The NDC�s Heroes Fund

Last week, the governing National Democratic Congress launched a �Heroes Fund�. According to the �Daily Graphic�, the seven-member trustee board would �formulate policies which will address the concerns of party faithful who have suffered all forms of violence and deprivation in the cause of serving the party.�

Also at the same function, the General Secretary, Mr. Asiedu Nketia added �What we are doing today demonstrates that the NDC is an organization worth supporting and dying for�. During the ceremony, a few NDC �heroes� recounted their stories. Some talked in moving terms about how they were injured serving the NDC while at least one described being fired from a job because he was an NDC member.

There was not a word about involving law enforcement agencies in righting the grievous wrongs that had been suffered by these heroes. Not one word. The choice of �heroes� to highlight was also interesting. The NDC could have chosen people like Mrs. Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings and former President Agyewodin Rawlings who have toiled selflessly to build the party, as well as any of the thousands of people who have built the NDC while following the law and harming no one. But they did not want such heroes. Such heroes would not have been inspirational enough. Instead, they wanted heroes who exemplified the kind of behaviour that is clearly against the law and anti-democratic.

Why? Is it because that is how they believe elections can be won?

How can the party of the �Asomdwehene� be inciting violence by honouring those who have been involved in violence?

Now, it is commendable for a party to honour those who have served it well. However, all Ghanaians who love democracy should be concerned about this NDC �Heroes Fund�.

In the light of the description of the purposes of the fund as well as the examples that were touted by the NDC leaders, is this really a �Heroes Fund� or a �Villains Fund�?

Were all those who were being celebrated really heroes? Or villains? Instead of being victims, were some of them actually perpetrators of the very violence they are pretending to be victims of? I ask these pointed questions in the light of our political history. Will the establishment of this fund, designed to help people appreciate that the NDC is an organization worth dying for really reduce violence in our elections? Certainly not.

The NPP has complained about violence in our politics since 1992.

We complained about Kumbungu three. We complained about Volta Region in 2008. We complained about Agbogbloshie, Tamale, Akwatia and Chereponi. And nobody was held accountable for any of these violent attacks on people who were doing nothing more than trying to exercise their democratic rights.

To be fair, the complaints have not only come from our side. The NDC too have complained about Ashanti and other places. The point is that there is too much unnecessary violence against those who are only trying to exercise their democratic rights. When there are elections, mothers should not be worried about sending their sons and daughters out into the streets.

Even though we are involved in democracy, there appears to be too much talk of dying. Even while the NDC shrilly condemned �All die be die� Asiedu Nketia admitted that one of the goals of the �Heroes Fund� was to �demonstrate that the NDC is ---- worth dying for�. One should respectfully ask the NDC scribe whether maybe in the process of dying for the NDC, some of the men and women aspiring to be heroes might harm or kill others belonging to different parties?

Another disturbing aspect of the NDC ceremony was the total absence of any commitment to law enforcement. As a party that has experienced both opposition and government and indeed may do so again, the NDC should have, consistent with its professed commitment to making Ghana better, strived for better, more peaceful elections.

They could have pledged undying commitment to helping their maimed heroes get justice in our courts but they did not.They could have pledged to collaborate with the security forces to reduce violence in our politics but they did not. They could have pledged to work with the other parties and the Electoral Commission to reduce violence in our politics but they did not.

They could have apologized for sending people to intimidate the Electoral Commission in 2008 but they did not. They could have apologized for Volta Region, Kumbungu, Agbobgloshie, Akwatia, Chereponi and Tamale and pledged to do better but they did not.

Then too, the media could have done this nation a great service by asking some pointed questions during this launch. They could have asked the �heroes� whether any of them were in the Volta Region or at Tamale, Chereponi, Kumbungu or Agbogbloshie and what they did there. But they did not. And that was unfortunate.

While these call the motives behind the �Heroes Fund� into serious question, we must move forward to a new era of politics devoid of violence and intimidation.

Here is how we can do this.

First, let our parties honour those who toil selflessly in their service peacefully, rather than the purveyors of violence.

Second, let all our parties work together to build confidences so that we can all accept the results of elections.

Third let all political parties collaborate with the security agencies so that elections can be peaceful and be prepared to give up those on their side that perpetrate needless violence.

Fourth, let our law-enforcement agencies, commit to firm, timely and impartial enforcement of our laws, not just during elections but all the time so that we can all have confidence in our institutions and our democratic process. When people trust that institutions will do their work, there will be less interest in violence or the agents of violence.

Finally, we must adopt, in our politics, the language of life instead of death.Good and loyal party members must live for our parties instead of dying for our parties. Whether our people go out to do or to provoke violence in the belief that their parties are worth �dying for� or �all die be die�, Ghana will be the loser.

In a democracy, it must never be necessary for people to die for their parties. People must be encouraged, to live for their parties and their country instead of dying for whatever causes or parties. Elections, as Pianim once said, must be about counting heads, instead of cutting heads. He is right.

Let us move forward, together.

Source: Arthur Kobina Kennedy University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast. Email: [email protected]