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Opinions of Tuesday, 27 November 2018

Columnist: Kwaku Badu

Does NDC really believe in social democratic ideology?

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The phraseology, political ideology, is used as a descriptive label for a set of ideas and values about political parties in a democratic dispensation. Political ideology, therefore, comprises the body of ideas that undergird the conduct of political parties.

Interestingly, the contending schools of thought argue that the NDC faithful, who apparently take pride in the social democratic ideology, are not in the business of promoting the welfare of the masses, but they are rather on a mission to advance their parochial interests by persistently proselytising and hoodwinking the unsuspecting voters to gain electoral advantage.

For the purposes of this periodical, we will define social interventionism as “the pragmatic action which involves the intervention of a government or an organization in social affairs of society.”

In essence, social interventionism refers to the effective, prudent and appropriate means of alleviating social or economic difficulties being faced by people.

Social interventionism, therefore, is an umbrella term for social intervention, social protection, social welfare or poverty alleviation.

Social interventionism, so to speak, differs from the provision of social infrastructure and amenities, such as toilets, electricity, schools, hospitals, water, roads, interchanges, amongst others.

You would think that individuals who pride themselves as social democrats will be extremely empathetic to the needs of the masses, but this is not the case with the NDC apparatchiks.

Indeed, the erstwhile Mahama government wilfully ran down or cancelled most of the crucial social interventions to the dismay of discerning Ghanaians.

The Nurse’s Allowance, the Teacher’s Allowance, SADA, GYEEDA, NHIS, the Maternal Care, the School Feeding programme and the Mass Transport System readily come to mind.

Strangely, however, they only sing along the social democratic rendition and then turn their back on the masses. It is an illustrative case of social democrats who do not know how to initiate and manage social interventions.

Dearest reader, given that the NDC faithful unblushingly campaigned and voted against the poverty reduction Free SHS policy during the 2016 election, it will not come as a surprise at all if the future ‘yentie obia’ NDC government decides to cancel the programme altogether.

More so the outgone NDC government’s unpardonable errors in judgement or terrible decision-making brought about the huge economic meltdown amid untold hardships.

The extent of the mess, as a matter of fact, is so huge that no economist on this planet can fix it in just 22 months.

Thus, the relentless claims by the NDC loyalists that the NPP government has messed-up, or is messing-up Ghana’s economy in barely 22 months into 48 months mandate is specious, so to speak.

Let us however be honest, the NPP government could not have messed up Ghana’s economy in just 22 months into 48 months mandate.

Given the circumstances, the best the discerning Ghanaians could do is to have a little patience, while President Akufo-Addo and his government try earnestly to fix the enormous mess created by the Mahama’s government.

After all, we sufficiently endured the NDC’s eight years of incompetence, create, loot and share administration.

As a matter of fact and observation, the unbridled corruption, the arrogance of power and the irreversible incompetence which resulted in economic collapse are still fresh in the memories of discerning Ghanaians.

In fact, if we mull over the incompetent and greedy NDC politicians and other public servants corrupt practices, we can only conclude that the vast majority of the modern day politicians preoccupation is to manipulate their way into power and then pursue their vested interests.

Some of us, as a matter of fact and principle, cannot end our arousing disgust anyhow and anytime soon, given the erstwhile NDC government’s inborn predilection, irrevocable incompetence and corrupt practices, which nonetheless destabilised Ghana’s macroeconomic indicators.

It must, however, be emphasised that discerning Ghanaians cannot remit their fury in condemnation over the disputatious NDC apparatchiks ridiculous claims that the NPP government is messing up the country in barely 22 months and for that matter, they are on course to put forward former President Mahama to recapture power in 2020.

I think it is about time the unrepentant propagandists or manipulating politicians and their unsuspecting supporters changed their antics, get a firm grip of the issues which are relevant to the masses and come out with pertinent policies and solutions that can propel Ghana’s advancement.

Truly, discerning Ghanaians witnessed so much scheming guiles and frequent abuse of power in the erstwhile NDC administration, and hence the vast majority of Ghanaians have permanently lost trust in the NDC.

Take, for instance, but for the Honourable Agyapong’s whistling blowing prowess, former President Mahama’s sibling, Ibrahim Mahama, would have evaded import taxes in the tune of GH12 million. How pathetic?

However, the EOCO ordered Ibrahim Mahama to pay the GH12 million as all his previous 44 cheques were dishonoured by the respective banks. How bizarre?

As if that was not enough, the Mahama administration revoltingly sanctioned a 30 year bauxite mining lease of around 58% to Ibrahim Mahama and his partners on 29th December 2016, just a little over one week for his brother’s government to exit power. How pathetic?

Given the irrevocable incompetence, wanton sleazes and corruption which took place in the outgone NDC administration, we can reasonably infer that misunderstanding of true patriotism exists in the minds of the vast majority of the modern day politicians and their teeming supporters, who would more often than not, choose party and personal interests over the national interests.

Astonishingly, however, in Ghana, greedy, incompetent and corrupt officials are held in high esteem by the ever so nodding party loyalists for performing abysmally and stealing from the national purse at the expense of the suffering masses.

It would, however, appear that we, Ghanaians, are possessed with grovelling characteristic of a morally degraded mind which dislikes anything that comes with quality, efficiency, honesty and integrity.

Thus, our manipulating leaders, having first-hand knowledge of our servile compliance and hero-worshipping nonsense, tend to take us for granted and continue to offer mediocre leadership.

Let us therefore be true to ourselves, we definitely need attitudinal and behavioural change, because we must not and cannot continue to elect and hero worship individuals who are so corrupt and cannot see their backsides from their elbows.

K. Badu, UK.

k.badu2011@gmail.com