Coming events, they say, cast their shadows. The recent speeches emanating from the leader of the NPP on Ivory Coast, the petroleum management bill and his ‘All die be die’ speech, appear to be rachetting up the political rhetoric. Sometimes it is difficult to see what Nana Akufo Addo stands for. Having been the foreign Minister of our country, Akufo Addo’s performance as the opposition leader (or leader-in-waiting for that matter) is particularly disappointing.

It is a serious matter if the leader of the biggest opposition party incites his members to war against their opponents. Perhaps a lesson on recent developments in America would serve as a cue. Indeed the recent shooting of a congress woman in America together with the killing of six others in the same incident is known to be the result of sustained poisoning of the political discourse in that country since the ascension of Barack Obama onto the oval office chair. No least a person than Sarah Palin has been noted as the champion of that rhetoric. Has Nana Akufo Addo, former Foreign Minister of Ghana learned any lessons from that? It is clear he has not.

That said, one also wonders if the government has its hands firmly on the security ‘joy sticks’ of our country. This is because if the history of our country offers any lessons the utterances of Akufo Addo should signal what is in his cuffs. I state this within the contexts of the organisation of ‘kumepreko’ and ‘siemeproko’ demonstrations, the burning to death of Alhaji Imoro in the Kwesimintsim Constituency, the killing of the Yaa Naa, the mysterious killing of Roko Frimpong among others.

Indeed, from the very day this current government assumed power the NPP has never allowed our country and its legitimate institutions to know peace. One does not have to struggle to recall their activities at the premises of the BNI in investigations involving former government officials; cases involving one Nana Darkwa and Amina. In all instances the NPP sought to intimidate state institutions by using a psychological strategy of assuming the position of a victim whiles visiting mayhem and fear on others (even when it was clear that there was no act of aggression against them). This was usually accompanied or followed by press conferences and prime time radio discussions on the alleged acts against them. All these involved the top executives who sought to give the alleged acts proof-by-allegation.

Many are those who praise Rawlings for having the best security system under his tenure as President of Ghana. But he was reduced to a lame duck during the period leading to the 2000 elections as a result of the crafty and sometimes despicable acts of littering the streets of Accra with dead bodies of women. Indeed when these things were happening Jacob Obetsebi Lamptey was at the spine of the NPP. He is back in charge of the NPP. His willingness to erroneously claim the deaths of his party members during the Atwiwa by-elections should have signalled to all well meaning Ghanaian and government that Ghana is in for trouble, unless we are prepared to expose and shame them with all swiftness.

This is why the series of hollow but menacing demagoguery exhibited by Akufo Addo in recent times should give our security officials reason to open their eyes, ears and if possible cock their investigative weapons. No one needs to tell them that anything other than a security system that thinks before Akufo Addo thought will mean serious instability in our country.

With the oil wealth looming large it will take a lot to deter Akufo Addo and Jacob Obetsebi Lamptey from torching the country. Elections are not do and die affairs except in Akufo Addo and Jacob’s world. As far as they are concerned even their party members should risk their lives (i.e. childish all-die-be-die incitement) just for them to annex the prize: oil, money, power, unceasing convoys and privatisation/ownership of government bungalows. They just do not get it that politic is more than power-hunger.

Ghana deserves better.


Kofi Adoli.
London.