By Kwame Okoampa-Ahoofe, Jr., Ph.D.
Garden City, New York
April 2, 2016
E-mail: [email protected]
It has always been known, at least since the beginning of the Fourth Republic, that many a minor political party is almost invariably funded by either one of the country’s major political parties, namely, the Rawlings-founded National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the Danquah-Busia-Dombo-inspired New Patriotic Party (NPP). And so it comes as absolutely no news at all, to learn of Mr. Akwasi Addae’s revelation that his United People’s Party (UPP) enjoys comfortable material support from President John Dramani Mahama and the ruling National Democratic Congress (See “Mahama Can Never Sponsor My Party – Akua Donkor” Ultimate1067.com / Ghanaweb.com 3/31/16).
Now, since we are not privy to the exact details contained on the alleged audiotape on which the voice of Mr. Addae (aka Odike) was heard bragging about the handsome support which the UPP regularly receives from President Mahama and the “corporate” headquarters of the National Democratic Congress, it is not clear precisely what form such assistance takes or has taken. One, however, can readily and aptly assume that it likely comes in the form of both material assistance – for example, motor vehicles – and cash. We have no way of objectively establishing the sources from which such assistance is taken, such as NDC party coffers and/or the personal account of President Mahama, because there does not appear to be any credible system or structure in place by which the Auditor-General’s Department could periodically examine the funding activities of the country’s legitimately registered political parties.
What I also wanted to point out is the fact that in this lurid game of divide-and-conquer, it is invariably the left-leaning ones that hold the heavier tip of the balance, often to the considerable disadvantage of neo-liberal and libertarian political establishments like the main opposition New Patriotic Party. Which is why the NPP leadership has a much greater obligation to ensure internal political cohesion, irrespective of factional differences. Put another clearer way, parties like the UPP and the Akua Donkor-led Ghana Freedom Party (GFP) draw most of their support from citizens with similar ideological proclivities or leanings as that of the New Patriotic Party. It is a deliberate and a logical ploy largely designed by left-leaning political operatives like the ruling National Democratic Congress and the rump-Convention People’s Party (r-CPP).
In recent years, however, the prime electoral catch, as it were, for the NDC has been the Limann-founded People’s National Convention (PNC), whose key operatives, like Messrs. Bernard Mornah and Abu Ramadan, have been known to openly and shamelessly flirt with the National Democratic Congress. It was all pretty much to be expected that the GFP’s Ms. Akua Donkor would come out swinging and virulently deny that her party had been on the Mahama/NDC list of political welfare recipients. But, of course, only the most politically naïve would take the trash-talking leader of the Ghana Freedom Party seriously. The fact of the matter is that Akua Donkor has long been paid for and publicly christened Prime Page Girl by President Mahama. And the curious thing about her, believe it or not, dear reader, is that Ms. Donkor is easily worth thrice as much as the party of which she is the founder, patron and eternal presidential candidate.
As the proud and prime political showcase trophy of President Mahama and the National Democratic Congress’ Abongo Boys, Ms. Donkor has traveled on lavish tours to Italy and Ethiopia with Mr. Mahama and his Flagstaff House watchdogs and political pit-bulls. She has been proudly showcased by the likes of Dr. Clement Apaak, a so-called Presidential Staffer, as being representative of the rural working-class Ghanaian, the ones but for whose around-the-clock diligence, cocoa, the country’s economic mainstay, would not exist.
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