Foxy, But Not Smart Enough, Professor!

Well, well, well! Folks, the Professor is at his game again! He just pulled one of his dirty tricks out his hat (or is it a cap?), and couldn’t quite get it done right. He got caught!!!! Folks, I am referring to Professor Kwame Okoampa-Ahoofe, and his Article of September 23rd, 2009 entitled: “Npp: Between now and 2010”.

That Article set out to tackle a proposition, said to have appeared in The Ghanaian Statesman, for the NPP to nominate its next Presidential candidate, two years ahead of time. The Professor, as usual, in a long, circuitous way, tried to analyze the feasibility of such a proposal and seemed to be playing a catch-up, as a Johnny-come-lately, to the long-standing idea that the Party expands its nest of potential candidates further down and wide to allow all members participate in the nomination process. Then, very surreptitiously, the Professor slid in, close to the end of that Article, his appeal to the Party to choose his “Uncle” Nana Akuffo Addo, for a very special role! -- The role of NPP’s “acting opposition leader”, beginning forthwith till the time of the Elections in 2012.

Folks, does anyone have to add anything else to show the reason why the Professor has been on the case of Alan Kyeremateng, President Kufuor and the Otumfuor all this while, in the aftermath of the 2008 President Elections, and baring his vicious fangs at anyone he thinks might be in his way?

The ploy the Professor is scheming now, as benign as it seems, is simply to provide Nana Akuffo Addo a head-start in the competition for the nomination. The Professor wants his “Uncle” to take an early lead in gaining grounds for special recognition and approval. That would be most unfair to the other potential candidates who might not have the seeming blessing of the entire Party for its spearhead. Such an appointment would undermine the fairness of the game, and not make the field plain or even.

Gee, that was a sneaky one, Prof! But you ain’t gonna fool anyone. I think the Party already has a capable opposition leader in the Parliament, in the person of the Minority Leader, to do all that needs be done for the Party to project its Policies, in the interim. If anyone would want to be the most outspoken, as the Opposition's voice outside the Parliament, why should that be officially restricted to only Nana Akuffo Addo, granted that he is not the Party Chairman? Unless, of course, he is chosen to be the Commications Director of some sorts for the Party, as its Constitution demands. And even so, if the Constitution does not already provide for such a Position in the Party, it would be way too much bending of the rules to cater for only the Professor’s “Uncle”, and create any special role for him, before the Primaries.

If the Professor and his clique insist on such a role for Nana Akuffo Addo, they should have him drop his bid for the Presidential nominee. If the Professor’s “Uncle” wants to stay in the race at the Primaries, his camp should not seek any such special favors for him from the membership prior to that event but allow all to, naturally, without coercion or cajoling, vote on the strengths and attributes of the potential candidates. That is how the membership of the Party could fairly elect the most eligible, or who the majority prefers to be their Flagbearer. That modality is what better approximates ideal democracy, not the Professor’s slick prescription.

The Professor is, by this shrew request, indirectly seeking an official Party prerogative to be thrust upon his favorite candidate to facilitate the latter’s chances of winning, over all other candidates. His (the Professor’s) prescription would create in the minds of many an impression that NPP, generally, prefers Nana Akuffo Addo’s candidacy. Then, also, while parading the corridors of discourse around the Nation in that suggested capacity as “acting opposition leader”, the Professor’s candidate could monopolize the center-stage in various Rallies, with all potential Contestants muted in the background. Nana Akuffo Addo would be enjoying the benefits of a provincial nominee at the exclusion of all others. No, no, no!!!!! Professor, you may be as cunning as a Fox but I "gotcha, you swindler”!!!

The field must be kept open and equally viable for all who want to prove their eligibility, all the way up to the Primary Elections. No cutting corners! No exceptional favors! No deliberate head-start for Nana Akuffo Addo or anyone else!!!

In fact, I wonder why the "honorable" Professor keeps making it more and more difficult for others to line up behind his favorite and kin? Why is he enshrouding the candidacy of his “Uncle” in so much suspicion? Does the Professor doubt the ability of his choice to survive the rigor of scrutiny that may be brought to bear on the candidates? The Professor blew a golden opportunity for his choice of candidate with these foxy, fancy foot-works, when he failed to amply expatiate on the essence of having a most recently nominated Flagbearer keep the status of a point-person in championing the Party's positions till the next one is elected.

Whilst such a suggestion could have been made in a more appealing context as just hinted above, with no special official title like “acting opposition leader” tagged unto it, I think it was even needless to, so pointedly, request that responsibility to be officially bestowed on Nana Akuffo Addo by the Party. It simply amounts to the Professor’s foisting of his choice upon the members of the Party.

If by the virtue of his membership in NPP, Nana Akuffo Addo deems it fit to keep up his general participation in the Party activities, which, in effect, might result in the same lead in recognition and approval ahead of other potential candidates, he could do so without having the Party adorn him prematurely as its most likely candidate for the next Presidential Elections.

Professor Kwame Okoampa-Ahoofe’s appeal to NPP to make his “Uncle” the official “acting opposition leader” sadly depicts an exposed protrusion of an intent poorly hidden. Such a clever “sleight of pen” attempt to slip the Professor’s “Uncle” past everyone else for the Nomination cannot evade the watchful eyes of all the members seeking a true rejuvenation for the Party, backed by real unity, or non-coercive consensus of the broad cross-section of its membership.

Sorry, Prof., but you cannot outsmart all of us all the time! No way, Jose’!!!

Long Live Ghana!!!

By: G. K. Berko.

Email: [email protected]

(The Author is a Ghanaian and a Realtor based in New Hampshire, USA).