John Oscar-Salaga, NDC Communicator
The Nkrumaists deserve no solidarity from the NDC. They have consistently shown repugnance towards the NDC and treated us with disdain anytime the opportunity presented itself. Even though since the days of President Mills, several attempts have been made by some elements within the NDC to take the party to the Nkrumaists. Something that have infuriated the founder, H.E Flt. Lt. Jerry John Rawlings which has degenerated into our current predicaments.
Especially, when several attempts were made by some elements within the NDC to shun away from June 4th and 31st December, their ideals and [ads1]principles upon which the NDC was founded since winning back political power in 2008.
It is against this backdrop that I personally think the Nkrumaists deserve no solidarity from us. They should be left to fight their own battle.
For heaven sake, NDC is a distinct political party with its own principles and ideologies. We adapted social democratic ideology in 2002 after losing power to the NPP in the year 2000 as part of the restructuring. The CPP and its founder, Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah on the other hand, believe in socialism. The two political ideologies are never the same. Social democracy is more inclined towards capitalism as opposed to the extreme socialism that the CPP believes in.
Several CPP elements have openly said on different platforms that they don’t believe in NDC’s social democracy.
I remember in the year 2000 general elections, when the first round results ended in a stalemate between John Agyekum Kuffuor of the NPP and Prof. John Evans Atta-Mills of the NDC, all the Nkrumaist fragmented political parties, including the CPP then led by Prof. George Panyin Hagan treacherously endorsed the candidature of John Agyekum Kuffuor of the NPP.
They further openly campained for John Agyekum Kuffuor and the NPP, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah’s worst political foes. The biggest betrayal of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah and his beliefs. A sharp contrast of what was expected of political parties with direct opposite in ideologies.
It was as a result of that, that Prof. George Hagan was appointed Chairman of Ghana National Commission on Culture by President Kuffuor after winning the run-off to become the President of the Republic.
Fortunately and unfortunately, a similar situation again occurred between Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo of the NPP and Prof. John Evans Atta-Mills of the NDC, when the first round results of the 2008 general elections failed to produce an outright winner.
Even though Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo of the NPP obtained the highest popular votes of 4, 204, 073 representing 49.32% with Prof. John Evans Atta-Mills of the NDC trailing him with 4, 070, 889 representing 47.76%, the NDC on the other hand obtained a clear-cut 113 majority seats in parliament as against 107 seats won by the NPP.
A situation that made most connoisseurs to predict victory for Prof. John Evans Atta-Mills and the NDC in the run-off because of the majority of seats the NDC had obtained in parliament.
Albeit the predictions of the connoisseurs, the CPP led by Dr. Papa Kwesi Nduom and PNC led by Dr. Edward Nassigri Mahama, both Nkrumaists in the 2008 general elections, hypocritically failed to endorse either of the two political parties in the 2008 run-off.
But God in his infinite powers and wisdom, made Prof. Mills and the NDC to overturn the 133, 184 popular votes deficit to obtain 4, 527, 909 popular votes representing 50.47% whilst Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo obtained 4, 443, 654 of the popular votes representing 49.53%
Samia Yaba Christina Nkrumah, a blood daughter of Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah after winning the Jomoro constituency seat in 2008 to represent the only CPP seat in the 5th parliament of the fourth republic, failed to align with the majority NDC in parliament, but chose to sit with the minority NPP as the standing orders of parliament required that the independent MPs and MPs from the smaller political parties have to voluntarily join either the majority or the minority for a smooth transaction of parliamentary business.
Again on Wednesday, 19th December, 2012, GhanaWeb carried a story with a caption “Samia rejects NDC”
In the said publication, Madam Samia Yaba Nkrumah was reported to have said she would reject any appointment from the Mahama-led NDC administration to serve her nation because the NDC had worked hard to kick her out of parliament in the 2012 general elections. Very preposterous, isn’t it?
She again rejected NDC/CPP alliance proposal made by Dr. Nii Moi Thompson, a CPP element on the grounds that they wanted to remain neutral to defuse the tension between the NDC and the NPP.
Something that the likes of Freddie Blay and Dr. Papa Kwesi Nduom could comfortably do with the NPP which resulted in Freddie Blay and Dr. Nduom becoming 1st Deputy Speaker of parliament and a Minister of State respectively under President John Agyekum Kuffuor.
Not forgetting the incessant disparaging remarks made by Dr. Sekou Nkrumah, another blood son of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah against President Mills, to the extent that he granted an interview to AfricaWatch magazine and said President Mills was only fit for the classroom.
A comment that allegedly infuriated the Mills-led administration to terminate his appointment as the Co-ordinator of the National Youth Council (NYC). Even though his dismissal letter said it was on the grounds of incompetence and insubordination on the part of Sekou Nkrumah towards the board of NYC.
Dr. Sekou Nkrumah went on an insulting spree until he later resigned from the party he had joined in 2007 after resigning from his father’s party, CPP.
He shamelessly went and endorsed Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, a son and a nephew of his father’s political enemies, Mr. Edward Akufo-Addo and Dr. J.B Danquah respectively as his sure bet to move Ghana forward barely a week after resigning from the NDC.
And that marked the beginning of his journey to political oblivion.
Dr. Sekou Nkrumah is someone I personally predicted as far back 2009 to be a Presidential material for the NDC. I predicted him to be the surest bet for NDC for the 2016 general elections in an anticipation that President Mills would go 2 terms.
Even with the demise of President Mills in 2012 and the new dynamics, he couldn’t have still been a serious contender for the 2020 general elections or even 2024, considering his age if he had stayed with the NDC.
At least, a running mate would not have eluded him either in 2020 or 2024.
He could be likened to Uhuru Kenyatta, President of Kenya who is also a son of the first Kenyan President Jomo Kenyatta.
But all the same, he has chosen is path of destiny and no one can begrudge him for that.
Let me end by saying that, I have nothing against Dr. Kwame Nkrumah and his CPP. Indeed, I strongly believe in his visions and philosophies, and I have always placed him ahead of his compatriots. Of course, BBC adjudged him the African personality of the century in the year 2000 ahead of his contender, Mr. Nelson Mandela who was alive as at the time the survey was conducted. I have argued that, Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah is the greatest African politician that has ever walked on the surface of this planet called earth, and that I will always stand by.
That not withstanding, NDC will always remain NDC and CPP remains CPP.
The NDC has remained relevant in this our fourth republican dispensation.
Indeed, the NDC is the most successful political party, and by extension political tradition in the history of Ghana.
I therefore, see no reason why the most successful political party would want to submerge with CPP that has lost relevance since it was overthrown in 1966.
It is very nauseating seeing some elements of CPP flirting with NPP, a political tradition that made it possible for Nkrumah’s visions not to see the light of the day, and rather be treating NDC, a party that has always tried to immortalise Dr. Kwame Nkrumah with contempt.
Let us stick to our principles and ideals, uphold our founder, H.E Flt. Lt. Jerry John Rawlings and stop trying to please a political tradition that has lost its relevance in our contemporary politics.
That is the underpinning problem our founder have had with the party. For God sake, he can never become President again. All he wants is for the ideals and principles of June 4th upon which the NDC was founded which our party constitution acknowledges be christened to the NDC.
Let us do that and see whether the spirit of oneness that we used to win the 2008 elections will not come back.
Let us abhor selfishness and greed and uphold integrity. That’s the only way we can be distinguished from the other political traditions.
#Long Live NDC
#Long Live Ghana.
John Oscar-Salaga
A Tarkwa based freelancer and an NDC communication team member.
(0207 902 149)
emperormediaconsult@yahoo.com
©JOS