Kofi Boakye :To celebrate or to vilify?

Ghana’s insincere dog-eat-dog partisan politics threatens to eat up its celebrated Police Commander – ACP Kofi Boakye!  His crime; he dared to say he almost lost his job in the New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration on account of close working relations with the National Democratic Congress (NDC) President in the previous administration!

“NPP came to power and some of us were nearly sacked because there was that presumption that once I have travelled with the head of state before; because I travelled with Rawlings to Libya, once I was the lead policeman whenever Rawlings is coming, I am automatically NDC,” he said.

The politically flavoured anti-Kofi Boakye attacks have been immediate, predictably unforgiving and vicious: “Kofi Boakye is too reckless and corrupt, drug baron, liar, trying to woo the NDC government or what?, cocaine dealer, JJ and Okaija were your friends and so what?, in Ashanti to steal 2016 election votes for the NDC, he was drunk, unfit to wear uniform,” and so on and so forth!

The incursion of a former deputy interior minister in the Kufuor administration into the furore has been especially instructive. Essentially corroborating the commander’s allegation, he conceded that some elements within government had indeed called for the charismatic commander’s sack but that this should not be construed to be the official position of government at the time.

Truth

But the predictable insults say it all. Welcome to Ghana where conceding political turf is but a grudging enterprise, where truth is not truth unless it favours your political cause, where competent and politically ‘neutral’ compatriots can be branded useless overnight as soon as they make it known, they do not necessarily share your political views. 

Welcome, welcome, welcome. Welcome to Ghana, where the politics is not necessarily about different strategies for achieving shared national goals, but a tool for determining who is with us and who is against us, who to marry and who to divorce,  who to praise and who to speak evil of whether they are deserving of your evil tongue or not!

So for now, the widely acclaimed Police Commander will simply have to bear it.  This is because the debate will not be about whether issues raised are true or not, or about their implications, not about how the country can promote professionalism above cronyism, how high-functioning public servants can be insulated from the wicked clutches of our divisive partisanship, not about how innovative and results-oriented leadership can be noticed, named and celebrated. For some, it will be about the baseless accusation of how he has been sent to the Ashanti Region to help the NDC to win the 2016 Presidential election!

But backtrack six weeks ago in this same Ghana. Kofi Boakye was our hero. Not one evil word against him from any camp. His good deeds had earned him a surprise presidential visit. 

Joy FM’s Super Morning Show had done one of those rare things where the show was hosted outside the studio in the commander’s office. Boakye had mobilised corporate support in Kumasi and renovated the regional police headquarters like no other in the country. 

Similarly,  Ashanti Police had secured a new ultra-modern 250-seater conference hall. He was reported to be putting up a 20-bed police clinic through public-private partnership. 

The media praised his intolerance for impunity, highlighted improved security in the region, and credited him with a dramatic reduction in crime in Ashanti.   

What really is this vicious intolerant extreme partisan politicking about? What is this self-righteousness that has bred the spirit of intolerance in some of us? 

What is this mindless sense of entitlement that makes some of us feel that support for our political cause ought to be a matter of course, never to be questioned? 

Why do some feel so cowed that they are gripped with fear, never publicly expressing their honest political views, save that which pleases the loud raucous crowd? 

I have heard people ridicule a right-thinking member of society thus, “How can you, a strong Christian and a professional, express support for this blood-thirsty political party?” 

Never mind that the NDC is as legitimate a party as the NPP and no one person or group is the embodiment of all wisdom in this country.  The last time I checked, it was a free country.

I pray for three things in 2015. Humility to see and acknowledge my ignorance, hunger for knowledge to fill those gaps, and courage to speak the truth even if it means swimming against the tide.

That said, I wish to throw one strong salute to Ashanti Regional Police Commander, ACP Kofi Boakye, aka Commander One. You take passion and professionalism in public service to a whole new level and we celebrate you greatly for this! May God strengthen you and your team! No shaking!

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