Opinions of Friday, 13 November 2015
Columnist: Sakzeesi, Camillus Maalneriba-Tia
“It is hypocrisy to shake hands when hearts are separated”. 2Kings 10:15,16
It is barely a year away to Ghana’s Presidential/Parliamentary elections in November 2016. The main contesting parties are my ruling party, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the major opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP). Even though the heat of rivalry is yet to commence between them except the issue of the Voters Register, the unusual is what is being observed a la the NPP as a political force.
Unusual because the party is crawling into a state of tatters and the ugly development is not triggered by its main rival, the NDC – rather, the weapon of DISTRUCTION is being fortunately/unfortunately, triggered by its own Field Commanders (FC).
Unlike the NDC that suffered almost 80% ‘bad patronage’ by the clergy over the immediate past two elections of 2008 and 2012, the party with the elephant symbol enjoyed the generosity of both open/indoor prayers for its success by the clergy. I know of two friends of mine who cut their relationship with a popular church in Ghana whose charismatic leader has carved a name for himself both locally/internationally, because he was becoming too political.
That is just an example. We know of men of ‘God’ who mounted the pulpit of the LORD in the guise of a ‘crusade’ and insulted the NDC leadership, all in the name of GOD. They cursed us and prayed for the success of the NPP. But their curses on the NDC turned to be BLESSINGS. Why! Because of the quote above.
The clergy sometimes pay visits to the Presidency and some of them expose the love they are supposed to exude when in handshake with the President per the hate-looks on their faces. They did it to the late Atta Mills as well as John D. Mahama. That attitude indeed explains, “It is hypocrisy to shake hands when hearts are separated”. And when this kind of attitude is espoused, GOD will indeed have difficulties hearing their prayers as sincere ones.
The charismatic pastor under reference so hated the NDC and the late president to the extent that when they organized a visit to the then seat of government, the Christianborg Castle, he declined to be part of the delegation. However, when his subordinate pastor was taken seriously ill and needed a helicopter to evacuate him to Accra, he had to rely on a Bolgatanga-based pastor to plead with the late president for assistance. I appreciated the pastor’s refusal to visit Atta Mill because he did not want to “…shake hands when hearts are separated…” In this case he refused to be a hypocrite.
Considering the hypocrisy of these men of ‘God’, I personally would not wish them pray for the NDC. I would rather wish their curses, using GOD’s name which normally turns to be BLESSINGS for us. They never-ever cursed the NPP. Theirs have always been prayers for the party’s success which have turned to calamities.
They prayed for ‘NYANSA FUOR’ to take over the governance of this country but what are we seeing, hearing and observing? Baptism with acid that has led to a death. Vandalism at party headquarters involving “INVISIBLE FORCES” who have now opted to be VISIBLE and lately the stabbing to death of one of its members in Kumasi.
That is the ‘NYANSA FUOR’ the spirit-filled ‘reverend’ ministers want to govern this country. They are the ‘truthful’ people these money/wealth seeking men of ‘God’ wish to replace the NDC leadership in government who they refer to as “liars”.
That is how ‘potent’ prayers by these so-called men of ‘God’ can do for a political party. All the WELL-WISHES for the NPP have impacted NEGATIVELY and their ILL-WISHES have granted POSITIVE tidings for the NDC.
Continuing – is the current state of a detonated bomb of destruction that the NPP finds itself as I write. And apart from the PRAYER-TURNED-CURSES by the party’s pastors, is the curse of the living legacy of the Danquah-Busia-Dombo political tradition.
My last published piece dwelt on the alleged curse by ex-President John Agyekum Kufour (JAK) on Nana Addo-Danquah Akufo Addo. If that allegation is true, then there are two ‘curses’ the party has to contend with. When one considers the alleged Kufour’s ‘curse’ on Akufo Addo and now that it is almost working – then it means that the party is equally ‘cursed’ and Nana would have to sink with it.
The party is quarter-way sank! Signals of a new party originating from it would bury it further down and by the turn of next year, only the good LORD will know what will be left of the NPP.
Apart from the alleged ‘curse’ by the ex-president, his PROPHETIC admonition to delegates in 2007 to look for a UNIFIER to succeed him and keep the Elephant Family intact was ignored by delegates. “…Don’t look for somebody who is full of tension to succeed me…” was effectively rubbished and Nana Akufo Addo is leading the Party for the third consecutive time.
The NPP have ‘yielded’ a lot by ignoring the wise counsel from a towering personality of their tradition. Their ‘success’ story now is that they have given the Elephant, clay legs to stand on and we all know how unsustainable that can be. CRUSH-FALL! CRUSH-FALL!! CRUSH-FALL!!!
To Nana Akufo Addo, Harold H. Greene may have indirectly told you that, “…Man is not, by nature, deserving of all that he wants. When we think that we are automatically entitled to something – that is when we start walking over all others to get it” [But we will not succeed because that “something” is not naturally ours]. Is that clear to you?
And to the hypocrites who mention the name of GOD in VANE, “Stanley on Bible” has this for you, that, “…All believers in CHRIST are theologians. But all theologians are not necessarily BELIEVERS. Theology is simply the knowledge of GOD – but, Knowing GOD begins with a personal faith in CHRIST…” This is exactly what you lack and that is why your evil wishes can never deflate the strength of the National Democratic Congress. CONGRATULATION for your ‘SUCCESSES’!
Camillus Maalneriba-Tia Sakzeesi
[email protected]
0266223333/0233733326/0248433700