Are we better off today than we were four years ago? Let the debates begin

By Godfried Ebo Arthur

Elections are always about the vision and the future direction of a country. Moreover, when there is an incumbent such as the situation we have now, the dynamics change completely. The focus then shifts to the record of the sitting president and his administration; it in effect becomes a referendum on the incumbent and his vision for the country. Settling for anything less, will actually be a reflection on the entire voting citizenry instead.

Some posited the view that the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP’s) loss in the last elections was God sent. It is according them, God’s way of exposing Ghanaians to the different governing philosophies and competencies or incompetencies of the two major parties that have ruled Ghana since the inception of fourth republican constitution, i.e., NPP and the National Democratic Congress (NDC). Of course, you can call me a sour looser or what have you, as a party faithful, I did not subscribe to that view whatsoever. What has actually transpired since then though has begrudgingly brought me to join that school of thought. With the above stipulation as a reference point and background, let the debates about these two parties, their presidential candidates with their vision for the country, their governing philosophies and records begin.

Thank God for President Mahama’s sudden epiphany to participate in presidential debates, albeit very begrudgingly. Moreover, amid the cacophony of untutored noises percolating from the likes of Okudzeto Ablakwa, Koku Anidoho, and their disinformation brigade, it is time to separate the wheat from the chaff. We as Ghanaians must demand that those who seek to lead us must come face to face with us to answer some pertinent questions confronting the country. They have to assuage our fears and appeal to our better instincts which our dear country unreservedly needs and deserves. One on one debate between the presidential candidates and their running mates is the only avenue that the electorate can discern anything of relevance and substance from the real protagonists rather than their unelected votaries.

The enormity of the problems confronting our country, and the rancorous nature of our political discourse makes it politically imperative to have as many debates as necessary. For these and several obvious reasons, the shallowness of our political discourse and evasiveness of substantial political debate is being too costly for our dear nation. Therefore, I beseech the appropriate and appointed institutions credited for hosting the Presidential debates to call for as many debates as politically feasible as well as practicable. Even though this seems to be a personal crusade, I seek to engage the best minds and indeed the entire citizenry in this endeavor. We must put the political elite on notice that, our politics and the way some seek to practice it cannot continue as the irrelevant sideshow to which it has been reduced.

A clear case must be made to the electorate in terms of good governance. Therefore, The NPP and Nana Ado Dankwa Akufo Addo must not shy away from this call at all. We should be confident as well as comfortable in embracing debates between Nana Ado and President John Mahama anytime and place. As much as their inadequate capacity to govern and address the needs of the country is glare for all to see, we have to engage this inept NDC administration through their main man to expose their inexperience, and their sophomoric approach to governance. With Woyomegate, Construction Pioneers debacle, Chinese STX loans, National Health insurance and school feeding program dissemination, and myriad of broken promises to the nation, this NDC administration has many questions to answer. We should be resolute in our demand for answers, and I hope that we as a party will not tremble at the audacity of this challenge.

We are in the midst of such serious transition today, and serious proposals to deal with the problems churned up by the ineptitude of this NDC administration during their reign is all too evident to ignore. It is no secret that President Mahama is frantically busy trying to reinvent himself to fool Ghanaians, but it will not work. He has ascended to the helm of an openly corrupt administration that he has long been part of, while his apostles are poisoning the political environment with one uncouth statement after the other.

Nana Ado, through televised debates can project to Ghanaians a sense of confidence and stability that has evaded the country for almost four years now. Also through televised debates, Nana Addo can put the spotlight on President John Mahama to defend the accumulated scandals and policy miscalculations that has come to characterize his entire administration and reign. Nana can cease the opportunity in moving beyond the deconstruction of Mahama’s inadequacies and therefore expose their ineptitude and the buffoonery, which has been so significant throughout their term in office to Ghanaians, and then turn the nation’s attention to the task of charting a new vision for the future.

Posted by admin on Nov 21 2012. Filed under Community News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry