Columnist: Kwaku Badu, UK (at GhanaWeb. com) - There is no denying or hiding the fact that governance is a serious business, and as such it requires forward thinking, serious and committed group of people to bring about the needed development.
Nevertheless, it has not always been the case in Ghana’s democratic dispensation.
Unfortunately, the emergence of multi-party democracy has given rise to both capable and seemingly incapable political parties.
Disappointingly, though, we are more often than not, been electing the semicircle of incapable economic managers who have only succeeded in sinking the economy deeper and deeper into the mire.
Somehow, following their humiliating defeat in the 2016 general election, the leadership of the NDC Party have been reassuring their teeming supporters of their cumbrous efforts to return the party into power in 2020.
Obviously, the leadership of the NDC Party have not done anything wrong for expressing their consuming desire to return into power in 2020. After all, who does not have a wish?
But then again, it has been well-stencilled: “if wishes were horses, beggars would ride.”
To me, it would be boundlessly unconscionable if the diehard supporters of the NDC Party continue to live in a denial.
The fact of the matter is that if the NDC 'apparatchiks' really want to recapture power in 2020, they should rather be prepared to offer credible opposition and put an end to their propagandistic shenanigans.
Frankly stating, any reflective thinker will acknowledge the fact that the discerning Ghanaians have overcome their electoral benightedness and are ever prepared to vote on issues, if the just gone general election is anything to go by.
So, the propagandists or manipulating politicians might as well change their ways, get a firm grip of the issues relevant to the masses and come out with pertinent policies and solutions.
It is also true that the NPP government does not have absolute right to remain in power. Indeed, President Akufo-Addo and his appointees have to work towards their re-election. That is by honouring a sizeable number of the numerous promises they made to discerning Ghanaians.
Of course, the discerning Ghanaians voted the NDC government out of power in the 2016 general election as they were not happy about the way President Mahama and his appointees were managing the economy.
Having said that, based on the outcome of the 2016 General Elections, we could conclude that discerning Ghanaians will not forgive the NPP government if they failed to perform exceedingly better than the NDC government.
Then also, it would be politically suicidal if the NPP government turned away from their brassbound party loyalists, many of whom worked their socks off to ensure the electoral victory in the 2016 general election.
Of course, one cannot be far from right for asserting that during the 2016 electioneering campaign, a sizeable number of the supporters at the lower end of the ladder worked extremely hard than most of the people who have landed government appointments.
So, let the NPP government appointees look down upon the hardworking and selfless men and women at their own peril.
Although the vast majority of the supporters knew very well that they’ll never in a million years get appointment in government, they persevered and worked strenuously to ensure victory in the 2016 election.
They are indeed the real patriots, who want nothing but the prosperity of Ghana. I, for one, will ever admire their unparalleled patriotism and altruism.
To me, the best the NPP government could do for those party loyalists and the millions of discerning Ghanaians who rightly brought the party into power is to fulfil the promises, and work assiduously and selflessly so as to ameliorate their lives.
Indeed, the good people of Ghana found in NPP, a redeemer, who they trusted to set them free from the NDC government’s apparent economic bondage.
Thus, President Nana Akufo-Addo and his appointees must not and cannot disappoint the discerning Ghanaians, whose invaluable efforts brought about the needed change.
Let us therefore remind the NPP government that when promises are broken, the bonds of trust are breached, thus the NPP government must not and cannot renege on its Manifesto promises.
So, in the grand scheme of things, President Akufo-Addo and his appointees must endeavour to initiate expedient policies to overturn the failed policies of agriculture, poverty reduction and resource allocation in the areas of healthcare, education, finance, supply chain management and security sector planning, amongst others.
Truly, it is expedient and a worthwhile for any authority to attempt to bridge social inequalities through rational distribution of national resources (Li, Savage, Ward 2008).
Thus, it is not out of place for the NPP government to seek to improve Ghanaians well-being through the implementation of advantageous policies such as one district one factory, one constituency one million dollars, one village one dam, free SHS, tax deductions and many others.
Of course, the promises are exciting and achievable. But then again, it is up to President Nana Akufo-Addo and his appointees to deliver the goods.
Let us admit it, though, it is not going to be an easy task in the midst of the huge debt left by the erstwhile NDC government. Ghana’s debt is reported to be around GH120billion as of December 2016.
Indeed, the task confronting the NPP government is huge, and I do not envy any appointee of President Nana Akufo-Addo at all.
It is, however, worth mentioning that the previous NPP government under former President Kufuor met a similar situation in 2001.
If we stroll down memory lane, former President Kufuor’s predecessor, former President Rawlings, Nineteen years rule add nothing meaningful to the economy, but it rather destabilised Ghana’s macroeconomic indicators.
Ghana was thus declared as Highly Indebted Poor Country (HIPC) in April 2001, just about three months into NPP’s administration. But despite the apparent destabilisation of the macroeconomic indicators amid dire socio-economic standards of living, NPP government under President Kufuor managed to turn Ghana’s fortunes around.
Even though the task ahead seems extremely difficult, the effervescent President Nana Akufo-Addo and his seemingly capable appointees are expected to deliver the goods to the good people of Ghana.
In ending, if the Manifesto promises are kept and the able appointees live up to the expectation, trust me, the NDC Party will be kept in the opposition for a very long time.
Unfortunately, the emergence of multi-party democracy has given rise to both capable and seemingly incapable political parties.
Disappointingly, though, we are more often than not, been electing the semicircle of incapable economic managers who have only succeeded in sinking the economy deeper and deeper into the mire.
Somehow, following their humiliating defeat in the 2016 general election, the leadership of the NDC Party have been reassuring their teeming supporters of their cumbrous efforts to return the party into power in 2020.
Obviously, the leadership of the NDC Party have not done anything wrong for expressing their consuming desire to return into power in 2020. After all, who does not have a wish?
But then again, it has been well-stencilled: “if wishes were horses, beggars would ride.”
To me, it would be boundlessly unconscionable if the diehard supporters of the NDC Party continue to live in a denial.
The fact of the matter is that if the NDC 'apparatchiks' really want to recapture power in 2020, they should rather be prepared to offer credible opposition and put an end to their propagandistic shenanigans.
Frankly stating, any reflective thinker will acknowledge the fact that the discerning Ghanaians have overcome their electoral benightedness and are ever prepared to vote on issues, if the just gone general election is anything to go by.
So, the propagandists or manipulating politicians might as well change their ways, get a firm grip of the issues relevant to the masses and come out with pertinent policies and solutions.
It is also true that the NPP government does not have absolute right to remain in power. Indeed, President Akufo-Addo and his appointees have to work towards their re-election. That is by honouring a sizeable number of the numerous promises they made to discerning Ghanaians.
Of course, the discerning Ghanaians voted the NDC government out of power in the 2016 general election as they were not happy about the way President Mahama and his appointees were managing the economy.
Having said that, based on the outcome of the 2016 General Elections, we could conclude that discerning Ghanaians will not forgive the NPP government if they failed to perform exceedingly better than the NDC government.
Then also, it would be politically suicidal if the NPP government turned away from their brassbound party loyalists, many of whom worked their socks off to ensure the electoral victory in the 2016 general election.
Of course, one cannot be far from right for asserting that during the 2016 electioneering campaign, a sizeable number of the supporters at the lower end of the ladder worked extremely hard than most of the people who have landed government appointments.
So, let the NPP government appointees look down upon the hardworking and selfless men and women at their own peril.
Although the vast majority of the supporters knew very well that they’ll never in a million years get appointment in government, they persevered and worked strenuously to ensure victory in the 2016 election.
They are indeed the real patriots, who want nothing but the prosperity of Ghana. I, for one, will ever admire their unparalleled patriotism and altruism.
To me, the best the NPP government could do for those party loyalists and the millions of discerning Ghanaians who rightly brought the party into power is to fulfil the promises, and work assiduously and selflessly so as to ameliorate their lives.
Indeed, the good people of Ghana found in NPP, a redeemer, who they trusted to set them free from the NDC government’s apparent economic bondage.
Thus, President Nana Akufo-Addo and his appointees must not and cannot disappoint the discerning Ghanaians, whose invaluable efforts brought about the needed change.
Let us therefore remind the NPP government that when promises are broken, the bonds of trust are breached, thus the NPP government must not and cannot renege on its Manifesto promises.
So, in the grand scheme of things, President Akufo-Addo and his appointees must endeavour to initiate expedient policies to overturn the failed policies of agriculture, poverty reduction and resource allocation in the areas of healthcare, education, finance, supply chain management and security sector planning, amongst others.
Truly, it is expedient and a worthwhile for any authority to attempt to bridge social inequalities through rational distribution of national resources (Li, Savage, Ward 2008).
Thus, it is not out of place for the NPP government to seek to improve Ghanaians well-being through the implementation of advantageous policies such as one district one factory, one constituency one million dollars, one village one dam, free SHS, tax deductions and many others.
Of course, the promises are exciting and achievable. But then again, it is up to President Nana Akufo-Addo and his appointees to deliver the goods.
Let us admit it, though, it is not going to be an easy task in the midst of the huge debt left by the erstwhile NDC government. Ghana’s debt is reported to be around GH120billion as of December 2016.
Indeed, the task confronting the NPP government is huge, and I do not envy any appointee of President Nana Akufo-Addo at all.
It is, however, worth mentioning that the previous NPP government under former President Kufuor met a similar situation in 2001.
If we stroll down memory lane, former President Kufuor’s predecessor, former President Rawlings, Nineteen years rule add nothing meaningful to the economy, but it rather destabilised Ghana’s macroeconomic indicators.
Ghana was thus declared as Highly Indebted Poor Country (HIPC) in April 2001, just about three months into NPP’s administration. But despite the apparent destabilisation of the macroeconomic indicators amid dire socio-economic standards of living, NPP government under President Kufuor managed to turn Ghana’s fortunes around.
Even though the task ahead seems extremely difficult, the effervescent President Nana Akufo-Addo and his seemingly capable appointees are expected to deliver the goods to the good people of Ghana.
In ending, if the Manifesto promises are kept and the able appointees live up to the expectation, trust me, the NDC Party will be kept in the opposition for a very long time.
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