Africa in search of Good Governance and a Peaceful System of Government

Rev. Fr. Ignatius Amponsah

It is common knowledge that multi-party democracy that is being practiced in Africa, breeds terrible hatred, jealousy, destructive division, character assassination, destructive conflicts, destruction of property and life, bribery and vote rigging.

Other disturbing appendages of multi-party democracy are that the main opposition party and the party in power, as well as their supporters, are usually at each other’s throat to the detriment of national interest, development and cohesion.

In Africa, we have been made to think that multi-party democracy allows free expression of views, but in reality and practice, it is not so because in most cases, multi-party democracy makes it very difficult for many people to express their frank and harmless opinion on certain political issues, simply because, some people easily take offence when the said opinion does not favour their party. In most cases, those who hold different opinions are branded as partisan and considered as enemies.

In Africa, political campaigns are so rough and destructive that they prevent many genuine and prominent people from contributing immensely towards our struggle for socio-politico economic independence.

The worst of it all, multi-party democracy has introduced an extreme state robbery, selfishness and greed, leaving majority of Africans poorer and poorer, even though they live in the midst of plenty.

Partisan politics has been managed by some of our political leaders in such a way that majority of Africans lack the basic necessities of life, while they the leaders live in pure luxury. Most Africans lack basic necessities of life simply because the masses’ right to them has never been the topmost priority of the bulk of our political leaders entrusted with our human and natural resources. This is evident in the fact that, for a example, after the overthrow of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, more than forty-five (45) percent of Ghanaian basic schools lack decent toilet facilities.

Our political leaders know very well that we have enough resources to make Africa self-reliant, but for reasons best known to themselves and their parties, they prefer allowing their countries to depend heavily on foreign loans and importation of foreign goods rather than “domestication” and exportation.

We have been conditioned to think that multi-party democracy is very expensive, thus majority of our political leaders take advantage of the said condition and engage in amassing wealth and living in pure luxury to the detriment of the masses’ right to at least the basic necessities of life.

In most cases, political leaders are unable to take the necessary political courage and the necessary measures to maintain discipline in society for fear of losing the votes of some voters, and because of this lack of political will, many people in the state suffer unnecessarily.

The question we should ask ourselves as Africans is: why do we close our eyes to all the havoc that multi-party democracy is causing in Africa and allow a system that enriches only a few individuals and makes majority of Africans poorer and poorer, continue to gain root and cause so much suffering in the continent.

Is it because we have no other alternative or we have no courage to fashion our own system of government that will suit us, or we have been conditioned to depend on the ‘Whiteman’ for almost everything to our detriment?

I believe that the time has come for Africans to have a better and more positive alternative to multi-party democracy because; it is not the best for Africans since it is doing more harm than good to our continent.

The best alternative to multi-party democracy cannot be anything else but Theocracy, because God is the ultimate and the source of all goodness.

Politics began to suffer terrible consequences when human beings decided to separate politics from God and refused to allow God to rule them through the leader He chose to represent Him (1 Samuel 8:4-17).

If about ninety-nine percent of Africans are by nature, religious and believe that God is all- knowing and capable of doing for as everything that is good for our well-being and redemption, then it should not be difficult at all for Africa to depart from or to do away with multi-party democracy and adopt Theocracy.

Definition of Theocracy

Thorndike Barnhart intermediate Dictionary by Scott, Foresman defines theocracy as: Government in which God is recognized as the Supreme Civil ruler.

Carsell’s English Dictionary by Arthur L. Hayward and John J. Sparks defines theocracy as: Government by the immediate direction of God.

Pocket Catholic Dictionary by John A. Hardon, S. J. defines theocracy as: A form of Government in which God is ruler and He acts usually through His prophetic representatives and every civil and social act becomes religious.

From the above definitions, it can be said that, theocracy is a system of Government in which political leaders are not chosen by the people of the state through a ballot box, but by God through prayers and the casting of lot/balloting (Act 1:15-26).

In other words, in Theocracy, the people of a state surrender their rights to exercise their franchise to God and allow Him to choose their political leaders for them, because it is only God who can judge people from within and knows human beings through and through. Humans see with the eyes; Gods sees the heart (1 Samuel 16:6-7).

Advantages of Theocracy

If we allow God to choose our political leaders for us, we will no more experience all the terrible appendages of multi-party democracy that I have enumerated above and Africa will have the most peaceful system of government.

I believe that if we allow God to choose our political leaders for us, we shall have ninety- nine (99) percent of our political leaders being selfless and God-fearing, and the extreme selfishness and greed that multi-party democracy breeds will be brought to the barest minimum to enable the masses of our continent to have at least the basic necessities of life.

It is a common allegation that the huge sums of money that many politicians use to bribe voters for a political position, forces them to engage in terrible state robbery in order to recoup their campaign debts.

In Theocracy, since there is no voting through the ballot box, the said terrible state robbery will be brought to the barest minimum and the state will be able to save a lot of money to solve the huge unemployment problem that has afflicted our continent, causing so mach brain drain in Africa.

Deceptive and unreasonable demands and pressure that the main apposition party and their collaborators sometimes exert on the Ruling Government in order to score cheap political points and to make the Ruling Party unpopular in the eyes of the public will be a thing of the past. The unnecessary political tension that the said exertion creates in the country will also be no more.

The cycle of a Ruling Government, terminating the appointment of technocrats working for the nation, because they were appointed by the previous Government or because of the suspicion that they will sabotage the efforts of the Ruling Government in moving the nation forward, will also be a thing of the past.

Former Government functionaries, who go at every length to do everything possible to sabotage the efforts of the Ruling Government, in order to make it fail in its efforts to move the country forward will be no more.

Unnecessary and unreasonable political pressure that some political party supporters, sometimes put on their party in government, in order to receive some favours, will be no more, and thus the problem of putting round pegs in square holes, because of political party affiliations, connections and loyalty, will be a thing of the past.

I believe that if we do away with partisan politics, ninety-nine (99) percent of national appointments will be based on professional competence and this would enable our various Ministries to provide excellent services to uplift the image of our continent.

The question we need to ask is: what is the sense in sacrificing so much to struggle in long queues in order to vote for someone to become a Parliamentarian or a President and at the end of the day, our sacrifice is exploited to make the political leader filthily rich. He lives in pure luxury, while the voter becomes poorer and poorer?

“Since there are several ways of killing a cat”, Africa should never allow herself to be deceived to think that partisan politics is the only means by which we can properly run the nations of Africa, promote and enjoy prosperity and freedom of expression. We can definitely obtain our political leaders and move the nations of Africa forward in the right direction and in a more unifying, peaceful and less expensive way without political parties or multi-party democracy.

Choosing our Political Leaders

Chief Directors and Deputy Directors of our various Ministries can easily be appointed as Ministers and deputy Ministers of our Ministries that they head. The Chief Directors can also be appointed as Cabinet Ministers.

The most qualified and experienced of the bench can easily be appointed as the Chief Justice. Special criteria can be drawn up for those who want to be members of Parliament, Regional Ministers, District and Metropolitan Chief Executives as well as the President of a nation.

Depending on the size of a nation, the Presidency can be rotated on regional basis. Those who qualify for any political positions and are interested in any of the positions should be asked to apply.

Vetting committees made up of people of integrity should be set up to vet the applicants before they are elected.

The election of those aspiring for political office can easily be done through prayers and casting of lots/balloting (Acts 1:25-26). Special dates should be fixed for the election of the various political positions. After the elections, the political leaders should be given orientation courses to enable them know their job descriptions as well as the way and manner they should carry out their duties in humility, love and the fear of God.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs can be empowered and well resourced to recruit and appoint ambassadors with the approval of Parliament and not Cabinet. The ambassadors’ designations could be done through balloting.

National Development Plan

Parliament should be empowered to draw up a national, factual and pragmatic development plan with the help of experts in various fields of work in the nation. The plan should be aimed towards the provision of at least the basic necessities of life for the masses as well as liberating Africans from over dependency syndrome.

The said plan should be entrusted to the President and his Cabinet to execute. After eight (8) years term of office, new political leaders could be elected to continue from where the previous Government left without abandoning anything unless circumstances demand, in order to sustain continuity in our national development.

As highly indebted poor countries (HIPC), let us believe and accept the fact that having access to at least the basic necessities of life, is far more important than exercising our franchise through the ballot box which benefits only few privileged people.

Let us therefore, surrender our rights in choosing our own political leaders involving God, because He is all-knowing and can do better than us when it comes to choosing the right person to serve us. Allowing God to choose our own political leaders will enable us to have ninety-nine (99) percent selfless and God-fearing people in Government and Parliament.

It is only when we have more selfless and God-fearing people in government that majority of Africans can have access to the basic necessities of life; if not Africans will live in the midst of plenty but then, most of them will continue to wallow in abject poverty, because extremely selfish and greedy leaders have no sense of sympathy and shame for milking the masses to poverty and death.

Africa is still underdeveloped and that the bulk of her people are wallowing in poverty, simply because, we have had too many extremely greedy and selfish people in-charge of our national resources.

Africa will continue to be underdeveloped and majority of her people continue to wallow in poverty unless we are able to get many selfless and God-fearing people in Government and Parliament, and it is only God who can choose such people for us.

Conclusion

There are a lot of selfless and God-fearing people in Africa, but the way and manner we elect our leaders is so nepotistic and discriminative that we always miss many of the selfless and God- fearing ones.

If we allow God to choose our political leaders, we shall all enjoy prosperity, a more united and peaceful continent as well as a less expensive system of government. A Government that is home-grown and can be the pride of Africa. We will then come to the realization that Theocracy is far better than multi-party democracy and that Theocracy is the best system of government for Africa.

We will come to realize and acknowledge that indeed, in everything, God works for the good of those who love Him and rely on Him (Romans 8:28).

Long live Africa for the greater glory of God.

Written by Rev. Fr. Ignatius Amponsah

St. Joseph Catholic Church Adoagyiri-Nsawam

E-mail: difficultcat2@yahoo.com Phone: 083222263 Mobile: 020-9062367