Folding The Umbrella; Politics Of Divide And Rule

“Let me remind all concerned that we won all our elections and survived the most trying times of our nation’s history for as long as we did, bringing hope and relief to our people because of NDC’s values and principles. Abandoning these values will not only spell doom of the government but the hopes and aspirations of our people” – PRESIDENT JERRY JOHN RAWLINGS.
It appears obtrusive enough to me, that some of the leading bearers of the umbrella (Akatamanso) are content with whatever that they have grabbed by way of appointments, contracts and perks of office and would want to FOLD the umbrella in order to expose the susceptible foot soldiers of the NDC to the mercy of the weather.
Recent happenings in the NDC are very worrying and disturbing to the innocent but gallant foot soldiers who had to sacrifice (mostly) parts of their bodies (in protecting the ballot boxes) for the victory of the Party in 2008.
Those who suffered these atrocities (especially in Ashanti Region) interestingly have since not gotten any justice and yet leadership do NOT seem to care if we go back to OPPOSITION.
The bad blood between President Mills (leader of NDC) and President Rawlings (Founder of NDC) is an indication of the Party’s draft ROAD MAP to a premature transition in 2012 (at least by Ghanaian elections convention).
Everybody in the NDC today (including myself) can be blamed for the woes of the party but the leadership of the party is the ultimate CULPRITS.
All those trying to become FLAG BEARERS of the NDC through premature campaigning are NOT helping the party. But how do you blame them, when the leadership of the party has created room for early campaigning.
President Mills declared in December 2009 to lead the NDC in 2012. Subsequently he and several of his aides and ministers added that he would lead the NDC into Victory in 2012.
By this statement, he was declaring prematurely that he will be a candidate for the NDC 2011 Congress, he would win that Congress, he will contest against Nana Akufo-Addo, and he will win the 2012 elections. All these statements, made in 2009 and 2010 are in blatant contravention of what NDC headquarters claims to be the Party's Constitution and conventions.
Was it a FALSE START? Well, let’s even accept the explanation of our experienced General Secretary that the President was protecting the government from unnecessary premature campaigning-- and let’s observe the aftermath of the declaration.
A certain group of hungry boys took advantage of the President’s ‘quest to protect the government’ to make money by re-introducing ‘ATTA MILLS MOVEMENT’ but this time, for 2012.
The group was allowed to hang their banners at the 8TH NATIONAL DELEGATES CONGRESS held at Tamale from 15th – 17th January 2010. The banners read “Atta Mills for President 2012 – Atta Mills Movement” which had a certain Gabriel Agah as the Acting National Coordinator with a telephone number 0246843226 all on the banner. One of those banners (as I saw), was hanged just at the entrance of congress grounds and one also at the entrance of the voting hall; where even posters of the various candidates were not allowed.
I believe that anybody who got access to the Tamale Congress grounds would not deny the presence of those banners.
Who called that group to ORDER? They still operate nationwide with branded vehicles of Atta Mills for 2012.
Meanwhile, President Mills declared at Legon Congress in 2006 that all groupings be dissolved after he had been given the FLAG of the party to bear.
Should the re-introduction of Atta Mills Movement therefore mean a start of another campaign to elect a flag bearer? Is it fair that if Usain Bolt is going to run against other contestants, he the world champion is rather allowed several false starts by the Referee without any penalties? Any President, with all the trappings of office, is in an even more unequal position than Usian Bolt making false starts at an Olympic race. How then can the Party claim it is promoting a level playing field amongst all potential contenders??
There are speculations of other groups who are promoting Vice President John Mahama for 2012 (in case the President doesn't run) or 2016 in the Brong Ahafo Region, T-shirts of John and John for 2012, Atta Mills for 2012 tea cups and saucers, various groupings of Atta Mills for 2012, etc. Meanwhile, other potential candidates like Mrs. Konadu Agyemang Rawlings, Hon. Alban Bagbin, Dr. Ekow-Spio Garbrah, Hon. Kwasi Ahwoi, etc are supposed to suffer in silence and obey the rules that others are openly flouting…..
The party National secretariat seems to be too weak to call the strong combatants – Rawlings and Mills camps to ORDER; may be, because some of them depend on the Castle for their political survival – Contracts, Board seats, Cars, cash and other incentives, so they have LOST their backbone and independence. In effect, although there are several FALSE STARTS on the 100 – yard dash-line, the referee is not able to blow any whistles or disqualify any candidates because of the fear for their ‘survival’.
The most unthinkable of it all is the formation of some ASSOCIATION OF REGIONAL CHAIRMEN -, or as they sometimes pompously call themselves "Chairmen of Chairmen" which is unconstitutional and unconventional.
Mr. Ade Coker is the Greater Accra Regional chairman of the NDC but has been hiding behind the unconstitutional Association to seem to hijack the responsibilities and usurp the powers of the National Chairman who was overwhelmingly elected by CONGRESS.
Instead of running the party from their respective regions, they always converge in Accra to take decisions on behalf of the National Executive without recourse to their Regional Executives. Who will bail the CAT by calling this illegal association to ORDER? The same people who are expected to make this call but cannot do so are quick to condemn others like my group.
Ironically, the unconstitutional association of Regional Chairmen of the NDC is calling on the media not to give space to any other group except the structures of the party. I dare query, which structure in the NDC is described as the Association of Regional Chairmen?
How will the NDC function if all Regional Secretaries form an Association of Regional Secretaries and appoint Joseph Yammin (Ashanti Region) as their head? or all Regional Youth Organizers forming association to appoint Abio (Northern Region) or even Maha (Brong Ahafo) as their head? etc, etc.....
Another probable dimension of the root to the current problems of the NDC, may be attributable to the long -standing disputes between several leading members of the party, including President Rawlings, Capt. Tsikata, P.V. Obeng, Obed Asamoah, President Mills, the Ashanti Caucus, the Ahwois (power block now) etc, which have never been properly resolved, and which the council of elders of the party are - or, may be – too old and weak to resolve.
I am reliably informed that even the attendance of NEC meetings has not been encouraging with most big shots always missing in action.
At an August NEC meeting not ONE single Cabinet Minister was present, an indication of how little interest many of these appointees have in Party affairs now that their appointments allow them to focus on juicier activities.
According to both Castle and NDC headquarters sources, neither the President nor his Vice President are known to have visited Party headquarters since they were elected nearly two years ago. So one must wonder on whose backs they hope to campaign for re-election in 2012, if Congress were to re-elect them.
The NDC party Constitution which was amended in Tamale has not been re-published with the NEW amendments, so NO ONE in the ENTIRE NDC today knows which of the NDC Constitution(s) we are following today.....
Moreover, the Party's Constitution is COMPLETELY SILENT on the Guidelines and Rules for conducting elections for the position of Flag bearer, so those who may say this is NOT time for campaigning do not have any constitutional backing for that position. We are simply following a CONVENTION, meaning a simple practice of convenience rather than written Rules and Guidelines - and the earlier the Party comes out with those the better.
The convention that Presidential candidates of the party are elected 12 months to elections when in government cannot be relied on as it has been practiced on only two (2) occasions; 1996 for President Rawlings and 2000 for President Mills. In both occasions, CONGRESS took the decision in under the 12 months limitation to the national elections.
Article 43 of the NDC Constitution gives details about the 'ELECTION OF PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE' and states:
"a. The date and venue for the election of the Presidential Candidate shall be decided by the National Executive Committee.
Howsoever the election of the Candidate for the national election shall be at least twenty-four months before the elections”.
The Constitution is completely silent on what to do when the NDC is in government.
Amplifying all these problems of the party, are some hungry opportunistic vampires who get their daily bread from the frenzy.
Most of them--including several Deputy Ministers-- begun their political lives in NCP, NPP, CPP, Eagle, etc--and as such feel no sense of loyalty or even respect, to the Founder of the Party.
Some of these guys find themselves in various positions and have adopted the DIVIDE AND RULE TACTICS in order to survive. If not, how on earth will anybody in the NDC who believe in the principles, values and virtues that forms the bedrock of the Party, think of forming the Alliance For Responsible Opposition (AFRO) just to denigrate, discredit and unmake Obaapanyin Ayebipen Konadu Agyemang Rawlings who is a vice chairperson of our party?
For Christ sake, many Ghanaians ask us daily why we (as a party and government) have failed to utilize the experience of Dr. Ekow-Spio Garbrah by appointing him into this government.
They refer to people who identify with President Rawlings as belonging to the “WHITE HOUSE” and will do everything to frustrate anybody from that house from getting favor from government.
Some of these guys are bold enough to say ‘the “WHITE HOUSE” people will continue to suffer in opposition within government’. Is that why some people in the Castle think that the best way to punish Rawlings and make it clear to Ghanaians and NDC members that he no longer is in power, is to ensure that he is "homeless" for as long as possible??
What at all is being done about this worrying situation???
Alhaji Bature parades himself as if he speaks for the Presidency. Indeed, some of his commentary gives credence to his proximity to POWER.
I listened to him one evening on Angel fm in Kumasi where he pointed out that the leader of NDC, President Mills was frustrated and fed up with the ‘noise’ in the Party and that he is prepared to leave the NDC before 2012.
Alhaji Bature went further to challenge that if the President fails to contest for 2012, the Vice President John Mahama (I admire the way his guys around him have not dabbled too much in these matters) will also not contest. Bature also makes the incredible argument that Atta Mills won the NDC Congress of 2006 WITHOUT any help from Rawlings, so he can do so again in 2011 and even win an election in 2012 without Rawlings. Who born dog, indeed!!!!
Nobody from the Presidency has confirmed or denied these funny positions of Alhaji Bature.
NDC IS DYING SLOWLY BUT SURELY!!!!!!!
Fellow Akatamansonian, why is a section of our own paying the ‘COFFEE SHOP MAFIA’ to do what they enjoy to do best?
These Journalists could not destroy us in opposition at a time when they had access to National Security 24/7. How are we convinced that they can do it now?
“Do I have a problem with President Mills? Yes I do. His refusal to pursue the moral mandate of the people – to reinstate truth, transparency and most of all justice into the fabric and psyche of the nation. This is leading to the institutionalization of crime and corruption. Justice will be deformed”. – President J.J. Rawlings.
Although President Rawlings made the above statement some three weeks ago, and the Functional Executive Committee of the Party has met two times since then, the Leadership of the party has not chosen to include this important matter on the agenda for discussions.
The rank and file of the party should be worried about this development and call for immediate attention to resolve the problem.
Before I end, why is the NDC so much interested in institutionalizing and reincarnating Dr. Kwame Nkrumah (Founder of CPP) while we have a vibrant and committed Founder who does not even have a place to lay his head and have a deserving privacy with his wife? WHAT A PITY!!!!!
Comrades, let us not lose this noble and venerable man in 2012; Founder is the ROOT of the NDC and destroying him will mean destroying the entire NDC TREE. If we allow him to continue to be marginalized, there will be NO NDC Umbrella for most of us to gather under.
If it is possible for so many senior members of the NDC Party who pew their political careers to President Rawlings, to abandon him today, because he no longer has powers of appointments and to award contracts, then President Mills should no that the reason why many around him are singing songs of praise are for the same selfish reasons.
Yes, let us SUPPORT President Mills to succeed because whether we like it or not, any flag bearer after him will need his achievements to win 2012 or any elections.
But for the DIVIDE AND RULE guys, I say – “don’t press a man running, for your Kingdom is falling” – LUCKY DUBE.
Let’s avoid the DIVIDE AND RULE attitude otherwise we will be FOLDING the UMBRELLA before 2012 just as the ELEPHANT was chased into the BUSH in 2008.
Author:
BROGYA GENFI
Founder – Organized Youth in Ashanti (OYA)
egenfi@yahoo.com; +233 249582140