Politicians must make realistic promises on campaign platforms — Most Rev. Asante
The Chairman of the National Peace Council, the Most Rev. Professor Emmanuel Asante, has advised politicians to make realistic promises on their campaign platforms.
Advertisement
“Honesty and realism must inform the kind of promises that we make to Ghanaians on the platforms,” he said. He advised politicians not to take the Ghanaian for granted.
Speaking in an interview as Guest Editor of the Daily Graphic on Wednesday, Most Rev. Prof Asante urged politicians to be decorous in their use of language on political platforms.
“Issues, not personalities, not invectives, not insults must engage our politicians on the electioneering,” he said, and expressed concern that people talked about others they had never met or did not know.
The interview was in connection with the Founder’s Day celebration last Wednesday. The day was instituted by President John Evans Atta Mills to recognise the contributions of Dr Kwame Nkrumah, the first President of the Republic of Ghana, to the development of the nation.
Hold yourselves in decorum
Most Rev. Prof. Asante urged Ghanaians to be factual in whatever they say, advising the electorate not to sell their birthrights but to vote for people considered to have what it takes to lead the country.
Quoting the father of Methodism, John Wesley, he said in the 1780s, the father of Methodism advised those elites who could vote not to, “take rewards from people and sell your birthrights. Vote for people you consider to have what it takes to lead us.’’
“Don’t insult the person you do not vote for. The fact that you did not vote for that person does not mean that person must be your enemy. Finally, don’t see people who belong to other groups as your enemies and I think we must understand the saying that one man’s meat is another man’s poison,” he advised.
Your vote, your power
Most Rev. Prof. Asante also advised the electorate not to sell their conscience because their vote was their power and that they had a contribution to make in the country.
“We don’t just vote because in our family, we belong to this or that,” he advised, explaining that it was important that the electorate voted based on issues.
He, therefore, urged politicians to explain to the electorate why they must be voted for to lead the country.
The media
Most Rev. Prof. Asante urged the media to be factual in their reportage before, during and after the election.
“You need to be factual and not sensational in your reportage,” he said.
He further advised politicians that they were into politics to be given the power or the mandate to develop the country, saying, “at the end of the day, Ghana must win.”
He added that politics was about selling ideas and issues for the electorate to decide which political party they preferred.
The youth
With regard to the youth, Prof. Asante urged leaders to constantly engage the youth by inculcating patriotism in them so that they would have the kind of future they anticipated.
“Our responsibility is to help and support the youth to take care of today that will give birth to tomorrow,” he said, explaining that the future must be channelled and not something that would come automatically the way it was expected to be.
