Ghanaian politicians are the same

but this time around President Mills, LETS SEE A POSITIVE CHANGE.

Let’s turn the clock back to February 16, 2001, when the then President Kuffour appealed to Ghanaians to accept in good faith the harsh economic policies to be introduced by his government. This, he said, was the only way the huge debts it had inherited from erstwhile NDC government could be repaid to resuscitate the country’s economy. The then President was addressing the Asanteman Council at the Manyia Palace during a 3-day official visit to Kumasi in appreciation of massive votes cast for NPP.

Then on February 19, 2001, Mr. Hackman Owusu- Agyemang, the then Minister of Foreign Minister warned that all those who used their political positions to loot the nation’s coffers under former administration would be made to account for them. He stressed that Kuffour’s administration would ensure that probity; accountability and transparency in governance would not be mere slogans but would be enforced to the letter during its tenure of office. That same day, Mr. Kwadwo Afari, then a member of Publicity Committee of the party said all those involved in the alleged stealing of vehicles should return them or pay the difference. What did the NPP government bequeath to Ghanaians at the end of its eight years that is significantly different from the NDC administration based on the accusations against the NDC? There was nothing different.

The promise President Kuffour made to Ghanaians that his administration would ensure that probity, accountability and transparency in governance would serve as cornerstones for his administration did not happen. His government was not transparent about the procedure used in selling the vehicles used in the celebration of Ghana @50. The cars were sold to political cronies and the sale was not advertised openly in the newspapers. As at the time of writing this piece, Ghanaians are not aware of how much money was spent on the celebration. Was President Kuffour’s government accountable to Ghanaians? In my humble opinion, the answer was no. The NPP government on its assumption of power in 2001 accused the then NDC government which had handed power to them as having stolen government vehicles and now the Mills administration is accusing the former Kuffour’s administration for having done the same. What a coincidence?

As pointed above, in the early days of taking over power, former President Kuffour called on Ghanaians to be ready to accept the harsh but necessary economic policies that his government was going to implement. I do not intend to discredit the former government for all of its policies. Credit has to be given the NPP government for its infrastructural development in the country, the promotion of press freedom and among others. But did the acceptance of the harsh policies that were announced yield any meaningful changes in the society?

The question now is if former President Kuffour could appeal to Ghanaians to accept the harsh economic policies, isn’t it surprising that in an interview recently with Joy FM, he pointed out that Ghanaians are making too much noise about the ex-gratis awarded him and the parliamentarians. With the present recession all over the world, this is the time for politicians to also sacrifice. Assuming we accept former President Kuffour’s argument that the ex-gratia award given him and the parliamentarians is constitutional, he would have gone down in history as a great leader if he had rejected the ex-gratia and directed that it be used to build a clinic in his home town. After all, most of the leadership of NPP claims to have their own money before coming into politics.

What a weak argument by former President Kuffour while trying to justify the ex-gratia award that “Ghanaian legislators’ monthly salary of “not more than GH¢2,700” is not befitting, and thus “really doesn’t reflect well of our nation at all”.

Dear former President Kuffour, why do people go into politics? Unless you have a different answer, I believe most Ghanaians would agree with me that the most fundamental reason why people choose to go into politics (which they are not forced into anyway) is to serve the interests of the larger society. So I disagree with you when you relied on the salary of an MP to justify the ex-gratia. What of the fringe benefits!

For far too long, politicians in Ghana have taken the electorate for granted. Once in power, they accuse the previous government of corruption, nepotism and other vices but as shown in this piece, all governments seem to behave in the same way. However, there is a glimmer of hope in the defeat of the NPP because no political party can take the public for granted any longer. President Atta-Mills must be encouraged and supported to enable him put policies in place that would reverse this trend in Ghanaian politics.

It is a general assumption that leaders who take over power from previous administrations aspire to do better. The ascension of NDC to the presidency again indicates that Ghanaians have a certain hope in the party to change things for better. So please do not disappoint us.

The main challenge President Mills faces now is the worldwide economic recession which is going to affect our “donor-oriented” economy. For Ghanaians to rally behind you, you have to demonstrate that you are embarking on good policies. You would go down in history if your administration seriously addresses the economic problems facing majority of Ghanaians.

G. Fiifi Owoo, CALGARY, CANADA