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Opinions of Friday, 19 October 2012

Columnist: Smith, Kweku

We Must Positively Defy Nana Konadu

and the NDP to Help sustain JJ Rawlings' Legacy



I strongly believe our founder J.J. Rawlings aka Papa J, would be the most disappointed person in NDC if not in Ghana if the members of the NDC today failed to practice what he thought us. NDC members specially the youth would be failing JJ Rawlings if we do not demonstrate that, the lessons he taught us, were taking seriously. I believe the recent moves by Papa are attempts to test how serious we as students adhere to his positive defiance principles.

Can you just imagine a school system without an examination? Examinations are the only means by which teachers could tell if their efforts and time spent educating their students have not been wasted. There must be a way for testing people and this is how I see Papa J’s recent actions and call on the rank and file to remain calm.

One very important lesson that JJ Rawlings taught every student member of the NDC was the subject of POSITIVE DEFIANCE and Power to the people.

What is POSITIVE DEFIANCE?

According to our founder Papa J, positive defiance is where a majority of people in a group or in country use non-violence means to disobey their leader or role models for the good of the majority. JJ Rawlings, the proponent of this theory called on his youth students to first think of what will benefit Ghana and NDC before the interest of any group of individuals within the NDC or in the country.

That said, many would agree that the actions of the Rawlingses of late , especially the former first lady Nana Kanadu Agyeman Rawlings, seek to undermine the rather successful Better Ghana Agenda programmes that we all acclaimed under the Akatamansonia umbrella. The majority of Ghanaians today have witnessed the unprecedented developmental projects undertaken by the NDC over the last four years. The NDC, today has outgrown personality cults and transformed into a dynamic institution with a strong binding constitution.

Ghanaians therefore would want to see the youths in the NDC demonstrate how best to take forward the ideas and lessons taught them by the ‘Junior Jesus’ of Ghana seriously. Papa J’s by his own admission does not have much energy left and therefore cannot be seen actively getting involve in this year’s campaign.

How can the NDC youths prove to Papa J that they were very good students and would continue to be students of his positive defiance principles that he promotes?

The only way forward is to positively defy the NDP and its flag bear Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings. Konadu's actions and inactions are selfish calculated to push the ruling NDC government into opposition. NDC students of positive defiance class cannot subscribe to this single minded, selfish and vindictive motive by Nana Konadu. We call on all NDC Students and Youths of positive defiance class to defy Nana Konadu and go into the communities to spread the good works of the late Prof. John Atta Mills (may his soul rest in perfect peace) which is now being championed by President John Mahama. All NDC youths must ensure that come December 07, we deliver a resounding victory – a one-touch no redial victory for the National Democratic Congress. Anything short of victory for the NDC would be a failed in the positive defiance test Papa J has set us.

A call for 5 weeks on positive Action in lieu to positive defiance :

We cannot expect to pass the ‘Positive Defiance’ test set by our founder – Papa J if we do not take “Positive Actions” today. Also in order to sustain his legacy which in part is to continue delivering the Better Ghana to Ghanaians under the leadership of President John Mahama. We we must not fail this positive defiance test.

The following are just some of the things you can start doing now as a way of showing your understanding and practice of POSITIVE DEFIANCE theory:

1- Do you live close to a project that has been undertaken by the NDC, please take a picture of it or video it and show it to all your friends and neighbours. If you can, get people in the area to give you details and first-hand information about the conditions in which they were before the project and how the project has affected their lives positively.

2- Are you personally a beneficiary of the Better Ghana Agenda, - are you a worker, has your salary improved? – Please tell your own story. There is no powerful message than your own personal story. For us, People Matter, You Matter.

3- Read through the manifesto and familiarize yourself with the plan NDC have for Ghana in the next 4 years.

4- An hour a day can help keep the Better Ghana going. The NDC now more than ever need people like you to spend at least an hour a day talking about NDC to someone especially the floating voters. We must not expect others to do it on our behalf, we have to get involve. This is a call to National Duty. A duty so sacred we must all help deliver for God and Country. People Matter You Matter.

5- Do you reside outside Ghana? Every little we say count. Can you spare some change to buy water for volunteers in your constituency to do the leg work? You can also visit http://www.vfmahama.com/.

6- Do you have a deep understanding of policy issues and can help reduce the language in the NDC manifesto into a language that an ordinary Ghanaian can understand? Please do and share.

7- Engage the NPP facebookers in constructive debate to help stop the lies. Please do not fall into the lack of message diversionary campaign tactics of insulting and taking you attention away from the core issues.

8- Text something good about the NDC to at least 5people a day. In your heart of hearts why do you think President John Mahama is the best candidate or the best man for the job of the commander in chief among all the contestants? That is a message you can spread.

9- Do not let the words depart from your mouth: We all remember the evils, the lootings of state assets, the drug dealings, and the unjustified dismissals, the unjusfiable sales of the state assets to their cronies, the nepotism, the opulence and gross disregards for the rule of law under the NPP.

Ghanaians must not forget how Mocta Bamba forged Kufours signature and use the president’s letterheads to engage in visa and passport fraud. Ghanaians must not forget what the former NPP chairman said, that the castle has become the headquarters of collecting 10% kickbacks and bribes. Ghanaians must not forget how the NPP collapsed and sold Ghana Airways assets. Ghanaians must not forget how Nana Akufo Addo gave diplomatic passports to undeserving persons including Nigerians. Ghanaians must not forget how Ghana became known as the Cocaine Coast. Ghanaians must not forget how fraudulently the NPP tried getting a loan from a hair dressing saloon in Hammersmith, London, UK.

Ghanaians must not forget how according to P.C. Appiah Ofori, the NPP members of Parliament took $5,000 each to vote for the Sale of Ghana Telecom to Vodafone. Akufo-Addo collected $100,000 as part this looting of the state funds and also as flag bearer of NPP. Ghanaians must not forget how contracts were cancelled leading to judgment debts. We must not forget how Ghanaians in Gambia were murdered in cold blood and ignored by Akufo-Addo who was then the Foreign Minister. Ghanaians and especially the fishermen must not forget how NPP contracted fishermen from Spain and China to fish in the Ghanaian waters, depriving our fishermen of their livelihood. We all remember how Mrs. Christian Churcher became desperate and went on her knees in tears to beg the fishermen to vote for her because she has sponsored the payments of the NHIS premiums.

Ghanaians must not forget Nana Akufo-Addo’s own record of abysmal performance when it comes to the issue of public policy. In 1992, when the Constitution of Ghana was being written, Nana Akufo-Addo and his NPP boycotted it because they claimed fishermen, fish mongers, the makola women, the cocoa farmers, the shoe makers among others were not qualified to be part of the consultative assemblies that gave birth to the 1992 constitution.

Nana Akufo-Addo organized Kume Preko demonstration against the introduction of the VAT, which led to the death of four (4) Ghanaian youth. Also, in the year 2000, when GETFUND was being introduced, Akufo-Addo led the NPP to boycott parliament. Today, VAT money goes into GETFUND which Nana Addo claims he would use to support his SAKAWA FREE SHS. Vision by definitions means once ability to foresee the future, judge it correctly and taken decisions and actions now. On VAT Nana Addo got it wrong. On GETFUND Nana Addo got it wrong. On education today, Nana Akufo-Addo has gotten it wrong again today.

Akufo Addo is today promising free SHS but here are some bare facts and questions you must ask the NPP for answers: We must get Ghanaians to start asking the NPP serious questions.

This year, 9,000 students apply to go to Wesley Girls. Out of the 9,000, 6,500 students had 9 1s. Wesley Girls was only able to admit 350 of the students. Source (Wesley Girls). Similarly, 10,200 students apply to Mfantsipim; the school could only admit 400 students.

Total number of students who applied to both schools =19,200. Total number admitted = 750. Total number not admitted into those schools =18450.

Now the questions!

1. Would one say the 18,450 could not get admission into these schools because of cost?

2. How can the FREE SHS policy help these 18,450 get admission

3. Why such a high demand for these two schools?

4. Has anyone seen or know of a public SHS that lacks or struggles to get the required number of students to its capacity?

5. If yes to question 4 above, why?



Folks, I strongly believe we have more than enough stories to tell Ghanaians. All that is needed now is for us to stay united and focus and tell our story to Ghanaians for a resounding victory for the Great NDC comes Dec. 07. This is the only way we can prove to our founder Papa J that we indeed took the lessons he taught us seriously.

I salute you all.



Kweku Smith. http://www.facebook.com/kweku.smith.12 ; Facebook:

NDC - Eye Zuu, Eye Zaa.

NDC – Eye Zuuzaa, Eye Zaa Zuu.

NDC – Ede be k3k3.