Opinions of Tuesday, 2 January 2024

Columnist: Anthony Afrane

NDC victory 2024 will hinge on loyalty

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I fully agree with Neil Gaiman on the following quote: “It may help to understand human affairs to be clear that most of the great triumphs and tragedies of history are caused, not by people being fundamentally good or fundamentally bad, but by people being fundamentally people.”

The success of the NDC in the upcoming polls in December, this year will largely depend on the selflessness and loyalty of its members.

Talking about loyalty reminds me of my favourite story of a loyal Japanese dog. He was a dog who lived in Tokyo, a dog who faithfully waited for his owner at the Shibuya Train Station long after his owner could not come to meet him. He became famous for his loyalty and was adored by scores of people who passed through the station every day.

Can you imagine walking to the same place every day, to meet your loved one. And waiting, and waiting, and waiting for ten years without seeing him or her? This is the story of Hachiko.

In 1924, Hidesaburo Ueno, a professor in the agriculture department at the University of Tokyo, took Hachiko, a golden brown Akita dog as a pet. During his owner's life, Hachiko greeted him at the end of each day at the nearby Shibuya Station. The pair continued their daily routine until May, 1925, when Professor Ueno did not return.

The professor had suffered a cerebral haemorrhage and died, never returning to the train station where Hachiko was waiting. Each day for the next nine years, nine months and fifteen days, Hachiko awaited Ueno's return, appearing precisely when the train was due at the station, and anxiously scanned through the disembarking passengers for his master!

Isn't this amazing? True friendship does not depend on what one will benefit from a relationship, but a genuine sense of love and loyalty. Prof. Ueno died and was unavailable to feed his dog, but Hachiko kept an unwavering love for his master. This must be the attitude of members and sympathisers of the NDC going into the 2024 elections.

They must blur the lines between selfishness and selflessness. They must unite around common values to accomplish Victory 2024 as they did at the Assin North by-election sometime last year. They should do it. They should just do it. They should not hesitate. They should never hesitate. If they work hard and selflessly together, they can make that difference!

It is very possible that a lot of money may be thrown at some influential people in the NDC, but anyone playing a role towards NDC victory should remember that the 2024 elections is a rescue mission to deliver the people of Ghana from excruciating pain and the youth from hopelessness.

Any act of egomania will cause further untold hardships to the people of Ghana and deprive the youth from job opportunities as put forward in H.E. John Dramani Mahama's proposed 24-hour economy policy, and the consequences could be dire for anyone who will try to do anything diabolical because God will definitely frown on such conducts.