Before the men on horseback decided to convert the military oligarchy into a political party in 1992 to allow Jerry John Rawlings to call himself President of the Republic of Ghana, elections in this country had been relatively peaceful.
I was too young to know what was happening politically in the Nkrumah regime. I saw the 1969 elections campaign, leading to the overwhelming endorsement of then Prime Minister, Kofi Abrefa Busia, and his Progress Party. I had not vote. The main protagonists were the centre-right Progress Party and the National Alliance of Liberals, led by Komla Agbeli Gbedema.
I am very weak in the Ewe language, but my Editor, Emmanuel Akli, a proud native of Ave-Dakpa, capital of the Akatsi North District of the Volta Region, tells me that Agbeli means, there is life.
Agbeli Gbedemah and his NAL lost the national vote disastrously. Though the NAL received the endorsement of the people of the Volta Region, and he himself was voted to represent the people of Keta, he was disqualified from entering the then Parliament of 140 members. But that did not end his political life. He was around for quite a while before he was called by his maker.
The campaign for the 1969 vote was one hell of an entertainment. It was during the campaign that the man who was to lead the nation as Prime Minister asked members of his party to progress the women, a euphemism for women empowerment in the centre right political party.
Mr. Gbedemah’s National Alliance of Liberals campaigned on the slogan, ‘Say NAL, I am black and proud’. The Progress Party members simply called themselves ‘P-P, Party Papa.’ The whole campaign was characterised by humour.
Ten years later, when the nation decided to return to constitutional rule in 1969, after the military intervention of January 1972, there was a three dimensional approach. There was the People’s National Party of former Head of State Dr. Hilla Limann, the Popular Front Party led by Mr. Victor Owusu, and the United National Convention of William Ofori-Atta.
On the ballot paper was Col. Frank Bernaskio, a former military strong man who founded the Action Congress Party. Nii Diamond Addy, then proprietor of the Ghana Empire Secondary School in Accra, Prof. R.P. Baffour, one-time Vice-Chancellor of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Mr. Kwame Nyante, a Somanya-based Industrialist, and Imoru Ayana were all independent presidential candidates.
Kwame Nyante’s slogan was ‘Oko Dada!’ (He has reached the Castle already.) In other words, Kwame Nyante got to the Castle even before the vote was cast. Nii Diamond Addy had the fish as his symbol. On a campaign trail at Cape Coast, Nii Addy was accosted by a fisherman who had just returned from a fishing expedition.
Mowura-O, Ana Wo Na Wahyensew Ye Nam No Anaa? My Lord, are you the one whose symbol is fish? The presidential candidate was obviously elated thinking that he had got one converted soul in Cape Coast.
Inyew Maraa. Yes I am he replied full of smiles. Instead of the compliments Nii Addy was expecting, the fisherman shot back. Saanaa Eye N-N-Nam Papaapa. Apparently, you are fish indeed! It was all a huge joke of a campaign.
One of the main features of the 1979 presidential and parliamentary campaigns was the lively rivalry between the Popular Front Party and the United National Convention. The leadership of both parties cut their political teeth from the same centre right Progress Party.
It was said at the time that Mr. Victor Owusu was divorced, and, therefore, had no wife. The UNC used to take pages of space in the national dailies at the time, with the picture of an elderly woman.
The caption was simple. ’WHO IS AUNTIE MARY?’ Auntie Mary was the wife of UNC leader Paa William Ofori-Atta, one of the famous Big Six in national politics. The advert though, was a swipe at the PFP leader who had no wife. Nobody said anything. But Victor Owusu was forced to get married. It was all jokes. Now, everything about elections in this country is becoming war.
Ever since the men on horseback constituted their Abongo regime into apolitical party, everything about political party elections has been put on a war footing.
Yesterday, I heard the Communications Director of the political party Jerry Rawlings founded out of the remnants of his rag-tag army that swept power off the feet of deceased former President Hilla Limann on December 31, 1981, and virtually conscripted all nationals into his Abongo regime, talking of Coronavirus in this country as if the government of Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has imported the disease into this country and using it to his advantage.
He went on and on about the misuse of figures of cured patients, tacitly implying that the government of Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo is at fault for relying on the World Health Organisation procedure in fighting the Covid-19.
It is as if only the moribund NDC has the remedy for mending this society, incidentally broken by those who now seek power by promising the moon.
Since Jane Prof. Jane Naana Opoku Agyeman was unveiled as the running mate to Mr. John Dramani Mahama, our ears have been assailed by commentators from pro-NDC sources, describing her as if she is the best thing that ever happened to this country. It is as if God, the Almighty himself, has re-incarnated in the former Minister of Education.
I do not think we are looking for divine healers in the presidential race. This country is searching for the right mind to stabilise our economy and to restructure our society. My beef is that we cannot find the answers we are looking for in John Dramani Mahama’s leadership. I don’t think his running mate is bringing any magic, either.
John Dramani Mahama was a disaster as head of state of this country. From 2012 to 2016, the economy nose-dived under his leadership. I cannot see him leading the revival anyway. What irritates me, as a Ghanaian, was how he handed state properties and resources to his cronies.
Remember the Rlg connection? That aside, the attempt to hand over our bauxite resources to his brother on the blind side of Ghanaians is not the best means of getting this economy running again.
I am still seething with anger over the bribery case (please note, I am not making an allegations, I am stating facts on the ground ) involving Kanazue, the Burkinabe contractor, who offered a Ford Exhibition vehicle in exchange for huge contractual jobs in this country, and the renovation of the Ghana Embassy building in Burkina Faso.
I bet those working themselves into a frenzy on the John and Jane ticket have not really considered the baggage tag on both candidates. John, for instance, has shown little moral uprightness. Among his first assignments carried out as Vice-President of this Republic, was the outdooring of his autobiography in the United States of America, which was a novelty. I do not believe many Vice Presidents of this country ever outdoored their autobiographies at the beginning of their terms in office.
What offends the dignity of the population of this nation as anti-homo-sexual campaigners was to be told by the Vice-President himself that his book launch was moderated by the world’s leading homosexual, Andrew Solomon. The moderator paidUS$20,000 for the first book sold.
I still feel scandalised that my Vice-President followed up the launch of his book by going to the Manhattan residence of Andrew Solomon and his husband, for what my Vice-President described as a ‘sumptuous meal.’
Instead of followers of the NDC bowing themselves in shame for the behaviour of the Veep, they turned round to accuse the then opposition NPP as promoters of homosexual behaviours.
Many allegations were made that the purchase of two aircraft brokered between the Vice-President’s office and a Brazilian firm was littered with bribery scandals. We were told by Mr. Martin Amidu, the current Special Prosecutor, that deceased President John Evans Atta Mills even set up a committee to investigate his Vice-President. Later, under cross examination by some members of the Parliamentary Appointment Committee, the one-time Citizen Vigilante bucked out and shockingly told Ghanaians that at the time he made those allegations, he had no evidence.
To the surprise of the good people of this country, Mr. Amidu was cleared and went ahead to be appointed as this nation’s first-ever Special Prosecutor. Since his appointment, the people of Ghana have never had a feel of what it is to have a Special Prosecutor. Mr. Amidu’s outfit is the weakest link in the governance structure of the President.
Last February, just before Greater Accra and Greater Kumasi were locked down over the Coronavirus, news came through that the officials, who handled the purchase of air planes for the Ghana military were heavily bribed by scandal-soaked officials of Airbus SE. You do not need a ghost to tell you that the description of Government Official 1, and Intermediary 5 at the time Mr. Mahama sat at the Castle and Jubilee House, fit the description of the head of state at the time and his lost and found brother in Britain.
Strangely, Mr. Mahama recently swore to the high heavens that the prosecution at the Southwark Crown Court in London and in the United States Court had absolutely nothing to do with Ghana. The interesting bid is that we are all privy to the description of the Ghanaian officials involved in the sordid deed, as an elected Government Official 1 and his half brother, otherwise referred to in official documents as Intermediary 5.
I understand the Special Prosecutor has invited some personnel from the UK, including Intermediary 5, to come to Accra and help with investigations. For me, the whole gamut of accepting bribes abroad while representing Ghana is a sordid deed, and that former President John Dramani Mahama ought not be allowed to appear on the ballot paper until he clears his name.
As for Prof. Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang, there are those pointing to the Institute of Economic Affairs Presidential Debate in Accra in 2012, when he appeared to have assisted the then presidential candidate of the NDC, as well as her contribution to the abolition of the Teacher Trainee allowance, book allowance for teachers, etc., put a question mark on her ability to lead Ghanaian politics from the front.
These decisions and many more have been repudiated by the NDC in its quest for power, suggesting that she is ill equipped to lead this country from the front.
Please note that she is not being criticised for being a woman. Readers are also reminded that long before the former Vice-Chancellor of the Cape Coast University was named vice-presidential candidate, many other distinguished ladies had, and continue, to acquit themselves in the service of this country.
Jane has never proved any superior quality. Together with the dead goat, this country would not be safe in their hands.
I shall return!
Ebo Quansah in Accra
The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect The Chronicle’s editorial stance
The post John & Jane cannot be a credible ticket appeared first on The Chronicle Online.
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