In the run up to the December 2008 elections NDC, the main opposition party at the time, just like any political party made a lot of promises. There are some of these promises that they wish they never made to Ghanaians. Information Reaching me from a staunch member of the ruling NDC indicate that some big guns in the party are at each others throat over wild promises they made which some think went out of proportion. There is a deep regret over these promises with others blaming those who speerheaded those loose talks for openning their mouths too wide.
The person who revealed this vital inner information to me on a promise of anonymity made mention of the promise to aprehend, prosecute and jail the murderers of the Overlord of Dagbon, the Drastic Fuel Price reduction promise, the promise of Jailing NPP members they alleged were corrupt, the promise of putting money in people's pockets, their stands against the HPIC innitiative, the School Feeding Programme and the National Health Insurance scheme. He also told me the pressure the promise to eradicate corruption has given them. The Member of Parliament also told me they have been hit hard by the trade of drug which they made so much noise about and promised to nip in the bud. These promises, he said has given them so much headache.
Bringing to book the murderes of the Late great King was infact part of The NDC's manifesto for the election. I was told this particular issue was forced into the manifesto by the founder of the party. He is said to have shown so much concern about the lost of the King that he virtually forced them to agree on making it not just a campaign promise, but a core part of their manifesto. At the time, the former President had consistently claimed that he and the NDC as party had enough evidence to bring out the murderers of the King including a tape evidence. At the time honest people in the NDC inner circle cautioned the leadership on this step but no one gave heed to them. Some of the leaders had listened to the tape themselves and knew for sure that it could not stand as a credible evidence. As they faced Tamale and Yendi they knew in their hearts that the information they were relaying to the people was false. They knew finding the murderers won't be an easy task because of the way and manner the whole unfortunate incident happened. But yet hunger for power pushed them to say a green horse existed. After the lies the NDC was put to test and getting to three years down the line, the promise is turning into a white elephant. The tape evidence their father promised has also turned to be a toy with Victor Smith, the man who recorded the video tape openly declaring that the tape is nothing close to credible evidence. The Attorney General also came out clean on it buttressing Mr Smiths claim. It is a promised NDC have regreted making, but it is too embarrassing to leak their own saliver.
I have been informed that the then Candidate Mills slipped with his tongue by adding the word DRASTICALLY to the promise to reduce fuel prices. Am told they had agreed as a party to tell Ghanaians that; they will reduce fuel Prices. Which means it won't have mattered how much reduction they made when in power. On this Pres Mills excuse me to say, opened his mouth too wide to the detriment of the party. It washed away a good portion of Ghanaians trust in the Law Professor just three months into office. On this he said they wish that kind of a mistake was not made. It made them look like liars too early. Or maybe thats what they are, liars.
He told me again that as at the time they were accusing Former President Kuffour's men of corruption, they had not a single evidence to substantiate thier allegations but kept on hitting it because their founder told them at a close meeting that they should keep repeating it and although it is false, it will later look like truth. Here they were just applying the psychological theory which says; "when a lie is told over and over again it turns to be truth". They kept hitting there leaving Ghanaians to assume it was true, when they had no shred of evidence. In power they have failed to successful nail anybody to the cross because what they told Ghanaians were all formulations, plain lies. This has also created a big confusion in the party. Because Papa J wanted them to use martial law and Mafia tactics but our democracy and Judiciary have come of an age where everybody knows his rights and how to defend them. It is one of the issues that have seriously affected the unity of the party. It has also created enmity between the judiciary and the Governing party. The NDC sang a song of lies and wanted the Judiciary to finish the chorus. Lies only end you in a ditch. And when you lie once you must and I mean MUST continue lying to defend the lie. They lied and are forced to continue defending it. In their frustration they are now threatning our innocent judges. God help us.
He said the worst of all was the President's promise to put money in people's pocket. That promise has made all their hardwork meaningless, because the Ghanaian's major concern is his daily bread and the money in his pocket. Build the biggest classroom blocks, if he doesnt have money in his pocket to send his children to that school he will rescind you outright. Construct the most beautiful roads if the driver cannot get his sales because of the hardship in town he will hate you. It was too direct to say, i will put money into your pockets. The worst of it, since the government came into power if ten people had employment, the same number lost their jobs. The country is "hard" as the ordinary Ghanaian will say. The mouth was too wide open. It is a promise the NDC wish they never made so directly but the harm is already done. Instead of putting money in pockets, poverty level is sky rocketing. "Big mouth" has landed them in trouble.
NDC wish they never said it was Kuffour's Government which was reluctant to fight drug trade. In their time many drug cases have occured which they quickly pushed under carpets. He said, all the people they thought were into this illegal businesses have been followed closely and found clean but because they have already made it public they have to stand by it. It is known the president had been informed that some of his ministers were having hands in this dirty trade. Luckily wikileaks confirmed this claim but the president has refused to make the names public because it would have made us know the hypocrites they are. Even when he (pres Mills) gave a command that every Minister travelling must be scanned, some of his ministers refused to obey this command because they knew what they were carrying. The international community has as at now, recognised West Africa as a play ground of Barons and Ghana as we speak is not left out of the transition points of drug. We are not hearing of it again because those who politicised it are now bearing the responsibility. Can you immagine a government appointee in charge of Narcotic Control Board saying he has evidence against some politicians who are using drug proceeds for elections. Without mentioning even one name. And the president still mentains him. What is his work? Is it not to control this menace and bring the offenders to book. Pres Mills is quiet because they know what is under. Just still lying to cover the old lie.
The big man in the ruling party told me their stand against the HIPC innitiative, NHIS and the school feeding programme has made it very shameful for them to mention it as an achievement. On HIPC he said that is the reason for the change of the name of the HIPC projects into Social Intervention Programmes (SIP). The government is now building school blocks with HIPC funds which president Mills goes round commissioning without letting Ghanaians know they are hipc benefits. They rather call them SIP projects. NDC sympathisers forcibly kicked out even people who took care of the hipc toilets, is it not disgraceful? When the NPP wanted to established the School Feeding programe and the National Health Insueance Scheme, NDC vehemently opposed it, saying it was unsustainable. Since they came to power they have not only defended that they are keeping them going when the opposition accuse them of destroying the programmes, but has also used these programs to find jobs for their faithfuls at the expense of people who were already working there. The old workers were labelled as NPP sympathisers and chased out by "NDC FOOD sodiers" with fists, cutlasses and "power from above". They were against all three programmes but now they wish they never said the things they said about these programmes. It has brought them so much shame.
President Mills then backed by Mr Probity and Accountability promised he will cleanse the country of corruption like hysop does to dirt. Immediately after assumption of office he was faced with the case of Maybil and Johnson, The Muntaka corruption Saga, allegations by Peter Barker-Homer, CEO of TAQA that functionaries of the NDC received at least US$ 1 million dollars in bribery payments from TAQA, the United Arab Emirates, majority shareholder of the Aboadze thermal plant. A case currently in court in US, in Michigan State. The government has most recently been exposed on how the cost for constructing a class room block has been inflated by well over 370% because a classroom block which was estimated to cost only 73,000.00 cedis is now being constructed at 280,000,00 cedis. An assembly hall for a secondary school according to their own regional minister in the Eastern Region Dr Apea Kubi said he was shocked at the amount mentioned; 800,000.00 cedis (8billion old cedis). Corruption all over the place now and the Mills-Mahama led administration has not been able to take a single step to stop it. Deputy ministers, presidential Aids and the party's own senior executives are said to be acquiring and building houses in Ghana and abroad. On this NDC wish they could retract their statements because the failure is too glaring. No single point has been scored against corruption.
The NDC is sobbing silently, because the lies that brought them into power is leading them out of the doorway. Nana Addo is coming like a moving train and no lie can work against him again. Ghanaians have known his kind of person; Just, honest, brave, visionary and intelligent. They have also known what they (NDC) are and will show them the exit. They have regretted putting themselves in this trouble by making public things they knew are beyond their reach. Talk they say, is easy.....
God bless our Homeland Ghana.
Noah Dugubrame Asare. Frankfurt, Germany.