Hon. Kennedy Agyapong, the Member of Parliament for Assin Central Constituency in the Central region, a supposedly maverick politician who cannot be muzzled, has sounded the alarm bells. He has warned the infant NPP government of His Excellency President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo against the possibility of losing Election 2020 should it not be strategically savvy and politically farsighted enough to do things in political correctness.
Many a Ghanaian has offered their opinion on the red alert to the NPP by Hon. Kennedy Agyapong. Some have condemned him for being a loudmouth and for issuing such a warning too early. Others have been very cautious in their condemnation hence not being definitive with their views while a few are in total agreement with him.
Before I declare my stand, we had better know what Hon. Kennedy Agyapong had said which has been captured on video. He said that the security of the nation in its current state is very weak. Therefore, the NDC-sympathising national security operatives/personnel at the National Security office must be replaced since they pose the potential risk of sabotaging His Excellency President Nana Addo Dankwah Akufo-Addo and his NPP-led government. Subsequently, he advised the Minister for National Security, Hon Albert Kan Dapaa, to sit up, replace those people and show aptness for the job as his ministry is crucial to the ability and capability of the President and his government to deliver on their electioneering promises to the people.
Yes, the expectation of the people for the President to deliver on his numerous promises made to them is very high. The failure of the government to meet the promises made will expose it to public anger and ridicule. This happening, may have the potency of turning the electorates against them. When it does occur as said, is the risk or the probability of NPP losing election 2020 not high?
What is wrong for someone to give you political-correctness advice? The medium where it was delivered, radio/TV studio, could be condemned as inappropriate by those who make claim to scruples, but not the admonition itself.
As most of the national security personnel might have known bribery and corruption under former President John Dramani Mahama’s government but may not have the chance to enjoy such illegal freebies under President Nana Addo Dankwah Akufo-Addo’s NPP-led government, they may intentionally sabotage the government.
Unless the positions at the National Security are not by political appointment, I would rather reason with Hon. Kennedy Agyapong. Yes, they are Ghanaians and they need to work like any other Ghanaian without political witch hunt. However, some positions necessitate that trusted persons are put in there but not dubious partisans affiliated with your rival party. This is just common sense which does not need a rocket scientist to tell.
Any serious politician must be farsighted to be able to tell the consequences of an action.
Let me cite an example from the Tema Development Corporation where the Managing Director, an NDC activist by his actions, maltreated all those working at the corporation and were perceived to be NPP sympathisers. He did this during the President Mahama’s NDC-led administration, with impunity. When the NPP won power on Wednesday, 7 December 2016 and the alleged NPP sympathisers went into momentary wild jubilation the next day at work, the Managing Director threatened them same as he used to do with impunity when NDC was in power. He is still in post. Will such a person not sabotage NPP with the aim of helping bring NDC back into power?
Is there any difficulty replacing such politically-appointed heads of the Civil Service Corporations? Is it that they will sue for unlawful dismissal?
The NPP as a political party is teeming with highly educated people or members called by some as the Book Long. However, it may lack equal number of political strategists.
Now, many are those that are questioning in private what the President, the NPP government and party gurus, are doing to preserve people’s loyalty to the party. From certain ongoing actions, some people’s loyalty to the party is waning.
Why is it that since the independence of Ghana in 1957, sixty years ago, the United Party (UP) through its metamorphosed stages of Progress Party (PP) under Dr Kofi Abrefa Busia, Popular Front Party (PFP) under Mr Victor Owusu and National Patriotic Party (NPP) under Professor Adu Boahene/John Agyekum Kufuor/Nana Addo Dankwah Akufo Addo, has been in power for a total of about 10 years 10 months until today, Thursday, 6 April 2017?
The UP in her latest metamorphosed state (NPP) is in power but the question is why are we unable to come to power and stay longer unlike the military regimes or the younger NDC political party, NPP’s younger rival?
There are many reasons to that. The NPP must listen to Hon. Kennedy Agyapong even though he could be seen to talk a lot and louder. He is doing a marvellous job for Ghana and for the party.
A word to the wise is enough. I can write thesis on this topic but I shan’t as it is not worth it. A good ear easily assimilates a whisper or a word spoken into it.
Rockson Adofo
(Written on Thursday, 6 April 2017)