.... with Zero-tolerance for Vindictiveness and Violence
Ghana today, needs a peace-loving president who would exude zero-tolerance for vindictiveness and violence in all parts of Ghana, more so in Northern Ghana which is currently fraught with anger, antipathy, and animosity. In recent months and years, there have been several incidents of preventable violence involving murders in some parts of Northern Ghana that the Kufuor government hasn’t given due attention to resolve permanently, which, potentially, could either exacerbate or be the source of vindictiveness and related contagion in the future. The next president should not tolerate a rekindling of violence or vindictiveness because enough blood has already been spilled in Northern Ghana in recent years and months, and that should not be allowed to recur under the next government. Dialogue is always the best tool to adopt to address and resolve our differences.

We need to elect a transformational president who would bring about progressive change Ghanaians can believe in – especially in the way government officials function so as to transform our society and economy into a viable, competitive, and society-focused one by restructuring our industrial, agricultural, education, health sectors, among others, in innovative ways to make them modernized, efficient, effective, and productive in order to meet our economic growth needs. Moreover, the president should be someone who can lead a lean, clean government by moving away from the status quo of big, bureaucratic-transactional presidency that is self-seeking and rewards its supporters with ministerial and public sector positions, project contracts, and the like, for their financial support and sympathy even when they do not merit those positions in terms of qualifications. Ghana needs a leader who would transcend tribal and political party barriers and place the interest of Ghana first, before his tribal and political party interests.

Critically, Ghanaians should elect a justice-oriented president who would ensure swift justice when miscreants, even from his own party, take the law into their own hands and abuse their political party incumbency by unleashing violence on their opponents. The need to reconcile and unite us is more crucial now than ever, as so many Ghanaians are angry at each other for whatever tangible or intangible reasons. Hence Ghana needs a unifying president now than ever before; not a vindictive leader. We need reconciliation, unity, and peace in order to move Ghana forward. Countries that have engaged in politics of vindictiveness, violence, and abuse of incumbency have remained backward and disunited. For instance, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and The Democratic Republic of Congo (formerly known as Zaire), among others, which have engaged in politics of vengeance are consigned to a vicious cycle of violence and political instability with its attendant negative impact on their national economies and development.

Ghana yearns for a wise leader who would not countenance violence with impunity, and would not manipulate the security agencies and the judiciary to pervert the course of justice. For that matter, Ghanaians should elect a president who understands the meaning of the rule of law and the full responsibilities and functions of the office of the presidency and would not derelict his duties of ensuring justice in serious criminal cases.

More so, Ghanaians should choose a selfless president who would have the plight of Ghanaians and their well-being at heart and would spend some time at home (in Ghana) to address and resolve the plethora of socio-economic issues facing us today. Ghana does not need an absentee president.

Further, Ghana needs a charismatic president who would root out the existing endemic corruption by destroying the structures that breed and nurture corruption in all sectors and at all levels of both public and private establishments. I am afraid to say that, without a transcendent change in the current state of entrenched corruption, self-seeking political demeanor, and far-right wealth-amassing capitalist ideological platform Ghana can never move forward in terms of social and economic development because corruption begets more corruption.

In addition, Ghanaians should elect a president who would declare war on the booming drug trafficking menace. The current spate of drug trafficking is putting the security and privileges enjoyed by our country at a serious peril which is set to blemish the good image of Ghana at the international level. Besides, there is the potential of our country breeding a generation of drug addicts who might turn out to be public charge.

Critically, Ghanaians should go for a president who would tackle the development of Ghana from a non-partisan perspective to ensure equitable development of all areas of the country, with more emphasis on the north to bridge the development gap with the south. The current transactional leadership style that concentrates development along voting trends as reward for constituencies that supported the ruling party at the ballot box should give way to a more nationwide-oriented developmental mentality. Under the current political leadership only Members of Parliament in the ruling government receive and implement meaningful development projects in their constituencies to the neglect of the others.

In conclusion, Ghanaians should wisely choose a president who is wise enough, peaceful enough, intelligent enough, experienced in governance enough, ambidextrous enough, and caring enough to place at the top of his priority list solving the current problems of poverty, lawlessness - including violent crimes with impunity, insecurity, youth unemployment, economic hardships, among others, that are facing Ghanaians at the moment. Optimistically, a lot can be achieved in the coming years if Ghanaians vote for a non-vindictive, selfless, transformational leader who will be the president of all Ghanaians; not a transactional leader who will be president of his political party and its members only.

Peace for Ghana!

By: Natogmah Issahaku

(Peace and Development Advocate)

Hails from Jisonaayilli, near Tamale.