“The third rail of a nation’s politics is a metaphor for any issue so controversial that is “charged” and “untouchable” to the extent that any politician or public official who dares to broach the subject will invariably suffer politically”. (Anon)
There comes a time when good people must stand up and be counted.
In the Bible the story is told of a man by name, Gamaliel. I had developed a certain uncanny likeness for this gentleman because of what he said when the Apostles were brought before the Sahendrin.
In fact the chief prosecutor here was Saul who later became Paul after he had transited the road to Damascus.
Everybody bore false evidence against the Apostles except Gamaliel. He said he did not believe the charges being leveled against them was true and so like Pontius Pilate (washing his hands when the Pharisees brought Jesus Christ to him for crucifixion), Gamaliel stood up for the poor Apostles, whose leader, had been crucified.
Stephen, a deacon, attained fame after the crucifixion and death of Jesus Christ and inspired the Apostles to bond together to propagate the gospel for man’s repentance and remission of sins .
Stephen’s exploits incurred the wrath of the High Priest and the Sadducees. He was arrested, charged and found guilty of breaking the law and stoned to death even though the charges against him, were false, (Read Acts of the Apostles).
Saul
Amongst those who scrambled for his garments was Saul who sternly believed that it was wrong to preach the gospel. The gospel was Christ’s teachings.
Doing evil, perpetrating injustice, persecuting and oppressing the weak and the vulnerable was the stock – in – trade of the Sadducees and Pharisees.
I have had to present this narrative to emphasize the point that there are objective and subjective conditions for everything.
The opposition may grant themselves the excuse to capitalize on the subjective to thrive.
That’s why a personality like Hon. Yaw Osafo Maafo, was roundly condemned when he suggested that people who hailed from less endowed regions must not be allowed to be in position to dictate how the nation’s resources should be shared.
Minonties
In other words, people who come from regions like Ashanti, Eastern, Western, Brong Ahafo and maybe Greater Accra per what he said, are the ones eligible to aspire to the office of President to run affairs of the state, an obvious reference to President John Dramani Mahama. This is because he hails from the Northern Region, which according to Osafo Maafo, does not contribute much in terms of natural and human resources to the Ghana economy.
I have not heard any condemnation of that by his party leadership.
NPP
If the NPP loses the up-coming general elections and they are looking for factors that contributed to their defeat to the NDC, they should consider Osafo Maafo’s comments as one of those.
I was glued to the TV set on Friday watching the “Good Morning Ghana” show on Metro – TV hosted by Randy Abbey.
On the discussion panel, was my friend and brother from another mother, Kwaku Kakraba Baako Jnr. aka Abdul Malik Kwaku Baako, Editor in – Chief of the Crusading Guide newspaper. The other panel member was Sam George Nettey, the aspiring Member of Parliament (MP) for Ningo-Prampram in the Greater Accra Region, I enjoyed the show because of the way the two gentlemen conducted themselves. The match – up was okay and the discussion quite good as usual.
I was however disappointed when toward the end of the show, my friend and colleague of old, Abdul Malik Kwaku Baako stated that he would vote for Nana Akufo Addo in the general elections because he wanted “Change”
Before then, he had created the impression that Nana Addo has done well in tackling the issues compared to the 2012 Presidential campaign.
Sam George disagreed. He was of the opinion that the delay in coming out with a Manifesto was a jolt in the NPP 2016 campaign
I know democracy is a game of choice. So I would not begrudge Kwaku Baako for saying he would vote for Nana Addo in the Presidential elections.
I hear he’s now called Nana Dee # Nana D.
Change of Govt.?
So far as I know, there are no subjective grounds for a change in leadership of the country because the current President has more than delivered within this short tenure to render invalid, any suggestion or justifiable ground for a change in the political administration of the country. Compared to J.J Rawlings, Kufuor and even Prof. Mills, don’t you sincerely think this young man in the face of the daunting odds, had dumb founded his most virulent critics? I believe Mahama has done well to deserve another term in office.
If IMANI Ghana, of all think-tanks, would give the government more than 52 in percentage terms, then what else in Jove’s name must we sell our colour TV for a black and white one?
For the record, IMANI did not subject NPP’s tenure in office with regard to the implementation of their “So Far So Good” Manifesto of 2004 to any critical scrutiny.
In any case, the last time I checked, Kwaku Baako was still a member of the Convention People’s Party (CPP).
So why is he voting for the presidential candidate of a party other than his professed one?
One votes for change when change beckons; when change is imminent and when change is inevitable.
Justification
My point really is why must Kwaku say he is voting for “Change”? And I don’t know if I am justified in my stance against him or not.
In my candid view, one votes for Change when one is dissatisfied with the old order of doing things.
One changes a bad driver for a good one; one changes a bad manager for a good one, and one changes a bad coach for a good one. A winning team is hardly ever changed.
In the business world, if a company keeps on posting losses, you either close it down; dispose of its assets or invite strategic investors to come in, leading to take – overs (change) and amalgamations.
What’s so wantonly irking and excuse me to say, awesomely wrong with the current political establishment under President John Dramani Mahama, that makes my friend and colleague Kwaku Baaku say in spite of that, he would bank his hopes on a sinking ship?
In my view voting for the NPP presidential candidate is analogous to an involuntary endorsement of the series of bad decisions and incidents that have bedeviled the party.
One should therefore not be proud, thumping one’s chest, to openly declare that “I will vote for Change”.
For me, the NDC is better positioned than the NPP”.
Transformation
In terms of rebranding and positive transformation, NDC is streets ahead of the NPP although NDC learned and copied all the trappings and underpinnings of democracy from the NPP which prides itself as the doyen of democracy in Ghana.
So I would have been silent and in fact let sleeping dogs lie, if my colleague had said he would vote for Nana Addo because I would have taken it that he was voting for his preferred candidate, which is his democratic and constitutional right anyway. Better still, Kwaku could have said “I will vote for the NPP and not the NDC”. Here too, I would not have had any trouble or qualms with him.
He said and I quote; “I am voting for Nana Addo because I want change”.
This is my point of departure, thus far, I wish to posit that there’s no objective reasoning for a democratic change in Government now.
The 1992 Constitution even affirms this when it spells out conditions for giving another term of office to an elected President. “Choose ye this day whom you and your family would serve, but as for me and my house we shall serve the Lord”
I dedicate this famous verse in the Old Testament to my colleague.
As for me, I think the time for voting for a change of Government is not nigh.
The subjective conditions aren’t enough to justify that, to wit, what do we want the change for?
The quantitative and qualitative research outcomes even, put paid to that.
Do you want the change for mortgaging of a party’s national headquarters for a Prudential Bank loan?
Change for despotism?
Change for internal Zionism?
Change for authoritarianism?
Change for egocentrism?
Change for ethnocentrism?
Change for politics of exclusion and expulsion?
Change for divisiveness?
Change for factionalism and change for “All Die – be – Die?
Perhaps, change for the Third Rail?
In my view, although politics allows space for democratic choices, I believe Ghana is not ready to be entrusted into the hands of the NPP as of now.
Ref: Nana Kofi Coomson, publisher of the Ghanaian Chronicle newspaper’s comments on Nana Addo captured on tape.
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