THE NPP MUST CHANGE FOR THE BETTER!

A.E.B. Danquah, who later became the Okyenhene, Nana Ofori Atta 1, in 1912, was a sergeant in the British volunteer force that defeated the Asantes, when the British finally subjugated and colonized the Asante Confederacy in 1900.

Years later, however, when Nkrumah appeared on the scene during the struggle for independence, the Akyem Abuakwa State struck an alliance with its Asante rival – to ensure that the pre-colonial feudal elite, not Nkrumah, would eventually replace the departing colonial occupiers of the Gold Coast.

Consequently, they took the side of the British colonial administration, against Nkrumah, during the fight for independence.

When the United Gold Coast Convention (UGCC) finally fell apart, after Nkrumah left it, and helped set up the Convention People's Party (CPP), their followers eventually established the National Liberation Movement (NLM) – and used it as the new vehicle to continue the fight against Nkrumah and his followers.

It was a marriage of convenience between two traditional rivals, with the sole objective of physically eliminating Nkrumah and removing him from the political scene - to enable the pre-colonial ruling elite dominate Ghanaian society in a post-independence federation of sovereign tribal entities.

It appears that nothing has changed – as tribal-supremacist hardliners in both Manhyia and Ofori Panin Fie, maneuvere in a high-stakes political-poker game, to put their anointed candidate in pole position for the race to elect the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) candidate for the December 2012 presidential election.

It has revived a bitter ancient rivalry that is dividing the NPP – as both sides seek a return to the Kufuor-era days of feudal-privilege that will benefit their side!

Readers will recall that under President Kufuor, the old NLM agenda of the revival of the feudal power of the pre-colonial ruling elite, was finally achieved by stealth through the backdoor - and the entire machinery of state of Nkrumah’s Ghana was used to fan the considerable egos of traditional rulers afflicted by megalomania and driven by unfathomable greed.

The de-tribalized and cosmopolitan Asantes and Akyems in the NNP must put their foot down. Luckily, they outnumber their bigoted fellow-tribesmen in the NPP. Thank God!

They also understand perfectly that inherited privilege is the greatest enemy of meritocracy - and that Ghanaians must therefore not tolerate it under any circumstances: in a nation that aspires to become an African equivalent of the egalitarian societies of Scandinavia.

That is why they must wrest  control of the NPP from the clutches of the small but powerful group of Akan tribal-supremacists that now dominates the NPP, and think that dominating Ghana permanently, is their birthright. Pure nonsense on bamboo stilts .

The NPP's de-tribalized Asantes and Akyems must work hard to find a suitable non-Akan compromise candidate, who will be proof to all Ghanaians that the NPP is not a vehicle for a few Akan tribal-supremacists (and their lackeys) to win power,  and use it to exploit our national economy for themselves, their family clans, and their cronies - as happened during the years of corruption and nepotism that became the golden age of business for Kufuor & Co.

One hopes that they will have the courage to do so – and ignore the absurd inanities of Dr. Nyaho Tamakloe about the critics of Akan tribal-supremacists. Does that well-educated sod not understand that tribal-supremacists exist in all the palaces of traditional rulers across our country, I ask, dear reader?

The NPP must rid itself of the baleful influence of the Akan tribal-supremacists who now dominate it - if it wants to win power again in Ghana. A word to the wise…

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