THE NDC MUST UNITE BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE!

Ghanaian politicians are such a strange breed. Why, dear reader, is a political party that spent eight painful years in the political wilderness after losing power in December 2000, now busy tearing itself apart – having finally succeeded in returning to power once again, against great odds? With the benefit of hindsight, it was a stroke of genius on the part of President Rawlings to pick Professor Mills as his chosen successor, when he did. For, in deciding against picking some of the more prominent members of his regime at the time of the “Swedru Declaration,” he prepared the ground for the eventual victory of his party, in the December 2008 presidential election. The National Democratic Congress (NDC) won the December 2008 presidential election because a majority of the so-called “floating-voters,” those independent-minded and patriotic Ghanaians who think only of the national interest (as opposed to what will benefit political parties and those who wield power: as well as their family and friends!), had become thoroughly fed-up with the unacceptable level of corruption in the country, during the latter stages of the tenure of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).


Those independent-minded patriots ordinarily would never have considered voting for a political party said to have been founded by Flt. Lt. J.J. Rawlings – a man a majority of them loathe and despise: for continuing to insist that democracy is unsuitable for Africa. Yet, a majority did so when faced with the possibility of Ghana remaining in the iron grip of the profligate Kufuor & Co. – a powerful and greedy clique that still wields enormous power in the NPP. For this type of nationalistic Ghanaian, the bickering within the NDC is hard to fathom. In their view, the NDC was returned to power solely because of Professor Mills’ personal integrity. They believed that under a President Mills, the national interest, and not the greedy ambitions of a politically well-connected few, would be what determined every government policy. Why, then , dear reader, do the various factions in the NDC not unite, to enable the Mills regime continue maintaining the support of this vital group of Ghanaians: whose crucial swing- votes won them power in December 2008? Do they not understand that precious few swing-voters will vote for the NDC again if it were to put up a candidate other than President Mills, for the December 2012 presidential election, if he was still alive and not incapacitated in any way?


If those who now lead the NDC are wise, they will patch up their differences as quickly as they possibly can – for no discerning voter likes to have a political party that is torn apart by factionalism running the enterprise Ghana. Clearly, Nana Konadu Agyemang Konadu is a very competent individual and perfect material for a ministerial position – and ought to be given one. The same thing can also be said of Dr. Spio Garbrah – who also deserves a ministerial post: especially when one considers the fact that the geniuses who are supposed to tell Ghanaians the positive “narrative” of the Mills administrations’ considerable achievements, in the face of great odds, are sadly unconvincing: when attempting to tell Ghanaians that very positive narrative. It would make perfect sense to have a world-class individual such as Spio Garbrah put in charge of a new ministry that combines the work currently done by the Ministry of Information and that of the Ministry of Communications.


The brilliant young Haruna Iddrisu ought to be dispatched up north to help bring peace to that part of our country and replace Mark Wayongo – who ought to be got rid of for his archaic and unacceptable fund-raising methods: at a time when imaginative and creative political parties can easily leverage the text-applications of the mobile phone networks to raise zillions from their supporters worldwide, without any future legal complications. Letting Spio Garbrah and Nana Kunadu into the government may be painful and unpalatable to the powerful individuals who now have President Mills’ ear – but for the sake of their own party and that of Mother Ghana, they must let bygones be bygones: and unite to keep the quislings and lackeys of foreign commercial interests in the NPP out of power, in December 2012: and beyond. If they fail to do so, both the so-called “Rawlings faction” and those in the NDC who are said to be behind President Mills in this most unedifying of political party squabbles, can look forward to at least another decade in the political wilderness, after December 2012. A word to the wise…


Tel (powered by Tigo – the one mobile phone network in Ghana that actually works!): + 233 (0) 27 745 3109 & the not-so-hot and clueless Vodafone wireless smartfone: + 233 (0) 30 2976238.