The National Democratic Congress went into presidential and parliamentary primaries, earlier this year and there were reports of how money was splashed around like a rice farmer broadcasting seeds, during the planting season.
One of such instances was the situation in Ejura Sekyedumase constituency where an aspirant, Juliana Kinang Wassan, stood in the bucket of a pickup, and dipped her hands into loads of sacks full of money, mostly in GH¢100.00 notes and splashed them on the exciting delegates and people around. Exactly how much she spread, could range in the millions of cedis. Allegations were rife that in Adentan constituency, an aspirant paid at least GH¢3,500.00 per delegate.
In some remote constituencies, where electricity is a luxury and privilege, news made rounds of the gifting of flat screen televisions, gas/electric cookers, fridges and other high capital electrical appliances, to delegates by aspirants who wanted to get the nod to become parliamentary candidates.
Then came the New Patriotic Party’s primaries in orphan constituencies, last Saturday. And the NPP, in grand style, returned the gesture of the NDC. The flat screen televisions and other electronic appliances announced their presence. And so were very expensive phones, like the iPhone brand, which cost over GH¢20,000.00,which were gifted like candies to toddlers.
Did Ghanaians, hearright, that over GH¢15,000.00 were gifted to each delegate in some constituencies?And it was also alleged that an aspirant said he gave out GH¢2,000.00 to each delegate, for “T n T.”
Now, if Ghanaians have started taking GH¢2,000.00 for transportation, which will cover only a short walking distance, then no one should complain when the commercial transporters increase fares, by 100%.What kind of delegates are the political parties breeding, these days?
At first and as should be the case, people are put into party offices to become delegates and to among others, elect the best persons who can lead this nation at the presidency and in Parliament. But what do we have today? Mercenaries! People now fight for political offices just for the money. Whenever there are internal elections, the delegates start grinning from ear to ear. It is their ‘cocoa season’.
Moneyocracy was introduced into the Fourth Republic by the Rawlings-led NDC during the 1992 campaign and elections. Notes of 100, 200 and 500 cedis ($0.19, $0.38 and $0.96) were folded and put in match boxes and passed on to electorates, for kola. There were also gifts of ‘buta’, Wellington boots, cutlasses, which were among the items given to the electorates.
There has been a rapid growth of quality and magnitude of gifts from the 1992 to this day. Now, delegates are given at least GH¢2,000.00 or $178.57, for transportation, which should cost nothing more than GH¢20.00 ($1.79). And we hear of at least GH¢10,000.00 ($892.86) given out to each delegate for motivation.Gifts include, iPhones, flat screen TVs and many expensive items.
The direct cost of this to the nation and nation building, is often overlooked. Apart from the fact, most delegates are willing to support the highest bidder, who could turn out to be someone who cannot help get this country out of economic quagmire, Ghanaians should start thinking of how much money the politician spends during campaign.
Assuming, that an aspirant’s expenses during the primaries, could work out to at least GH¢2,000,000.00 ($178,600.00), then it should not be surprising if the cost of campaigning for Election 2024 to be incurred by the parliamentary candidate,could sky rocket to the region of GH¢15 million ($1.339 million).
When he wins the seat, he would naturally seek ways of recouping that amount and more, for his war-chest. Forget about corruption, here. It is the electorate who has led the MP into corruption, because he may be forced to choose corruption over honesty and integrity, in order to quickly get returns from the amount he invested.
The delegate in a political party must know that his or her duty is to elect the right people to administer affairs of this country. They are to present their choice to the electorate, the highest decision-making body, for the General Elections, to bless and make, their candidatean MP or a president. No one assigned that job to the delegate.
The delegate wilfully contested for that political office and won and at my last check, collecting money from aspirants was not part of the terms of reference. It will be an act of corruption, if the delegate allows greed to make the decision on a politician.
The general electorate, will be found following all candidates in the race, in what should be seen as deciding on the best. But whenever, greed will set in, and the electorate would rather choose the highest bidder, who could be the wrong choice. Even if the best gets elected, there is a huge debt to be cleared and it ends with the whole nation suffering.
The days are coming when the price of accessing a political office will be extravagantly high, very expensive. Today people are demanding GH¢2,000.00, soon they will demand GH¢ 2 million each before they caste their vote. And instead of flat screen televisions, people will demand 3-bedroom houses.
I am appealing to all political parties, especially the NPP and the NDC to reform their mode of internal elections and kick out any forms of gifts of cash and kind.
I am in no way suggesting that all the politicians who were elected into offices, within the individual parties and in the state are corrupt. I must concede that a vast majority of them, are very honest people. All the same there are many who are not fit to lead people because they always seek self-interest first.
The cost of doing politics is increasing to dizzy heights and many goodwilled people are dropping out. People who can help this country grow.
The danger is that in the not-too-distant future,politicians with different intentions than that of the people, will find the money to buy votes. And seriously, it is the community, the people, who must take the blame.
Chasing money and not even knowing where it comes from, is pushing this country down the drain. Because of money, most people become corrupt of mind and would choose money over integrity.
Today, some traditional leaders will promote the course of rich men and listen to their advice and recommendations even if they do not make sense; all because of money.
The traditional order may soon break down, and the youth will turn their backs on the sacred tradition and culture of their fore-parents. More and more chiefs will lose respect in their communities, because they choose to chase after money for themselves instead of the divine grace of exhibiting wisdom, truthfulness, justice, fairness, honesty and integrity among others.
Now back to the issue. If the electorates demand from and/or receive from the politician, an average of GH¢150.00 each during the campaign period and election, working out with an average of 60,000 electorates per constituency, the politician would have spent at least GH¢9,000,000.00 or almost $804,000.00.
When he is now in office, his major concern will be how to recoup that money back. Sorry, his constituents will no longer his interest. He must get more than twice that money back, so that his next campaign will be smoother, especially knowing that demands will go up, because he is now an MP.
It is about time Ghanaians stopped attacking corrupt politicians and critically examine themselves first and find out what role they played in all this. The GH¢150.00 they were given, is groundnut to them, but it is only when they multiply that amount by the number of electorates in the constituency, then they will have a fair idea of how much the politician spent.
This is my humble appeal. During Campaign and Election 2024, Ghanaians must search from among all politicians who appear before them, the one who has gotten the right idea to transform the community, the country. There will be among the lot, those who have good track records.
Chasing after money, should be completely eliminated. And when that happens, everyone will have the moral right to hold the politician accountable. Because what moral right do the electorates have to hold a politician, they voted into office, accountable, when he had already paid them for their services? They were paid to vote for him and they did, so what else? What do they want again?
It is only when moneyocracy is driven out of politics, will this country start to recover. And this must start with the two leading political parties, the New Patriotic Party and the National Democratic Congress.
The NPP primaries in constituencies which it has MPs, will take place next month. Will Ghanaians see another harvesting of money and very expensive gifts?
If there is any law against giving out money during campaign and elections, then it must be reviewed and more punitive measures added, and immediately implemented, to deter anyone from collecting even a coin from a politician.
By Hon Daniel Dugan
