Opinions of Sunday, 13 June 2010
Columnist: Coffie, Emmanuel Dela
I can’t get my head around it. I am trying silently to figure out the
reasons for certain actions of our leaders which I find very offensive
and incomprehensible. The sort of treachery that the presidency has
introduced in to the ranks of the National Democratic Congress will take courage and
fortitude to diffuse not silence and sheepish on-looking.
This reckless gambit must be engaged head on.
The National Democratic Congress must overcome this beat up philosophy
of not washing its “dirty linen in public in public”. For goodness sake
the dirty linen is already stinking in public, thanks to the President
and his advisers and it wouldn’t hurt one bit if we clean it where it
hangs!
I find it very absurd, if not irritating, that those who portrays
themselves as social democrats and believers of the ideals of social
justice would distance themselves from June 4th commemoration.
What were the underlying reasons for President Mills’ absence from June
4th celebration? Why is the presidency trying to alienate Jerry John
Rawlings?
What was the rational behind the absence of government functionaries?
The NDC sits on the good works of June 4th 1979 and 31st December 1981
revolts. Mills would not be called God because he does not encourage the celebration
of June 4th.
How could anyone in his or her sane mind claim that President Rawlings
is insignificant in the NDC?
It is sheer foolishness and downright obtuse for anyone to make such an
assertion.
I seriously wonder if Mills is really running this country or a bunch of sycophants
who have his ear are the ones ruling Ghana.
Rawlings has sacrificed so much for the NDC and does not deserve this
from the people he brought into political limelight.
Why should you celebrate June 4th in opposition and not celebrate it in
government? That is the hypocrisy and the double standard that angers
me.
President Mills and his sycophantic ilks must know that by their
actions, they have abandoned the values of social justices.
Many of Mr Rawlings’ criticisms of President Mills have been over
analyzed and misrepresented to serve the political ends of his
adversaries.
There are many “idiots” in our political landscape. Jerry John Rawlings
is definitely not one of them. You may hate him, but you can’t take it
away from him. He has the ability to see into the future. If he did not
envisage Professor Mills could lead his party to power, he would not
move heaven and earth to ensure his selection as the presidential
candidate for three consecutive times. You don’t ostracize people like
that.
The Rawlingses are wise and politically experienced enough not to do
things they would not give a second thought.
Mr Rawlings like any other Ghanaian has a constitutional right to
express his views on any issue. He has been offering constructive
criticisms and I believe it is in order. He meant well and it is
incumbent on President Mills to take the criticisms on board and build a better
Ghana for all of us. In any case, nobody in the NDC can claim to love President
Mills more than Jerry John Rawlings.
Where were likes of Ato Ahwoi, Kwamina Ahwoi, Totobi Quakyi, P.V. Obeng, Nii Lante
Vanderpujie and Kojo Tsikata, when President Rawlings against all odds
single-handedly sponsored Mills to become the NDC flagbearer
in 2000? Where were they when Rawlings sticks his neck for Mills in the
dark days of opposition?
The politics of political gymnastics of the Ahwois, Totobi quakyis, P.V. Obengs, and
others have been exposed and it stinks to the high heavens.
If the NPP had someone who publicly questioned Kufuor’s missteps,
Professor Mills would not be the President and the likes of Ato Ahwoi
would not dabble in unbridled sycophancy and treachery.
President Mills as the leader of the NDC must make all structures work
within his party. He must look beyond the ordinary and think outside the box well
enough to make all of us have faith in him.
He must be weary of political vultures and turncoats like Ato Ahwoi,
Totobi Quakyi, Nii Lante Vanderpuyie and others who believes they can
transition overnight from being mere tramp yesterday into political
celebrities on account of being sycophants and bootlickers.
President Mills must also be careful of the people he surrounds himself
with. His so-called kitchen cabinet must be careful not to rock the
boat. Any attempt to humiliate Rawlings publicly will spell doom for
their political future.
The fallacy that Rawlingses influence in the NDC is waning must also be
discarded. It is only a political toddler who would think thatJerry John Rawlings
is irrelevant in the NDC.
Those political turncoats and vultures around the President must also
understand that every member of the NDC is a Rawlings boy including
President Mills, because the NDC is one family without any factions so
all those who hate Rawlings and are not prepared to work with him must
leave the party with their treachery and dishonesty.
I do not understand why any individual or group of persons in the NDC
would have issue with Nana Konadu’s decision to run for flagbearer
position. And for somebody like Nii Lante Vanderpujie,a nonentity in the NDC to cast
aspersions at the personality of the former first family is very glib and offensive
to say the least.
Having run out of ideas, the likes of Nii Lante Vanderpujie have turned
our democracy into a theatre for political comedy and character
vilification.
What is so scandalous and materially ironic about this needless
shenanigan is that the personalities leading this graceless attack
against Nana Konadu are individuals who should know better.
Disappointingly, they continue to yell themselves hoarse without telling us whether
she has indeed confirmed her interest in the flagbearer
position.
If opposition elements indulge in this graceless attack, I would have
accepted it with relative ease. However, when I see people who claim to
be social democrats try very hard to go all out against the very people
who brought them to political prominence, I cringe with amazement.
The NDC must position itself and get rid of the charlatans and political businessmen
who think they can make a mockery of social democracy.
We shall be back!
Emmanuel Dela Coffie
[email protected]/www.delacoffie.wordpress.com