More questions for the President
President John Dramani Mahama was in his comfort zone when he met media practitioners at the Flagstaff House last Tuesday.
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The President dazzled his audience when he answered a broad range of questions, most of them expected anyway, from the practitioners.
Though there were little or no room for follow-up questions, the national exercise provided a great relief to our President to flow as he answered most of the questions to the best of his ability.
Interestingly, while a section of the political divide insists the President was full of rhetoric, others conclude he excelled.
In my view however, aspects of the exercise, which began during President John Agyekum Kufuor’s era and continued during President John Atta Mills’s era, need to be sustained and enhanced.
This is because it affords not only the Ghanaian but the global community an opportunity to learn at firsthand our President’s thoughts for the nation, his vision and mission for the country and global community as well as his cultural values and orientation.
It is clear when one listens to political discussions, both on the airwaves and within the public sphere, a few of the discourse is based on real facts, which is good for nation building.
Regretfully, many of the sentiments expressed are not based on facts but emotive, sensational and cheap politicking stewed in propaganda.
Though I missed the opportunity when the President interacted with the Ghanaian media, it will not be out of tandem to ask His Excellency the President the following:
Economic schedule plan
• How does he intend to ensure that his administration adheres to and works strictly within schedules of economic plan for this year – 2016?
I expect concrete plans on how the nation will avoid incumbency abuse during election campaign as well as profligate spending on non-prioritised needs.
Already, there are accusations and counter-accusations of vote buying to influence election choices. During election years, it is also common to observe a number of projects spring up for election purposes, but will definitely not be completed, just to win election favours.
All of these negative practices, when not nipped in the bud, go to throw economic plan schedules out of gear and the budget targets for the year are missed.
This country over the years, particularly after elections, is almost always confronted with the harsh realities of “no money in the nation’s coffers syndrome” as result of spending on campaigns, a trend which needs to be reversed.
Test for security
• This year being an election year will also see the country’s security stretched to its limit. In line with this, I would like to know from His Excellency how he intends to work to curb election-related violence as well as ensure peaceful, transparent, free and fair polls.
Already some political parties have formed pseudo military groups to provide security and safeguard their political party activities.
Machomen are also hovering on the fringes, ready to offer their services political parties.
There is also the fear of the two Guantanamo Bay detainees, whose arrival in the country has engendered mixed feelings and reactions across the nation.
Against this backdrop, is the state’s inability to provide adequate security for all the polling stations across the country.
This year, the country will have 29,000 polling stations and the ability to provide adequate security to man these stations will be another test case.
Every political party, be it big or small, wants its votes to be counted in election management. Many a time it is at the strongholds of some political parties, particularly at the polling stations level, that votes are manipulated, election processes and voting trampled upon and the people’s mandate truncated in the process.
This is the challenge for Election 2016 as it unfolds on November 7.
Redefining Ghana’s problems
In all honesty, I believe after 58 years of political independence, it is imperative we redefine Ghana’s problems be it social, economic, political or cultural.
Going into the next Golden Jubilee, there is the need for all ranks to be closed and our thoughts focused on “Nation First”.
The Fourth Republican dispensation which has seen the transfer of political power from the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and back to the NDC has not seen and projected this “Nation First” attitude. Indeed, many actions and policy directions taken are shrouded in partisan colours.
Ghana’s Parliament can also not escape blame, since they have continuously upheld the notion that the Minority will have their say whiles the Majority will have their way notwithstanding its consequence on the ailing economy.
The Ghanaian electorate, in my view, have also failed themselves and the nation at large, because they have failed to punish their Members of Parliament as well as the political party in government for non-performance.
It is only when the electorate are able to exercise their inalienable right to vote, as well as vote on issues and principles and not merely on party colours, symbols, slogans among others, shall we all help build the “Nation First” attitude.