC members together after their degrading defeat in election 2016 but also, a campaign to win election 2020 by slighting the NPP. Do we nonchalantly sit down while they grease their propaganda machine for onslaught on NPP?

How often have I not carried across my concerns amid warnings to the NPP to beware of their shortcomings that are capable of catapulting them into opposition in 2020? The numerous government appointees of various sorts don’t seem to give a hoot. They are probably more interested and concerned about their elevated social status come about by the virtue of their appointments and also, the money they are probably making.

The NPP are to note that devising credible strategies to keep them in power longer to realise their good policies must be simultaneous with the implementation of the policies. Implementation of strategic polices are to be in tandem with realisation of farsighted policies. This is where the NPP are weak and are less knowledgeable hence their difficulty to come to power and if they do at all, they don’t last long. They have become like the Democrats in the United States of America and the Labour party in the United Kingdom. Compared to their political opponents which are the Republicans in the USA and the Tories in the UK respectively, the Democrats and the Labour Party hardly come to power and if they do, they don’t stay much longer unlike the Republicans and the Tories.

The NPP Government under His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo are doing great things but like the advertising policy of, “If you don’t say here I am, nobody will say there you are”, they are not touting the achievements of the government. They can only disseminate the good things the government has done and is still doing if they were to have effective communication teams across the country to explain to the populace what the government has so far achieved, intend doing and the problems it came to meet and how hard it is trying its best to resolve them.

Keeping quiet and believing same that its laudable social interventions alone are more than enough to persuade Ghanaians to re-elect them in future elections amounts to tickling oneself and laughing. That is not how the politics of Ghana goes. Ghanaians unlike their politically-savvy White contemporaries in the Western civilized world, are easily led astray or enticed with the bait of food items, few Cedis, farm implements like machete or a half-piece of cloth to cast their votes in a particular direction. Most of us are not farsighted enough to see how more important the free Senior High School is than the few Cedis we allow ourselves to be lured with at elections to influence our voting decision. Unless we get someone to explain the benefits of education and the dangers of galamsey (illegal surface mining) to us as a people and nation, many a Ghanaian will fall for the deceits by the NDC hence often voting them into power only to compound our woes of all sorts.

How I wish His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo would not see his critics as enemies but friends as in line with the thought expressed by Benjamin Franklin who said, “Critics are our friends, they show us our faults.” Those closer to him who keep pampering him without pointing out his mistakes if any, are indeed his enemies who directly or indirectly are seeking his downfall to justify their malicious perception about the said “Akyem caucus” or to maintain their positions to make their money. Did King Duncan not say in Macbeth, one of William Shakespeare stories that, “There is no art to find the mind’s construction in the face”? The King had placed absolute trust in the Thane of Cawdor, therefore his betrayal of him took him completely by surprise.

We should be able to freely share our views provided they are not injurious or to criticize constructively; the beauty of democracy. Is it not said, “It does not belong to he who is leading to redirect their steps.? If the NPP Government appointees are not involving themselves in acts of corruption, then I shall appeal to fellow Ghanaians to bear with the President and his government while they put in place structures to deliver their election promises despite the financial strait they came to find themselves. Should they be found to be corrupt and become “yen ntie obiaa” (will not listen to anyone) like the NDC, building an impregnable wall around themselves to do their own thing, then we should as citizens but not spectators be able to vent our anger on them. Subsequently, the President must watch those closer to him. They can make or break him by their actions and inactions.

If the Kwesi Botchwey Committee has devised strategies for the NDC which they have started with the “Unity Walk” and the enhanced electronic registration of their members, what are the NPP doing? Sitting down with arms folded around the chest believing in the laurels of free Senior High School, near-successfully fighting galamsey, paying off the nation’s debt incurred by the NDC, reinstituted the abrogated teachers and nurses allowances are all not enough to persuade some Ghanaians to vote to re-elect NPP in 2020 unless we devise strategies to counter theirs and to advance our genuine cause by persuading Ghanaians to side with us through endurance and fortitude.

The underlying video link contains solutions to some of the problems being faced by NPP provided they will see the sense in it to act accordingly. If at least 20% of the government appointees would show the same love for the party and concern about the welfare of Ghanaians as being shown by Kennedy Agyapong (Hon), NPP will skyrocket with Ghanaians living a much better life.

To conclude, NPP must get outlets to communicate their achievements and intents to Ghanaians as well as the problems they are facing and how they are trying their hardest to overcome them, all for the benefit of the citizenry. The President must have the courage to reshuffle and shuffle off any non-performing appointees. As much as governing a nation is not by “patapaa” (using unnecessary force) as allegedly advised the President by the “Overlord” of Asanteman Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, so also is governing a nation not by a “softly, softly” approach.

The corrupt politicians and heads of Civil Service both present and past who have involved themselves in acts of corruption must be seen to be prosecuted and convicted to serve as a deterrence to would-be corrupt appointees as the Ghanaian’s infatuation with corruption is the bane of Ghana’s development.

The party must not neglect their grassroots but recognise them for the hard work they did to bring the party to power. NPP should learn not to impose appointees not favoured by the majority of the residents of the municipalities, constituencies, districts etc., on the people. Appointments, awarding of government contracts etc., must not be seen to favour a few highly-placed or well-connected persons in the party.

Should I have any further strategies, they will be communicated privately.

Rockson Adofo