Opinions of Wednesday, 29 January 2014
Columnist: Mensah, Nana Akyea
Jake Is On His Way Out!
Most people think Sir John is the only comedian in the NPP executives. I shall not contest that except to say that it all depends what each one of us considers a comedian to be. A more serious comedian to me is the one who thinks and says there is nothing wrong with buying votes, or buying state bungalows reserved for Ministers of State! Such a mentality has a built-in architecture of radical corruption, and the vacancies for people like that are closing everywhere. Hence only a comedian can justify bribery in a political campaign today!
You see, it all depends on your sense of humour. If you are so frustrated with the perceived rampant corruption in the current NDC Administration and you are looking for an alternative party to replace the NDC, and you are confronted with Jake as the National Chairman of that party, I can understand that you would not find it funny. And that is not at all funny. It was rather sickening to read in the news that Jake is saying candidates are free to use money to influence delegates if they have it because in politics, money is a gift.
“Responding to allegations of inducement and corruption ahead of elections to select regional executives, Jake gave a lecture on the importance of using one's strength in politics.
"If you speak well, then go and speak well, if you are a good organizer, show the people you are a good organiser, if you have money..then use the money, if you have time and patience then show the people you have time and patience", - an advice that could potentially increase a vote-buying orgy.
An aspiring Regional Chairman Bernard Antwi-Boasiako this week, donated a three-storey building to the party to be used as office space. The decision of the Regional Chairman to accept the donation has angered the other contenders who complain of bias.
As a post
“Jake, Jake, Jake Otanka Obetsebi Lamptey
You are wrong, Jake, because it's an advice that could potentially increase a vote-buying orgy; and money for vote is tantamount to corruption crime. The negative effect outweigh the short term positives for the corrupt politician, however, the demerits are enormous in society. Jake, don't try to be so short-sighted politician.
Jack, I have indeed lost aplomb in you with this scandalous declaration, because it will eventually turn up to hunt the NPP to lose the election. #ShameUntoYou! #ChairmanBanZa!”
What is pathetically funny is that he thinks he is marketable. Perhaps his confidence is placed on his ability to buy votes. I really don't care much for the NPP, but I would like to see the party making some efforts at distancing itself a little bit from the radically corrupt politicians who have no qualms about buying votes, because they see value for money in the positions for which they are contesting.
The reason why I think Jake is on his way out is because he has resorted to desperate and bizarre measures. Of late, Jake has resorted to hearing voices of his own, as a campaign tactic. In less than twenty four hours, he has heard two distinct voices. The first one was the voice of his first national Vice Chairman, Fred Oware, who is contesting him for the National Chairmanship of the party. Mr Obetsebi-Lamptey told TV3’s Hot Issues on Saturday that he was in a haze about why his first Deputy, who had earlier promised not to run for the Chairmanship slot so long as he (Obetsebi-Lamptey) was in the race, could dishonour his own promise:
“…Initially what I heard was that he [Oware] was doing it because he said I had told him that I was not going to contest, ok, or misheard me, ok, and he told me that if I was going to contest then he wouldn’t”, Mr Obetsebi-Lamptey said.
“So I corrected him and told him that I’m sorry, whatever he heard was obviously a miscommunication but I’m going to contest’. Subsequently I expected that he will not contest but even the bug bites you. You decide that you too you want to be boss small so it’s ok, there’s not a problem with it”. See: NPP elections: Oware broke promise not to fight me – Jake | General News 2014-01-26 https://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/artikel.php?ID=298888
The second voice was one of no other person than former President John Agyekum Kufour. Mr Obetsebi-Lamptey, was reported to have heard another voice last Saturday which was clearly the voice of former President Kufuor telling him (Jake) personally that he is not leading or supporting any faction in the party:
“If you say that President Kufuor is leading a faction, I’m not aware of it…and he’s told me that he’s not getting involved anymore; that previously even when he wasn’t involved people had been using his name and slandering him and that he’s going to keep out of it. He’s told me that he’s not supporting any candidate”.
Pressed further by Host Kwesi Pratt Jr., as to whether he believed Mr Kufuor’s claim that he is neither leading nor supporting any faction within the party, Mr Obetsebi-Lamptey said: “oh why would I fail to believe my former President and my friend. It would be the height of disrespect”.
Apart from hearing voices, he is also making very dangerous and irresponsible utterances. He has learnt nothing and forgotten nothing. For him, there are no lessons to learn as to why the NPP lost both the Presidential and Parliamentary elections in 8 out of ten regions of Ghana. His answer is simple. The NPP won, but were cheated.
It is a narrative that they have so far used to mobilize the entire party and to hold it together under their leadership until now. Unfortunately, it is a narrative that is no longer relevant to the herculean task confronting the NPP. If the party can prosper at all, it depends upon its ability to recognize mistakes and to improve upon them. For Jake, the only mistake was that they were not vigilant enough, and so they were robbed of victory.
For a simple example, alienating the few supporters in the Volta Region by branding all of them as "Trokosi", or NPP Akan supporters calling all Ghanaians from the Northern parts as "Atinga" or "Cow herd" as Ursula and Okoampa were doing is no way to get the vote swingers! No matter how hard others in the party try to win their votes! That ought to be an obvious lesson to learn from. And there are many more, such as “all die be die!”, when most Ghanaians want a peaceful and civilized campaign.
For Jake, the reason why they lost the Petition case at the Supreme Court is because the court needs to hear more of such cases in order to be up to the mark! For him, the NPP lost simply due to the lack of practice on the part of the Judges!
“Some of the judges,” he was reported to have whined, “in fact, had been a long time away from the practice of the high court and so were a little bit rusty in what could pertain.” See: Justice Atuguba changed the judgement - Jake laments | General News 2014-01-26 https://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/artikel.php?ID=298843
This is simply ridiculous. That is why I think that he is also a comedian in his own rights! What the NPP really needs is a comedian-free National Executive Committee. This is entirely without any preference to any of the candidates, I know them not. All we ask for is enough of these comedians! He can blame his defeat on his bungalow! And may God help us to teach the appropriate lessons for our future politicians!
