The IMF and Breaking the Eight: On television, some journalists were discussing, Ghana’s recent visit to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and one of them concluded by telling Ghanaians, that anytime a government in Ghana went to International Monetary Fund (IMF) in its second term, it lost the next elections.
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) is in its second term in government and so its visit to the Bretton Woods institution painted a gloomy picture of its fortune in the 2024 General Elections, the journalist went to suggest. Looking at the statistics, Rawlings took Ghana to the IMF in 1999 and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) lost the 2000 General Elections. John Mahama took Ghana to the IMF in 2015 and the NDC lost the 2016 General Elections. So, by that hypothesis, Akufo-Addo taking Ghana to IMF in 2022, would meanthe NPP would surely lose the 2024 General Elections.
Any one who thinks this way has forgotten that the dynamics have long changed, since 2016. From 1992 to 2012, any party that won the Klottey Korle parliamentary seat, won the General Elections. And also, whenever the Republican Party won in the US, the NPP would win in Ghana and whenever the Democrats won the US, the NDC would win in Ghana.
However, in 2016, the NDC took the Klottey Korle seat but lost woefully in the General Elections. And in 2020, the Democrats won in the US but the NDC lost the General Elections. Why could the journalist just take only two events and draw conclusions? There were seven cases of US Elections and six cases of Klottey Korle parliamentary results which directly showed who won in Ghana. But such events cannot be relied upon any more. These two are no longer relevant in knowing which party would win the elections, so how could someone rely on two events?
The Case of an NPP Conference: The Wise and the Unwise Virgins: Last weekend’s NPP National Delegates Conference held at the Ohene Djan Sports Stadium, in Accra, revealed some interesting occurrences. The most talked about was the General Secretary race, which involved, Mr. John Boadu.
John Boadu was the incumbent entering the race and was highly favoured by the powers that be, the seat of government, government appointees, the Diaspora and the Committee of Regional Chairmen, among others. Well known pollster, Ben Ephson, again had it wrong, when came out to declare that anyone who would contest John Boadu would just waste his or her money.
In the NPP, no official, party or government, is to openly declare for any candidate or aspirant. However, fifteen out of the sixteen regional chairmen met and appointed Ashanti regional Chairman, Mr. Bernard Antwi Boasiako (Chairman Wontumi)as the chairman of the committee.
All the fifteen gathered together and facing the camera, they openly declared for JohnBoadu and even pledged their whole regions, as well. Only one regional chairman did not join them and he was Chairman Kutin of the Central Region.
What the fifteen regional chairmen did was completely unwise. Just as the five unwise virgins who were so confident that the bridegroom was going to come early enough and so, did not bother carrying enough oil for their lamps, these fifteen gentlemen have exposed themselves and as at now, from their own mouth and conduct, have declared that they do not like the new General Secretary of the Party, Mr. Justin Frimpong Kodua (JFK) and in other words, cannot work with him.
With this unwise hostile attitude towards JFK, the question is not whether they can work with him. The question is whether they can be trusted to deliver for the Party to break the eight.
Ghanaians, especially NPP members are keenly watching what ever will happen in the Party and some are vowing that events that led to the suspension of Paul Afoko, Sammy Crabbe and Kwabena Agyepong, should never manifest again in the Party. That was when NEC took a unilateral decision to suspend the three who were chairman, second vice-chairman and general secretary, with what is now been revealed by Kwabena Agyepong as well calculated lies and allegations.
Such open declaration, indeed hurts the Party because it splits the Party, right through to the grassroots and with divisions of this nature, victory gets more than a social distance away.
These fifteen chairmen, were so unwise as they failed to consider what happened to the Party during the 2020 Parliamentary elections, where open declarations for one aspirant over the other, imposing people on the constituencies and working against parliamentary candidates led to the NPP coming from 169 seats with absolute majority in the 2016 Parliament to 137seats and at par with the NDC with one independent MP, in the person of 2nd Deputy Speaker, Andrew Asiamah Amoako, MP for Fomena. Andrew was the NPP MP in 2016, but because of some of the events spoken off above, he was considered not favoured and his primaries was rigged in favour of his challenger. Asiamah went independent and then General Secretary John Boadu, came out to vow that any party member who went independent and even won his or her seat, should stay clear of the Party.
Hon. Asiamah, won and went to Parliament, but surprisingly John Boadu found it very necessary to go down on his knees and beg him to come over to the NPP side.
One will hope that all the fifteen unwise regional chairmen would out of principle and respect for themselves, resign their positions and spare the NPP the embarrassment of having people who have openly declared hatred for the new General Secretary and in a way had vowed to disassociate themselves from him, but rather hang around at the time when the Party needs everyone onboard with one voice, one strength and very united to break the eight.
One thing that these fifteen regional chairmen should learn and know by now, is that the fact that they were also duly elected as regional chairmen, even with a few cases of electoral malfeasance, they have no control over party members in their regions and so should not pose as people who will think for themembers.
Breaking the eightcannot happen, with creating the hate and Chairman Wontumi and his Committee members should bow their heads down in shame and apologise for this gross misconduct which violated the Party’s own rules.
They must be on their guards, since people are watching and daring them to just try and create problems within the NEC, especially for General Secretary Justin Frimpong Kodua (JFK). NPP does not want a Paul Afoko affair, ever again.
Hon. Daniel Dugan
