Akufo-Addo & the NPP's Volta malice

If there's been one absolute certainty these last 8 diabolic years of NPP governance, it's that they have never hidden their open disdain and contempt for the people of the Volta Region. The President's statement last week amidst the human-engineered flooding in the region under his watch only reiterates their view of Voltarians. Their apologist including some traditional leaders would have us all believe the statement was made in jest.

That would have been the case but for their consistent denigration and contempt of Voltarians.

Casting our minds back, this trend began post-independence and was cemented under UP stalwart, Victor Owusu, who openly pronounced Voltarians as "inward-looking people". Fast forward to the current administration, through sheer diabolism, they created a non-existent threat of the Western Volta separatist group as a mechanism to deploy the military and suppress political activity within the region, particularly during the voter registration period.

Next came the President's colored response to Togbe Fiti, Chief of Aflao, when the latter demanded the completion of projects initiated under the first John Mahama administration. Suffice it to say, this government has spewed derogatory comments about the region and its people at every given opportunity, and at no point have they apologized even when they have been called out.

To add insult to injury, the administration has not carried out any meaningful development or projects in the region. This level of disdain towards the region is what baffles me a non-Voltarian, to pose the question of why any indigene who truly loves their origin would contemplate voting for the NPP.

In a comparative analysis done on voting patterns since 2012, there's a very noticeable uptick in the votes garnered by the NPP and a decline in votes for the NDC, particularly from the dizzying voter numbers won by Former President Jerry Rawlings. Can this disturbing trend be interpreted as Voltarians having better opportunities under NPP governance or is there more to it? It's quite obvious in the history of the NPP that there's not a chance in hell of a Voltarian becoming the presidential candidate of that political tradition, for the doubters, carefully examine the tradition of both political parties. Even Dombo's legacy is a bone of contention within their corridors.

The NDC at the very least, had Jerry Rawlings, a son of Volta as President and leader of the party for 8 years plus 11 years if you include the PNDC era. These factors notwithstanding, the post-Rawlings years have witnessed the gradual decline of NDC's votes in the region, which leads to my question; what's going on Voltarians? I do not buy the flawed argument of folks who assign it to the NDC not fielding Voltarian candidates for President and Vice.

However, to those who subscribe to that school of thought, I will urge them to appreciate and understand the dynamic congressional nature of the NDC and what it represents in our national political spectrum. Furthermore, politics is a seasonal endeavour that is almost synonymous with a game of musical chairs, a game in which you anticipate your season and support your team members thus earning their support when your turn re-emerges, as was done for President Rawlings. Other strongholds of the party such as Greater Accra and the Bono Region have never even had a presidential candidate elected within the party but have remained resolute in support.

In wrapping up, the writer urges the good people of the Volta Region to live up to their much-vaunted reputation of being upright and loyal people by staying true to their political roots especially at this critical juncture in the nation's path, for no matter how terrible the NDC might be to some, it's the best and only option available to redeeming Mother Ghana.