Advertisement

Savelugu-Nanton issue: What kind of democracy is this?

Savelugu-Nanton issue: What kind of democracy is this?

I think that the National Commission for Civic Education will have to be given extra resources to intensify the inclusiveness and national unity agenda if in 2017, a person nominated by the President to head a locality can be rejected by a group there based on a view that the appointee, a fellow Ghanaian, is a “stranger”.

For some days now, media headlines have been full of the strong opposition mounted by a faction to the appointment of Hajia Ayishetu Seidu as the Municipal Chief Executive for Savelugu-Nanton, Northern Region. The people, surprisingly supposedly members of the ruling New Patriotic Party, went to the extent of locking out the appointee to prevent her from gaining access to her office, despite police and army intervention.

According to reports, their reason for rejecting her is that she is “a stranger” in the constituency. “She is not a registered voter in the Savelugu constituency and she was never part of the campaign which brought the NPP back to power.”

Yet, despite the intimidation, the Savelugu-Nanton Assembly approved her appointment overwhelmingly. Hajia Seidu, said to be an accountant at the Yendi Hospital, reportedly polled “a near record result of 50 as against 14 opposers out of 64 voters.” She was sworn into office by Northern Regional Minister Mr Salifu Saeed.

Instructively, before the election, a spokesperson for the apparently mostly youthful protestors, named as Abdulai Mohammed Rabiu, told StarrFMonline that they would ensure that “democracy is adhered to”, threatening that they would guarantee “a turbulent administration” if the nominee was approved by the Assembly.

“We are telling the Assembly members to stay in the hall if they confirm her. We will show them where power lies if they betray us,” he said.

I can’t help wondering if there are other, unpublicized reasons for the vehement opposition, which has led to confrontations with the security forces against stone-wielding protestors. Could it be because the appointee is a woman? Or is the resistance being instigated and fuelled by those who were also interested in the position?

The puzzle is, why would somebody who comes from the region be viewed as a “stranger”? Anyway, is she not a Ghanaian?

Where has the NPP stated that a requirement for political appointment is ‘conspicuous campaign credentials’? And is it all party supporters who demonstrate their love by street action or door-to-door campaigning?

Should it not be the competence of a post-holder that should be the concern? Yet, they are not saying she can’t do the work, so what is the real problem?

Perhaps our schools and the NCCE have not done enough to educate all of us on the governance history of Ghana.

Even if Hajia Seidu were from another region altogether, this is not the first time that a non-native has been appointed as a local government head; and those appointees work hard to make their name there.

Some examples, related to even the administration of whole regions, not just a district or municipality, are:

(a) President Kwame Nkrumah appointed as Ashanti Regional Commissioner (Minister), Mr S.W. Yeboah from the Brong-Ahafo Region.

(b) General Kutu Acheampong notably had a policy of appointing non-indigenes to head regions. He made Col George Minyila from Navrongo, Upper Region (now Upper East) Eastern Regional Minister. It is said that Col Minyila is still remembered for some of the progressive structural reforms he introduced in Koforidua still relevant today. 

(c) During the administration of President Jerry Rawlings, Kojo Yankah was Regional Minister for Ashanti from December, 1998 to November, 1999. Mr Yankah told me earlier this week that he still has very strong, positive ties with Ashanti even though his tenure was short.

(d) Under President John Kufuor, Ernest Akubuor Debrah, from Brong-Ahafo, was Regional Minister for the Northern Region from 2001 to 2004 when he left to contest for the Parliamentary seat of his home area, Tano North.

His widow, Mrs Akua Debrah, told me a few days ago that when some Northern opinion leaders learned later that Mr Debrah had left that position because of parliamentary aspirations, they told him that if they had known that he wanted to go to parliament, they would have supported him to choose from at least three constituencies in the North!

Regarding the current controversy, even if it were true that Hajia Seidu votes elsewhere and not in Savelugu, or assuming even that she comes from another region, what is wrong in her being appointed the Savelugu-Nanton MCE if she is qualified and capable?

Furthermore, I wonder if those in the ‘against’ faction are parents and whether their children go to schools where all the teachers are from Savelugu-Nanton.

Secondly, when they go to hospital, do they demand to be attended to by only health personnel from their constituency?

Again, when they go to the lorry park to board a vehicle to travel, do they insist that the driver should hail from Savelugu-Nanton?

Fortunately, media reports indicate that the NPP leadership is in peace talks with the faction. A ‘Concerned Citizens of Savelugu-Nanton’ group, too, is working to resolve the matter amicably, its spokesperson Mr Alhassan A. Lateef indicated in a press statement.

Surely, in all such matters, dialogue is the way forward, not violence and intransigence.

Apart from the shocking disrespect to the President and their Assembly, the stance of the faction also gives ammunition to the NPP’s detractors. If they are truly members of the NPP and they profess to love the party, why would they want to do that? 

How do TV images of rampaging NPP youth in Savelugu help their party?

Officials nominated by the President and approved by their Assembly deserve to be allowed to work and prove themselves. If they are unable to deliver, then calls for their replacement would be in order.

What is the import of all the teachings about ‘one nation’ and ‘national unity’ by successive governments if people don’t want to put these into practice?

Ironically, some of the protestors are citing “democracy” and “betrayal”! Well, it seems to me that it is rather they who have betrayed the NPP, the President and Ghana.

And as for their reference to “democracy”, what kind of “democracy” is theirs?   

Connect With Us : 0242202447 | 0551484843 | 0266361755 | 059 199 7513 |