The dilemma of the NPP

As 2009 draws to a close and we wish all a MERRY CHRISTMAS or Kwanza or happy holidays , one at this point in time needs to looks back at our achievements , successes and failures and hopefully , build on the successes and try to remedy the failures

I was reading about migrants on their way to Equatorial Guinea who were arrested on the High seas and sent back . Europe and the Americas have closed their borders. Their fate was better than others who were on their way to Israel and were shot dead . Africans on the move, looking for “greener pastures” . Some fail, others die, others languish in jail .We sit atop great resources but fail to develop them . We are adept at pouring out insults and bringing each other down .For how long shall we find solutions in others lands except our own? When oh when can we also be creative ?

On our local scene, we see a lot of ink being spilled especially by the NPP and its supporters on personalities and tribes. A lot of the assertions come out as blatantly false . Contrary views are not countenanced as they are met with insults and vulgarities . Perhaps the aim is to stifle debate and cower the person from bringing out the truth. Yet they beat their chests and call themselves “ democrats” I ask if Prez Obama would have been president being a member of the Republican Party, an ally of the NPP and hence of the NPP? He is of a minority and from the minority but a party with progressive philosophy allowed him to win. Can the NPP tell us if a minority , or if a female can ever be its Flag Bearer? Truth Hurts Ex Prez Rawlings is said to be the “father of tribalism’ . I am not sure of this assertion but I will not debate it .What I do know is that in a debate between two NPP “ stalwarts” about meritocracy and loyalty , Ex Minister Mr Sarfo- Marfo veered on the side of meritocracy. Our Ex President Kuffour said he preferred loyalty to meritocracy. The ex President had served in Ex Prez Rawlings’ s cabinet . So what does he term loyalty? I have said before in Busia’s government minorities were very few and there was a similar pattern in Ex Prez Kuffour’ s administration . Did they practice tribalism or meritocracy or was that just loyalty?

The other question is why Volta should vote for NDC? For them the reason is simple Rawlings is from the Volta . But the Volta had voted for Dr Kwame Nrumah’ s CPP . Is Nkrumah from Kwakuvikope or Dzelukope? Did Limann come from Yaovikope? On the contrary have these NPP members or supporters ever voted for anyone outside of their region? They therefore insult the intelligence of the Volta people as if they are a ”herd of sheep” following one person. My challenge then is do as you say ,vote for candidates from outside your region , then you can complain about others not voting for your candidates. Togbe Awaklaso is loved or supported by the under dog as they see him as of the under dog . You see “ the monkey also loves his own” Tthere was a beauty contest in the forest for baby animals. All the beautiful animals brought their babies and lo and behold there was the baboon also taking its baby to the contest. The mother baboon was praising how beautiful its baby was and assessing its chances of winning . Surely one can see the contrast between a baby baboon and something like baby deer .But then the “ mother loves her own” The more you go after Togbe Awaklaso the more the under dogs will rally around him I believe the NPP’s cause will be better served articulating their vision and laying down how they would create a ‘property owning society” .You may insult us and call us “ idiots” or illiterates or whatever names you may conjure up . We will still ask , how will you get us there? What they tell us makes us think of them as “small minded” people. They cannot think in the abstract. We long for a visionary statement as one left by Nkrumah, “ the transformation of a peasant society into a modern society with a strong manufacturing base” Linked to this was to be a big market place , a UNITED Africa . Now they say this was ambitious. Was that a crime? Was King Osei Tutu 1 or Shaka the Zulu not ambitious? ‘ A journey of a thousand miles starts with a first step” . Osagyefo dared to take the step , but the cowardly , small minded and visionless ma te me ho opposed it . They simply could not figure it out. It was simply too big and too abstract for them . But some live in the UNITED States, some in the UNITED Kingdom, others in China, some lived in the Soviet Union , and others in the European Union but cannot see a UNITED AFRICA . Today there is even talk of a Universal government and a universal currency but they prefer ma te me ho ( DIVISION) . They cannot look forward but backwards , and for that they pour insults on us? “ Property owning society or TRICKLE DOWN” The philosophy of “trickle down’ is nothing new . It was practiced by Prez Reagan but more strictly by Baroness Margaret Thatcher . She became British Prime Minister in May 1979 and was forced to step down in Nov 1990 . Despite her long reign Britain remained the “ sick nation” of Europe” high inflation, high unemployment , weak currency and since her departure the Conservatives have not been in power . Of course Prez George Bush of the USA picked it up and we can see the result , $1.2 Trillion debt that nearly took the whole world economic order down with it Both went to war to booster up their popularity . The question is , is that what we want for Ghana and Africa? How or when are we going to realize that the days of Adam Smith are no more. In those good old days a hard working entrepreneur could make it, as competition was small . Now we have multi Nationals who dominate everything . Then we have to think about a small paraphrase “ the propensity to spend”. People must have both the money and the desire to spend. The wealthy have every thing, so the desire to spend is no more , as compared to the middle class who will translate this into spending, houses , cars, furniture and make the economy grow. So why give the rich more money in the hope they will invest? . Sure they do , in the “ gambling house “ called Stock Exchange. Can we see the similarities In Ghana and other parts of Africa?

Solutions . The problems of poverty, illiteracy, poor health care, lack of school buildings, food insecurity, importation of all our products at a time of growing population cannot be solved though insults , vulgarities and disgracing others. In the coming year let us resolve to encourage one another to register patents, learn from one another, respect one another . Production of goods and services should be high on our agenda. Migration to “ greener pastures” is now a night mare . Can we create a mentality of the “ Asian Tigers” ? Let us look for and see our commonalities instead of differences. Kweku moved into a neighborhood. He was Black , a native of Kwakuvikope. The neighbors were all White. “ “Damn them Blacks, they are moving now into our neighborhoods Our standards are going to go down. What of the noise and stealing and dirt ? Do we throw them out or do we move out?” Soon Kweku realized the house next door was up for sale. He and his wife Adoley made arrangements for its purchase . That Saturday as Kweku worked his yard ( I guess you can take them out of the forest , but you cannot take the forest out of them), he heard a call “ neighbor”. He looked around and saw it was the White neighbor , Tim, who had put his house up for sale. Tim asked about the products from Kweku’s factory . He would get them for him, he had promised and did . Why not, he was hoping the offer to purchase the house will be accepted . He was disappointed as it was taken off the market . They had got together that afternoon and shared drinks and that started a friendship. When Tim’s wife lay dying, she had called for the Black neighbors. Adoley went immediately and then called Kweku. “ Come immediately , mum wants to see you”. Kweku had stopped everything and rushed to the house Entering the bed room ,Adoley held one hand and he, the other ,as Tim, the husband, stood at the foot of the bed . She went to meet the Lord smiling . They two families had over the years shared many happy moments and faced many challenges together . As tears rolled down their cheeks in common grief , and they held on to each other for comfort and support , they felt closer to each other more than ever before. How could people so different and from such diverse backgrounds have come so close and shared so much in common ? Alas “Afar you see an enemy, nearer, you see an acquaintance, close you see a brother”

Let us accept it “ We are brothers and sisters ‘ as Africans and as humans May God’s love, whether it is from Yahweh, Kankam Nyame, trokosi or Allah be with you all this holiday season and may you all see prosperity in the coming year

Kojo Tamakloe Is a Pan Africanist who is working for a UNITED AFRICA