In my humble opinion, Akufo Addo remains the NPP’s best candidate going to 2016 elections. This is not to take away anyone's choice or opinions. We all want the best for the party and Ghana's development. We must however put our opinions across with respect, decorum and circumspection. If we do this we are most likely not hurt any member. There would be little need to use resources, time and energy to do "unity" talks. Let our unity manifest during the internal campaign and elections.
"Disappointment, defeat, and despair are the tools God uses to show us the way.”
? Paulo Coelho, Brida
The above quote shows that there is a lot of advantage to be derived from our performance as a party in the 2008 and 2012 elections. In so long as we could not form the government of Ghana in 2008 and 2012, it presupposes that we lost both elections whether fairly or otherwise.
The situation would create disappointment and despair to the rank and file of the party. These disappointments may be exhibited through the blame of almost everyone but our individual selves. I shudder to say that we must all share in the blame.
The efficiency and effectiveness of the introspection done after our lost in 2008 did not culminate into strategic planning and implementation that should have won us the 2012 elections. 2016 provides us another opportunity for an honest introspection of everything done.
One of the cardinal objectives of a political party is to win elections. Any others make a political party an association of like minds. Therefore, every decision, strategy, communication, activities and inter and intra and extra actions must have this as the only criteria.
There may be two types of activities for each of the above: overt and covert.
Overt activities are those that may be given to the public and covert are those required as secret and clandestine in getting results. Every successful industry is run along these two pointers.
My humble suggestion to us all in the NPP is to have an honest introspection of our collective contribution to these defeats. We must all as individuals take responsibility for the party's performance at the polls.
Passing the buck, resorting to blame games and absorbing ourselves from what was clearly a collective performance may be our biggest bane towards 2016.
The strength of the strongest chain capable of providing an anchor to stabilize the biggest ship is in the chain's weakest link. If there was any part(s) of our strategy that caused our defeats, then we all in one way or the other failed to achieve our stated objectives.
In my humble opinion some of these may be have contributed to these failures:
• Lack of an effective communication strategy
• Failures of the party's security apparatus on the entire elections.
• Failure of our intelligence system
• Failures of finance disbursement
• Personal aggrandizement
• Nepotism in the handling of party and campaign activities
• lack of effectiveness in handling internal party divisions and hurts
• Inefficiency in campaign planning and implementation
• Failure of the post internal election conflict resolution.
• Others working covertly to undermine the party structures.
Be it as it may, whatever happens is our collective responsibility and we must avoid a blame game. Adam blamed Eve, Eve blame the serpent for deceit but all of them were punished for disobeying God's orders. We may do all the blame games but we all collective suffer the consequences of our actions and/or inactions.
In my subsequent submissions, I would attempt to expatiate on the points above and I humbly call on members to provide insightful contribution devoid of acrimony and rancor. The NPP is the best vehicle to help Ghana achieve meaning development, let us all contribute to help the NPP win the 2016 elections.
It is time to do something different.
Let’s give Akufo Addo the chance.
By:
KWAKU AMANKWAH-SARFO
Email: [email protected]
Tel: 0244255525 / 0544331324