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Opinions of Thursday, 7 October 2010

Columnist: Baafi, Alex Bossman

This NDC Government Is Backward Looking

Alex Bossman Baafi

“United We Stand Divided We Fall” is one of the most universally accepted adages in the affairs of people whether as a team, group, society, community or as a nation. Undoubtedly, this undisputable wise saying holds water everywhere. Very many disciplined and serious minded persons who want to achieve their objectives make the said adage their cardinal principle embodied in their philosophy that serve as a roadmap to guide them from where they are to where they are going. Much as a united front of group of people enables them to push towards the same direction, a position of strength, a united force of a nation is a powerful force able to journey to its destination successfully irrespective of the challenges that may be on the way.

It is for the above reason that the NDC government with the president must make it a responsibility to unite the good people of this country for the quest for economic growth and development. It is worrying that this NDC government invariably preaches virtue and practice vice in dealing with the people of this country. Whilst the president pretends to be “Father For All”, he at the same time is incapable to advice some of his arrogant ministers against the use of divide and rule tactics by their actions and public pronouncements just to show and lord on the people because they are in power. Having assumed the reins of this country without a vision and a programme, one would have expected that the government would reach out to the good people of this nation to come together to support and work hard to find workable solutions to the problems of poverty, diseases, filth, lawlessness, joblessness and underdevelopment facing us as a nation.

Important national issues that call for national unity are handled recklessly to bring division instead of unity. One such issue had to do with education and the duration of the Senior High school (SHS) to be precise. In spite of the enormous wisdom behind the 4-year duration of the SHS including majority parental support, this backward looking government has reversed it to 3 years throwing the country’s future into jeopardy. This indeed had cause a major deep division in the country.

Let us take the deliberations prior to Kwame Nkrumah Centenary Celebrations for example. Projecting Kwame Nkrumah whilst given due recognition to other founding fathers who contribute in no small measure towards the attainment of our independence would have united the country towards a common cause. Thus, when the president and his team insisted on the theme “A Founder’s Day” instead of “Founders’ Day” even though the focus was on Nkrumah’s birthday celebration could have offered one of the excellent opportunities for the president and his government to unite this country. Take or leave it, for me it was a glorious occasion to have brought all people from other sides of the political divide to ensure the success of the celebration that eventually proved a failed and wasted efforts in my humble opinion.

Again, the NDC, the president and his team’s attempt to obliterate and demonize every legacy of the previous NPP Administration will also not bring us together as a nation. Instead of promoting national unity for peaceful cohesion for the so-called “Better Ghana Agenda” the president and his team are consumed in engaging backward acts that are petty and will take us nowhere. Examples of these reckless acts that do not add value to the developmental agenda of this country includes the renaming of Accra Sports Stadium from Ohene Gyan Sports stadium and Flag Staff House from the Jubilee House. Certainly, this is backward looking. These needless decisions born out of inferiority complex and jealousy will only move the nation backward. If the NDC government has no developmental initiatives for the good people of this country, they should not waste our precious time. It is becoming clearer that this Mills-Mahamma government with its arrogant ministers has nothing good for this country.

So far, is that the best this corrupt and backward looking NDC Government can do? We have a long way to go as a nation.

Email: abkbossman@yahoo.co.uk