Alban Bagbin, Second Deputy Speaker
Reckless, outrageous, and undignified behavior has become excuses and countenanced as “telling it like it is” when it is actually just reckless, outrageous, and undignified. Such behavior is dangerous to our democracy and our political parties and could best be described as a [ads1]corruption of the spirit. I don’t know why a man we all admired, respected and adored is lowering himself to such a low.
The Ghanaian situation under Akufo-Addo has been characterized by altercation, broken promises, value erosion, nepotism, institutionalized corrosive corruption impunity, unstrategic local and international borrowing by government, disrespect to constitutional order, brinkmanship. These are the issues dominating media discussions today not baseless internal attacks and accusations. Unhealthy political leaders lack awareness of their feelings, their weaknesses and limits, how their past impacts their present and how other people experience them. They also lack the capacity and skills to connect deeply to the feelings and perspectives of others. They are always full of themselves. These are the traits Mr Bagbin is exhibiting.
The demands by his sycophants and sponsors around him make it nearly impossible for him to establish a consistent and sustainable rhythm of life. Creating an emotionally healthy culture and building a healthy national lifestyle are among the critical and primary tasks of every soul targeting the highest office in the land.
Every member of the NDC has to know that the party is bigger than an individual, and any decision was taken or pronouncement made by any member should be for the benefit of the Party.
In the nutshell, Mr Bagbin should always consider truth and honesty as key pillars to the NDC’s stability. I am still struggling to find the motivation behind his consistent attacks on former presidents Mahama and Stan Dogbe.
Maturity is about how people act, and not how old they are as a person. A 60-year-old person can be as immature as a 12-year-old, and a 12-year-old can be as mature as a 60-year-old. Maturity has nothing to do with physical age. As a politician, you need to possess features that make you a mature human. A mature person knows his strength and his weaknesses. Even at the risk of being taunted, what he can’t do himself, he steps aside leaves it for others who can do it better. Mr Bagbin knows very well that he winning the NDC flagbearership race is impossible. Elementary strategic internal permutations should tell him that his decision to contest the NDC Presidential Candidate race is wrong, and going to be a fruitless adventure. A stormy wind will not blow a mature person away because, he knows when to move, where to move, and how to move at any time. His level of frustration is significantly lower as he knows a lot about the stormy nature of life. I am not seeking.
Take a look at the demeanor of all the aspirants, Prof Alabi, Dr Spio, Mr Sylvester Mensah and almighty Atuguba. I am yet to hear Prof. Alabi make personal attacks on Mr Mahama or any of the aspirants apart from the twisting and misrepresentations of what he says be some anti-NDC media platforms. Sylvester Mensah has so far exhibited political maturity and competence, Spio speaks on his policies and principles dexterously, Almighty Atuguba is making the game interesting and calming nerves with his humorous messages. Yes, supporters of these aspirants intermittently throw jabs here and there which is a normal political practice. But hardly will you here the aspirants themselves make reckless pronouncements or attack themselves. That is the kind of maturity all discerning minds demand of our politicians. What is your message Mr Bagbin?. Apart from his consistent attacks on Mr Mahama and Stan Dogbe, the man hasn’t presented any serious message for supporters of the NDC to interrogate. I can’t remember in modern history of the NDC a senior comrade casting such aspersions about a senior colleague. The alliances and agreements that ensured stability in the NDC are routinely being threatened by Bagbin’s reckless pronouncements.
Read the inconsistencies in his pronouncements. He mentioned the journalistic competence of Stan Dogbe after his derogatory remarks. If Stan possess all the attributes Bagbin mentioned, then what is his beef. Stan worked at the media department at presidency and handled the President Mahama’s media issues so why the wail…he wasn’t there as one of the security operatives of the President. He has been attacking the young man with no supporting evidence. I don’t know if his assertion is based on perception, or lies told him by his sycophants. His allegation against Stan that he prevented him from getting access to Mr Mahama is false…and even if Stan did that, he acted appropriately considering Mr Bagbin’s behaviour after the 2016 defeat. He has made it clear that he hates Mahama and wished he failed in office. Why should a person with this high inborn hatred be allowed access to Mahama. That notwithstanding, his allegation against Stan is false. Bagbin just like all other senior colleagues of Mr Mahama had unlimited access to Mr Mahama and still enjoying same privilege. They discussed matters as comrades devoid of unnecessary formalities. I heard and hear them call Mr Mahama ABOKYI etc and crack jokes during their meetings.
Few months after the Supreme Court’s petition case, Mr Bagbin was all over chastising and attacking Mr Mahama who had just survived a well-orchestrated agenda against his victory. Eight months he was in court and we all saw how the petition affected his administration and investment. Bagbin didn’t spare him space to recover. He started attacking him in the media based on trivialities
https://www.myjoyonline.com/
He started singing corruption tunes all over but dodged the media over corruption allegations inside Korle Bu. When he was challenged by the media and his accusers to provide authentic evidence to support his allegations, he started singing the perception song. Then the Stan Dogbe attack began
https://www.myjoyonline.com/
Read the content and would understand why we are here. It was all about deep and baseless hatred meant to make Mr Mahama look bad, and to incite other senior colleagues against Mahama and Stan. He never provided credible evidence to support his claims. He made all kinds of baseless allegations against the young man based on false information fed him by his sycophants. Some of his senior colleagues intermittently advised him but will not listen.
His constituency was one of the constituencies Mr Mahama during the 2016 campaign, campaigned with extra vigour because of Bagbin’s dwindling popularity.
In the 2016 election, he got 14,044. John Mahama got 17, 998. He should find out why that huge difference and why his votes continue to decrease.
Ingratitude is a sin with severe repercussions. Roman 1:18-32 gives a detailed description of the downfall of a person or a society. Listed alongside idolatry,homosexuality, and every kind of rebellion us unthankfulness. And Bagbin’s attitude confirms the assertion that “people who aren’t thankful don’t have time for you unless they need you”. I saw how Mr Mahama campaigned in Bagbin’s constituency and stood all through into the morning. We defied the weather, we went from one village to another all to ensure Bagbin was retained. Did he see Stan in his constituency while this was going on? Did he see how the young man struggled to make things work in spite of the few challenges with encountered in the area because of the weather etc. I have the pictures bad the videos. I have the pictures of him and Mr Mahama holding strategic discussions prior to the rallies etc and at the appropriate time will put them out for his eyes. Hope he heard how the campaign in his constituency was professionally presented to the public by the journalists who accompanied the President. Does he know how that was made possible. We all saw how he struggled in his constituency and attempts made by some persons who had issues with his performance and how he strategically galvanised external support to help him retain the seat. He should ask himself why he went through that ordeal. I don’t know if Bag in thinks Stan and his boss were put on this earth to serve him or fix the messes he gets himself into. He expects them to pick up after him or help him with things but never seem to get to the thank you very much for your help. Instead, he consistently attack them not based on established facts, but on false information, weak perceptions and unsubstantiated allegations.
What was his performance in his constituency in the 2016 election? Is he still the Bagbin we admired years ago? These are the questions he should be finding answers to. The NDC suffered serious electoral bruises in 2016 partly because of certain pronouncements leaders like Bagbin made on serious platforms. Instead of using their status in society to support the Party, they focused all their attention on their personal issues and interest. They supported the opposition with their anti Mahama pronouncements and showed no interest in the party’s activities apart from happenings in their constituencies.
