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Politics in democratic political system thrives on popular political participation in free, fair and credible intra-party and general elections. These democratic norms have been greatly associated with older and advanced democracies where a greater majority of citizens as politicians and electorates have imbibed the participant or civic democratic culture. However, in relatively new or emerging democracies such as Ghana, citizens imbibed more of parochial or subject political culture. While our politicians perceived and play zero sum politics and use all means, including offering of material inducements, use of force and other unconstitutional means in electoral politics is taking root. These explains why pundits are agitating strongly against the removal of the EC boss based on the reasons adduced by the committee that sat on the EC issue.
Mortgaging values and virtues at the altar of money, just for power and recognition must be abandoned before it takes us back to the dark days. Polity has been reduced to wealth creation and dissipation of state resources. Political parties have been reduced to being used to promote personal and sectional interest at the expense of national development and integration. Because this emerging phenomenon, politicians move from one party to another abandoning ideologies.
Money politics is gradually eroding the core values of politics in Ghana which is to serve the Ghanaian people. We are sitting on a time bomb with the growing practice of monetization of politics.
All the parties are guilty when it comes to these practices, but it has taken another dangerous shape under this administration. The level of state funds dissipation on internal party activities is alien to us and already destroying the core values of progressive politics to almost non existence. This should be discouraged as it portends serious danger to our democracy. The NDC and its supporters are not angels when it comes to this type of politics but Ghana is witnessing unprecedented dissipation of state resources at the ongoing Npp National Conference.
Politics in democratic political system thrives on popular political participation in free, fair and credible intra-party and general elections. These democratic norms have been greatly associated with older and advanced democracies where a greater majority of citizens as politicians and electorates have imbibed the participant or civic democratic culture. However, in relatively new or emerging democracies such as Ghana, citizens imbibed more of parochial or subject political culture. While our politicians perceived and play zero sum politics and use all means, including offering of material inducements, use of force and other unconstitutional means in electoral politics is taking root. These explains why pundits are agitating strongly against the removal of the EC boss based on the reasons adduced by the committee that sat on the EC issue.
Mortgaging values and virtues at the altar of money, just for power and recognition must be abandoned before it takes us back to the dark days. Polity has been reduced to wealth creation and dissipation of state resources. Political parties have been reduced to being used to promote personal and sectional interest at the expense of national development and integration. Because this emerging phenomenon, politicians move from one party to another abandoning ideologies.
Money politics is gradually eroding the core values of politics in Ghana which is to serve the Ghanaian people. We are sitting on a time bomb with the growing practice of monetization of politics.
All the parties are guilty when it comes to these practices, but it has taken another dangerous shape under this administration. The level of state funds dissipation on internal party activities is alien to us and already destroying the core values of progressive politics to almost non existence. This should be discouraged as it portends serious danger to our democracy. The NDC and its supporters are not angels when it comes to this type of politics but Ghana is witnessing unprecedented dissipation of state resources at the ongoing Npp National Conference.
OUR INTELLECTUALS AND THE SO-CALLED NEUTRALS
Considering the role some pastors, civil society organizations and the so called neutrals played during the last general election and the very shameful role they have continued to play even in the face of full blown tyranny, state sponsored scandals, nepotism we are witnessing under a president they sold to us, I am reasonably convinced they are hypocrites and major part of our problem in this country. The so called intellectuals who have turned surrogates of the political elites are a disgrace to the very term intellectualism. One of them Prof. Amoako Baah who presented himself as a neutral social political commentator is contesting to become the Npp’s national chairman. He is complaining bitterly about election manipulation and vote buying in the Npp. All the Professors who openly chastised and consistently criticised the John Mahama administration in the name of patriotism, have taken appointments in the current administration. The President and his party are raping our democracy and has shown utter disdain for us all by breaching many provisions in the constitution. These intellectuals, pastors etc see nothing wrong with
-the purchase of 275 buses by the President and his preferred candidate in the his party’s national chairmanship position to influence delegates in their ongoing intra party elections.
-The distribution of Ghc 3,500, sewing machines, clothes etc to delegates
-the pre-election statement by the President- that delegates should maintain the old team.
-millions of cedis wasted on expensive billboards and expensive party T-Shirts
-Open sharing of money to delegates by young appointees contesting for party positions.
These are the people the so called intellectuals, pastors and neutrals threw their weight behind during the last election and even swore by the gods of the land that Akufo Addo was incorruptible. This is the man who never did anything to improve himself all through the over 3 decades. All he did was to come out to contest every four years, lose, go back home and wait for another four years to come out to contest again. This is the same man the so called neutrals and the intellectuals with supposedly highly developed intellect believed was the most qualified to pilot the affairs of this country.
With just 18 months in office, the man who strongly condemned borrowing in opposition, has added Ghc 28 billion to our public debt stock with nothing to show apart from these wastages we witnessing. His consumption policies is sinking the economy of the country and putting the future of the economy in a challenging situation. The opulence being displayed by the President and his party folks is mind boggling. The problem is the future of our politics.
Our late Army Generals were executed by firing squad for taking 50,000 old cedis, innocent citizens went through heart wrecking ordeals during the revolution. Ghanaians hailed the coup makers and called for more cleansing. Can we in our right senses, compare what they did culminating in their execution and imprisonment to what we witnessing today.
The precedents being set by this President and his henchmen are dangerous for this democracy. The pillars of our democracy have already been bend, the whole environment has been polluted and it will take decades for the old system to be restored fully.
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