Oh no, Nana Obiri Boahen!!
The colourful literature on the Danquah–Busia-Dombo (DBD) tradition and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) will be incomplete without a space for Nana Obiri Boahen (NOB).
Contemporaries
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Of our generational group of men of history in the NPP like Dan Botwe, Kwabena Agyei Agyepong, Nana Obiri Boahen, Senior Boakye Agyarko, Dr Richard Anane, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, Hans Djaba, Michael Ansah, Asamoah Boateng, Arthur Kennedy, Kennedy Agyepong and others, the first three stand on a different pyramid owing to their exceptional pivotal roles leading to the formation and growth of the NPP. All their working lives have been devoted to the cause of the NPP.
For this article, I will limit my discussion to that of NOB. NOB graduated as a vociferous student leader from the University of Ghana in the late 80s and waged his relentless war against the then tyrannical regime of Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC) from his Brong-Kyempim enclave through his writings, especially in the Statesman newspaper and his profession as a lawyer. This was an era where men feared to be called “men”.
The writer is also mindful of the numerous assistance, especially finance, that NOB has offered or constituted to offer to many people whether they are members of the NPP or not.
Reward
By dint of his hard work within the party, he became the regional secretary in the Brong Ahafo Region. He later held the position of regional chairman of which he was re-elected. NOB was subsequently rewarded with the National Deputy Secretary position for eight good years. The government of then President Kufuor acknowledged him and made him a Minister of State in his last Cabinet reshuffle.
Legal minefield
Of all his numerous contributions to his party, it is the above that his party will hugely miss or be orphaned once he is called to eternity by his Creator. His legal adroitness reminds us of his great mentor Dr J.B. Danquah, the doyen of politics in Ghana, who traversed North, South, East and West of Gold Coast defending the poor, downtrodden, the weak and the vulnerable once their rights are the issues.
There is no legal matter being small or big that had not passed through the hands of NOB if the matter is Republic vs NPP from 1992-to date.
Some high-profile cases of our tradition have been intermittently handled by our stalwarts such as our current President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, BJ da Rocha, Peter Ala Adjetey and currently Frank Davies and his young team, including brilliant Gary Nimako and others, but his role stands tall.
His pivotal role as the lonely legal brain of the Abudu family is there for all to testify.
What about being the “legal star” at the Wuaku Commission sittings in Accra and Sunyani, I watched in admiration afar from London.
He has always been an Apostle of Peace in the party.
To say you have paid his dues per this tradition is an underestimation.
Untimely bombshell interview
It is against this backdrop, that some of us were taken aback when we heard him on OK FM say things that impugn the character of our current Chairman Steven Ayensu Ntim.
I am not the lawyer, chief advisor or spokesperson for Mr Ntim, however, as a senior member of the party, whose patrilineal roots are traced from Brong-Kyempem Federation of Dormaa Ahenkro/Drobo/Japakrom, a real brother and admirer, I owe the onerous duty of passing a fleeting comment and leave the rest of the discussion in chambers.
Nana, all that I can say is that never again. This is not the hallmark of the “distinguished” Obiri Boahen we have known for years but he who fetches the water always breaks the pot. Perhaps, with apologies to senior Ayikoi Otoo, you were caught by the “kpokogbligbli” syndrome that day.
Maturity of Chairman Ntim
As a former senior prefect of Asanteman Secondary School, a product of Navrongo Secondary School, then to the University of Ghana and United States of America universities for double postgraduate studies, he is a very sharp-minded person.
His style of politics like those of Apostle Nehru and Professor Busia is non-violent but indulgent in dialogue to achieve desired results.
He has been very shrewd and unassuming but successful at achieving his ultimate goals.
The chairman was torn delicately between balancing two equally competing interests of the Executive and the Legislature of the party he presides. By sheer bravado and intelligence, he decided to see them as individual groups rather than calling the “already overfired and charged” parties to a common summit.
Political party feud, disagreement or fight is like the goat fight, the momentum that attracts the raising of the horns when they go in the air is different from the ones down when the heads appear to crush. They are always in-house matters that are resolved in chambers. Political matters are like “Afisem” we cannot wash our dirty linen in public.
After nights and nights, things have returned to normal since wisdom is always picked from the pillow.
The old saying goes that “Opanyin tiri ho na y3hↃn akuma”. A bald head is always awash with wisdom.
As a great party, in which Ghanaians have put their faith and hope on, let us forge the great unity required of us to conquer again in 2024.
The writer is a former MP for Kumawu.
Senior Fellow of Danquah Institute.