*BY IAN TABALOR OKWEI*

Ianokwei@yahoo.ie

I remember my early days in my Alma Mater, Aggrey Memorial Zion Secondary School in Cape Coast, when my Government teacher, Mr. Mettle, whom I owe much gratitude to for grooming me to appreciate and understand the importance of politics to every society and country, always, tried to explain one of Abraham Lincoln’s quotes to me:

“You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time but you cannot fool all the people all the time”.

I found it difficult understanding this quote by Abraham Lincoln, probably because I had not experienced it in practical terms. Another quote which my Economics Teacher, Mr. Mills, made sure I understood before I became an AMOSA (Past Student of Aggrey Memorial Secondary School) was:

“The British Parliament has no right to tax the American ………….. Taxation and representation are inseparably united. God hath joined them: no British parliament can put them asunder” Sir Charles Pratt, 1st Earl Cam dam.

This quote has over the years helped me realize the importance of taxes in every administration and its benefits towards the survival of governments and states including Ghana my motherland.

It was based on this principle that I congratulated former President Kufour in my article titled *LEGITIMACY OF KUFOUR’S ADMINISTRATION, SO FAR SO GOOD, * which was widely published in the Media. In that piece, I took into consideration his campaign promises which included revenue mobilisation for development and social infrastructure and the able manner in which he delivered economic stability, prosperity, and ensured increased confidence and investment in the Ghanaian economy within his first year in office. The NPP immediately after assuming power dropped inflation from 41% to 18% and mobilized huge revenue through taxes to increase the country’s foreign and domestic reserves for infrastructural development.

By the end of the eight-year rule of the NPP which could not be continued by the Party’s Candidate Nana Akufo Addo due to deceptive campaign promises by the NDC campaign team led by Prof. John Mills, since he has dropped his name Atta, the NPP left behind significant taxes which included the Talk time tax and National Health Insurance levy.

These taxes, even though, were highly beneficial to the Ghanaian economy in terms of revenue mobilization, development projects and support for social infrastructure under the NPP government, came under constant attacks by the then opposition NDC under the leadership of President Mills, founder Rawlings and committee for joint action (CJA) which even staged huge demonstration against the NPP.

As a Political Science student, I always felt very sad for these politicians who portrayed sheer ignorance on the significance of these taxes by the NPP government and just played politics with them only to score cheap political points in order to come to power and repeat or even do worst than what they criticized as unacceptable in modern politics.

Now the NDC has been voted into power after the masses were “convinced” that the introduction of a couple of taxes by the NPP government was killing the citizenry and therefore the electorates were deceived into believing that Taxes under the New NDC government under President Mills who is a former commissioner of IRS would be a thing of the Past. How on Earth!

With just fourteen months in power Ghanaians are now feeling the change NDC promised in their pockets with the introduction of tax on even local gin (under, Otorbroto, Akpetesh, White label, Barcardis, Dogo, No spiting etc).

This reminds me of the NDC manifesto which states explicitly that the Mills government would not introduce new taxes when voted into power.

It was just after people started complaining about increment on some levies and tolls due to an Act of Parliament that made me remember what my Government teacher Mr. Mettle had wanted me to understand by way of Abraham Lincon’s quote. From this quotation what I deduced was that the NDC whilst in opposition managed to deceive some Ghanaians all that while and gradually got all Ghanaians to accept their propaganda against the benefits of taxes within the election period, even though some hard nuts like me still voted for the NPP due to my understanding of the benefits of taxes by my economics teacher, Mr. Mills. But now, due to the introduction of the new roads and bridge toll which is over 1000%, increase in passports fees, death and birth certificates, utility bills, motor and vehicle license fees and even business registration fees. Ghanaians have now begun complaining and this has led to several complains from the masses.

Everyone under the leadership of President Mills and his bunch of Pseudo – Social democrats whom have become victims of their own hopeless campaign promises have really deceived Ghanaians just for the sake of political power and manifested Abraham Lincoln’s political theory practically.

I was surprised to hear NDC social commentators justifying President Mills’s comments on corruption (Muntaka Saga, even when he said his administration would not condone any corrupt official in his government but he failed to fire him despite enough evidence just to turn round and say Muntaka acted in an act of indiscretion).

One should ask him or herself whether he is better off after fourteen months of the NDC government in power just as the party promised to hit the ground running.

I would at this juncture like to congratulate members and officers of the NPP across the ten regions for the peaceful and successful manner in which they have elected their regional executives.

Looking through my lenses, I can see that the officers voted into power so far are a combination of people with experience and dedication for the party and not aligned to any particular individual .I am optimistic that their competence, dedication, contribution and future plans would enable recapture power in 2012.

Members of the NPP must therefore rally behind their new regional and constituency executes and works with them irrespective of their stance on internal party issues.

So far as there are competitions and contests in the NPP there would always be factions but these I believe must cease when these contests are over and the flag bearer is chosen.

I think the NPP support base would do the party more good if they use all media avenues available to them to talk about the inefficiencies of the Mills administration and leave the issue of flag bearer to the Electoral College who has the mandate to choose the flag bearer. This I think would bring down the Nana, Alan tension in the party.

Though I disagree with the youthful exuberance mantra being propagated by my big brother Kwabena Agyapong as the main strategy to market Alan Kwadwo Kyeremanteng, I do respect his views very well and hope the flag bearer ship contest comes to an end early for him and Alan to join Nana Akufo-Addo in the NPP’s quest to recapture power in 2012.

Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo, though older than Alan Kyeremanten, I believe strongly is the candidate with the greatest political experience, courage, energy, confidence, international recognition, love for country, compassion and strong leadership qualities to take Ghana to the next level of development in freedom.

I believe strongly Nana Akufo-Addo is more popular than all who are contesting him and I have no doubt that he would win this contest. All what is needed is for him to pay more attention to the grassroots and the polling station structures, just as he will treat the other levels of the party administration.