Opinions of Wednesday, 29 August 2007

Columnist: Okyere Bonna

Rejoinder, Don't fool yourself, Dr Kennedy!

In his article (read ) which had earlier appeared in the Statesman, Kwame Okoampa-Ahoofe ( 20/08/2007) a renowned English professor and a strong NPP advocate, raised an issue over Kennedy’s candidacy based on some responses made by the aspiring Presidential candidate in an interview. I am responding to the article per above title not as a member of the Kennedy team but as a Ghanaian who is eager for positive change and good leadership in 2008 as opposed to maintaining the status quo

According to the author of the article, “during his latest campaign tour of the Central Region, aspiring New Patriotic Party presidential candidate Arthur Kobina Kennedy was quoted by the (Ghanaian) Statesman as claiming that "now everybody is convinced [that] there are no frontrunners in the race" (8/10/07). However, the same campaigner was also quoted as saying that "he is now the man to beat in the contest." The writer would like to slight the candidate, for his boldness and argue that this is contradictory and an act of “self confidence attributing by a self-deceptive spin on the reality of the situation”

It appears the writer has a problem with Kennedy’s youthful exuberance and self confidence which I don’t find amusing because throughout the article it was apparent that the author has very limited knowledge of the candidate (Kennedy). You would perhaps understand the author given his traditional views on issues. The author seems to have unqualified respect for authority or leadership and therefore finds Kennedy’s boldness to question party authority or leadership unwarranted or a matter of ostentation.

In a perfect society where authorities/leadership lived to their expectations (or cared for the subjects) as prescribed by the laws of the land and natural law, respectively, Ahoofe’s views on traditional leadership and for that matter his rebuke would have been laudable but not in a country (or party) where seniority leaves little to be desired. This author personally thinks most of Africa’s problems are caused by the people’s reluctance to hold our leaders responsible. A case in point is the people’s lack of speed to question why VRA is losing $17million each month and yet the people are quiet, even when the executives are living above their means; the unaccounted $103 million grant earmarked to eradicate the water problems in the country, etc. I think respecting authority does not mean we cannot tell them they are wrong when it is so obvious.

We cannot all wait to sink together in the ship, especially when we have (other good captains in the ship) or have the knowledge and the tools to swim to safety. Therefore, the fact that a candidate points out an obvious problem should not make him an enemy of his own party. In any civilized country and or democracy, people/teams/parties agree to disagree.

I also find it interesting that my honorable friend has an issue with Kennedy calling on the President to stay neutral in the party’s race for the flagbearership. He writes, “Why would the former South Carolina, USA, physician rehash the recent hoopla regarding whether President Kufuor, indeed, has a personally anointed candidate for the presidency and then second-guess our beloved Chief-of-State by cynically pretending to be ambivalent on this already-settled matter?” He continued, “On the preceding score, this is what Statesman reporter, Kwabena Amankwah had to retail on a telephone interview that he had with the aspirant: "The aspiring presidential candidate sees President Kufuor's recent assurance that he does not support any of the candidates as 'highly commendable, but [that] it should be matched by deeds”.

I would rather say, Kennedy’s repeated demand for confirmation of the president to declare his neutrality for any of the aspirants, at least, openly, was in the interest of the party. The NPP may therefore commend him for being bold enough to do so, when no one wanted to so offend the office of the President. There is nothing wrong for the President to keep his favorite to himself but to do so openly at this time could divide the party. So Kennedy’s boldness must not be slighted or taken out of context. Neither must it be seen as an act of hypocrisy for a candidate who has not been a core of the executive to question the structures and organization of the party.

On the same issue, the author wrote, “And just what are these "events on the ground"? And just why should an aspirant who apparently feels confident of his candidacy, well enough to boastfully assert that he is the man to beat, be bothered, in the least, about whether the substantive president is being true to his word, on the preceding score, or not? Needless to say, all is not well and sound when any presidential aspirant begins to speak in innuendoes. It is unpardonably treacherous, particularly when it equivocally impugns the integrity of the sitting President” (Ahoofe).

According to the article, the writer personally says he came to a definitively negative conclusion on an Arthur Kennedy candidacy not quite awhile ago, when he read a brief editorial in a major privately-owned Ghanaian daily, in which the former South Carolina medical administrator was quoted as saying that he (Dr Kennedy) could not wish Vice-President Aliu Mahama well in the latter’s quest for the presidency because he (Dr Arthur Kennedy) was in the race to win at all costs! A veritable hint of a "constitutional dictator" in the making, isn’t it?” He asked.

How could a candidates self confidence be misconstrued to be a sign of dictatorship? To me the statement suggests, the candidate has done his research and rightly weighed his chances before venturing. I really see no problem for a candidate to see himself as the one to beat. After all, in every game, serious players enter to win; and it is too early to throw all support around one candidate from the NPP, even the Vice-President. Whether they win or not is a different issue all together. If Kennedy is not in to win, then why should he waste his time and that of his supporters? You enter a race to win irrespective of what others think of you. I rather find Kennedy’s response not only honest but impressive because it indicates that the candidate has assessed himself before venturing the race. This, by no means constitute pride.

According to the writer, “It is also rather hypocritical for the former South Carolina resident to be, reportedly, lamenting that six-and-half years after the New Patriotic Party assumed reins of governance, "the structures of the party are still weak," and then proceed to smugly list the fact that: "There is no single constituency that can boast of a database on its membership.” He continued, "We don’t have a Communications Director, neither do we have a Press Secretary. We don’t seem to appreciate the need to change the status quo and have such important party officers [sic] as Deputy Secretary, Deputy Organiser and Deputy Women’s Organiser." So, if one may aptly ask, where has Dr Kennedy been all these six-and-half years that he appears to be just presently coming to knowledge about such, admittedly, grievous NPP structural weaknesses?”

Before I proceed to show the author what Kennedy has done to this effect, let me begin with a question: How can they improve if no one saw anything wrong with the organizational structures within the party? It is apparent from what happened earlier in the party prior to Mac Manu’s assumption to the office of chairmanship of the party that, all was and is still not perfect as the writer would have us believe. Of course we can say that it is better, compared to the opposition party but NPP is not perfect. Then again, it appears the writer is not aware of the many suggestions and documents Kennedy has put before the NPP towards restructuring and transformation of the same NPP.

On June 14, 2005, Kennedy sent a personal letter to Mr. Harona Esseku, Chairman, NPP Accra, Ghana headed RE: PARTY PLEDGE. In this letter Kennedy respectfully submitted his ideas to reinforce the NPP’s commitment to excellence and accountability. This document included suggestions for NPP code of conduct for consideration by the party at its earliest convenience. It must be recalled that it was not long after this when issues arose the nearly crumpled the party. Had the Part hierarchy heeded Kennedy’s advice this would not have happened.

Therefore, it is not true for the author to have accused Kennedy of inaction as he wrote, “Needless to say, chances are that the aspirant has absolutely no concrete remedies for the structural weaknesses that he has glibly identified, short of merely pretending to have them; else, Dr Kennedy would have since long before unleashing his tirade submitted such remedies to the national executive committee of the NPP or, better yet, to President Kufuor himself! “

I don’t think the writer is in anyway suggesting that the communications level of the party or Press Secretariat had been above average or excellent. There had been many occasions where the President’s office was silent on many allegations and cared less to inform the nation accordingly. How many times have we heard from the Communications Director or Press Secretary of the party except when a dignitary visited the nation? It was only fair that the leadership of the party acknowledged with thanks Kennedy’s frank and honest opinions and amended its shortcomings. If Kennedy would be bold enough to point these out then it suggests to me that he would likewise be opened to similar corrections when he is the President. Therefore to see him as a dictator in the making is baseless and pure speculation.

According to the writer, the editorial in a major privately-owned Ghanaian daily, in which Kennedy was quoted as saying that he (Dr Kennedy) could not wish Vice-President Aliu Mahama well, offered a credible portrait of the real Dr Arthur Kobina Kennedy that Ghanaians deserve to know about, the kind whose leadership we definitely don’t need, and would detest to have bossing us around post-Election 2008.

I find it rather interesting that my honorable friend finds Kennedy’s self confidence and questioning of the powers that be as ” veritably and pathetically misguided. The writer moves on to refer to the candidate as “Ghanaian immigrant who appears to have quickly mastered all the negative vibes concomitant with American democracy, without any of such positive aspects as washing one’s neighbor’s hands and having one’s own washed in turn." Perhaps my honorable friend would agree with me that this is what true democracy is all about, telling it as it is. In a democracy we can rightfully and constructively criticize policies not personalities though. Above all Kennedy is the party man who not only has deep respect for the Vice-President and party leadership but pray the NPP to retain power for the good of all Ghanaians. It must be recalled that some time ago, long before the Kennedy campaign, he had written to admonish the NPP, in his article entitled, Strengthening the Elephant. In this article Kennedy wrote,

“My fellow Asonoma, even if the president were guilty of all that he has been accused of, we have some guilt too. As James M. Burns wrote in “LEADERSHIP” our best hope lies in “recognizing the wants and needs of present and potential constituencies, to arouse and intensify expectations, to enlist more persons in the party’s cause, to win elections—and then to mobilize the party’s influence within and outside government to satisfy rising demands, thereby winning more elections and remaining in office”. Guided by this, let us rebuild our great party, holding fast to our enduring principles rather than ephemeral personalities. That is the way not only to win but to transform Ghana. Let the elephant advance to the glory of Ghana. OSONO NIE!!” (Kennedy 2005/6)

I hereby submit that those of us who have met or have been around Kennedy do no see him as a tyrant nor bossy. He is very humble and takes correction and suggestions with honor. Above all he is a man with a vision and a plan to lead the party and the nation to prosperity in 2008. In deed Kennedy is the man to beat in 2008 and I am glad Ahoofe brought it out. I challenge my dear friend and brother, Ahoofe to get a little closer to Kennedy, at least have some personal conversation/interaction before he jumps into such conclusions. Then again he may have to judge the candidates on vision and ideas not longevity in the party or residency. If there was one humble and down to earth among the NPP aspirants, I dare to say that it was Kennedy. I t is not wrong for Ahoofe to have his own favorites but it is not fair to condemn a candidate on the basis of his self confidence and confrontation for justice. Ghana deserves better than the status quo; it is time to hold government responsible to deliver, irrespective of party affiliations. Ghana is higher than the presidency.

Views expressed by the author(s) do not necessarily reflect those of GhanaHomePage.