Our Politicians are Failing Us
March 31, 2008
For many Ghanaians, reports of a clash between NPP and NDC supporters at the Chief Imam’s residence last week, came as a surprise against the background of promises by the candidates that the campaign would be based on issues.
For me I was surprised not at the clash of the supporters, but at the lack of leadership showed by the two campaign teams before during and after the event.
First there was the accusation by the Nana Akuffo Addo team that Nana was attacked by NDC supporters with stones and dangerous weapons. One of Nana’s men Abu Jinapuor alleged on a number of radio stations that Nana’s security detail had to whisk him off to safety.
Then there was the outright denial by Mahama Ayarigah of the Mills Campaign, that nothing happended and that no –one was injured.
In between these two extremes, there was the statement by Aruther Kennedy (spokesman for the Akuffo-addo campaign who was not at the scene) accussing the NDC of violent conduct and the fuming of the Hon. Collins Dauda of the mills camp ranting and raving that the NPP was abusing incumbency by blocking the road illegally while the Police looked on.
Meanwhile, hundreds of households remained without water, many communities woke up without access roads, some pregnant mothers at hospitals across the country wondered how to pay their bills while scores of able bodied young men remained without jobs.
NYEP workers remained without salaries for 6 months in some cases while Korle-bu Teaching Hospital continues to deteriorate.
And as if our Politicians hadn’t noticed our problems they went further to hurl accusations at one another over who was responsible for the altercation without sparing a moment to ask we those they claim to serve what our needs are!!!!! Awesome.
I was amazed the more at the fact that senior journalists had taken sides and the ordinary Ghanaians also followed suite while traffic lights were still off in Accra.
But how could we all lose the plot so quickly?
Later when I confronted the spokespersons for the two campaigns, the claimed to be running an issue based campaign. I recall however that in spite of their earlier promise to deal strictly with the issues, the NPP spent the greater part of its time hitting at Prof. Mills record and the NDC in turn had spent so much time accusing the NPP of corruption and a failed government. And yet the water needs of many households, the failing health insurance programme, challenged school feeding programme etc etc, remained untouched.
So are our Politicians failing us?
The answer is even beyond the obvious. And who is to blame?
No not the Politicians……it’s the average citizen.
It is we the ones who are all too quick to support our parties and criticize the other so blatantly for everything who are to blame. It’s the average Ghanaian who sees nothing good in the opposing party and is so quick to split heads on issues on party lines who should bear the blame for this.
Those who voted NPP are mostly over satisfied with the government’s performance while those who voted NDC see nothing good in what the government has achieved.
But if only we would take a munite and say to either party and its leaders…… a big shame for your conduct on Friday…….. we would begin to whip them along the lines of the results we desire.
If we would be bold enough to tell them we are not interested in this unnecessary Political nonsense of who is allegedly a drug user and who is ill, then we can prop them to elevate the Political debate to solving our problems.
We should begin to think of ourselves more as citizens and not supporters of Parties. We should be ready to voice our reservations about our own party’s conduct and demand more from our Politicians.
We should be able to say….”I need water and I don’t care about who destined you to be Present of if you are better than the other party. Tell me HOW you intend to solve my water problem.”
It is then that we can shift our Politics from this game of Power seekers to problem solvers.
It is then that we can separate the people who only come to power to explain the problems instead of fixing it, and who come to say there is no money for our needs yet find money for all manner of amazing things they choose to do, from the ones who have feasible plans that solve our problems.
Are they failing us? Hell Yes they are.
But whose fault is it? Ours……….. not theirs……after all, they are Politicians.
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20 Responses to “Our Politicians are Failing Us”
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Kojo, our politicians have always failed us and like you have rightly said, it is up to us to demand better for them.
But we run our mouths for the lifetime of the problem…2 weeks, 1 day, a month and do nothing about it. Good example, Ghana @ 50 audit, presidential jet. A whole lot of us complained bitterly about these issues, but really did nothing about them.
Perhaps, we are not aware of the power we have to do something. Maybe you can use your show as a platform to encourage people to do something. Whether it’s a petition we all have to sign for our politicians to listen to us or whatever it takes.
Also, sometimes I wonder whether the masses are aware of these problems. How do people in villages and rural areas view these problems? Do they have the same information as we do? The only way we can get everyone involved is if the masses are “educated” about the problems at stake. Thanks and keep up the wonderful work.
kojo i empathize with you and also share your sentiment but your suggestion is idealistic at best,it only make good reading.citizens who support political parties see themselves first as supporters of political parties first bcos that’s where they earn their contract,the only time they see themselves as citizens is when football takes the stage,that makes football special and all other sports.they way out of this bizare situation is to bring more corporate issues to the fore,that way politicians will have litlle to say as most of them are just empty barrels.bring top corporate execs to the studio,let corporate ghana be the agenda,thanks
i guess it is a shame that a country filled with highly intellectual iindividuals can not come together to figure out a way to help our people..we keep on talking about economics micro and macro, the solution is simple self patronisation..called shock therapy
Yes,l share your opinion, and in fact it is true,they say one thing but practice another. l tend to wonder if there will be a day that we will have e politian who will stand by what he promised before coming to office to the end of his/her term.
Finally you have your own blog, keep on putting the presure to this ignorant politicians to get the job done. You are the best thing that ever happen to JoyFM.
I am rooting for you.
Kojo, Good piece there. I agree with you that the fault does not lie with the politicians but with the people. It is quite disappointing that the people of Ghana will make everything about politics, or rather about NDC and NPP, JJ and Kuffuor.
I know that your programme reaches people all over the nation so what can we do to make sure that the rural areas are encouraged to demand more from politicians? At the end of the day, you and me will raise the bar high but the majority of the people who vote are in the rural areas and we all know that they vote based on tribal affiliations or based on who gives them the most campaign money. The ability to effect a change will have to begin with a grassroot brainwashing effort by all of us who love Ghana and want the best for the country.
We need to teach our fellow citizens that the fact that JJ stole money doesnt make it alright for Kuffuor to steal also. The fact that NDC was rotten doesnt mean all governments that come after it should be rotten too. We need to stop using JJ’s government as the yardstick to grade our current policitians. I heard one policitian say on your show sometime ago that “If we dont look back at where we have been, how can we know where we are going?” And thats the kind of illiterate talk that these politicians spew to keep people engaged in the unprogressive talk of comparisons instead of discussing real issues.
Note that in that line, he mentioned the past and the future, but not the current. Isnt the current and the now more important than the past and the future? The past we cant change, the future we dont know, but the current is what is within our means and what we should be more concerned about. We all know NDC wasnt good for us, and thats why we voted them out of power, so why should we keep focused on that era? I dont get these politicans. But most of all, I dont get the average Ghanaian. Just go and read comments on ghanaweb and you will know what i am talking about. Everything is politicized.
Kojo, u are more than right and interestingly all these issues are addressed in the bible. Do u remember when the Israelites asked God to allow then to choose their own kings just as’the other nations’, God spelt out the conditions under which a human king would operate? Unfortunately, i ve forgotten the quotation but i will fill you in morrow.
Yeah Kojo truly our politicians are really failing and killing as as well. There is a difference between spoil and rotten and our politicians are really rotten. Imagen, how on earth should stuff like this happen in our society. To my point of view it will be better we have no leader at all. GOD SAVE GHANA.
Indeed Kojo, everything you’ve said is right, and it’s up to us Ghanaians to start seeing ourselves as the ones who have the power to change our current situation instead of relying solely on our politicians who do nothing but hurl insults and cast insinuations at each other. Some of us are prepared to take the bull by the horn and do whatever is necessary to change this country but let’s ask ourselves how many of us are willing to stop behaving like ostriches and do the right thing no matter our party affiliation?
A good one there Kojo. There is something a politician knows that is not known to an average Ghanaian, it’s in an article written by your colleague Ato Kwamena Dadzie titled The Lies We Tell Ourselves. The average Ghanaian though religious hate the TRUTH and instead want to be told lies. In fact the politicians will keep on falling us until we are ready to face the Truth
I couldn’t agree with you more on that subject. It has been an ongoing issue that Ghanaians have. We tend to support parties and don’t care what the party does wrong. Instead of asking questions and pushing our leaders to give us answers, we choose to turn blind eyes to their ill -mannered behaviors during campaign, and assist them in apportioning blames to the other party. We are indeed the cause of our troubles. There are major issues at hand that need to be discussed just as you mentioned. Health care issues, unemployment, increased armed robbery, poor education, etc. These are things we need to push our leaders to discuss and to find answers to. We need to know how they plan to solve the issues, not assist them accuse one another or fight one another. Please use your plat form as a radio host to raise the topics on these major issues the country faces, and to educate Ghanaians our roles in pushing our leaders to act and not just argue!
Kojo, I think if only the media will DO THEIR JOB, and HOSTS like you will KEEP the politicians in CHECK, and not allow them to use your airtime to score cheap points, we will be heading in the right direction. Set a standard, if the politician deviates from the hard questions, bring him/her back in line HARDTALK style. You have the platform, which many Ghanaians do not have and you have a responsibility to ensure you speak forthe millions who cannot confront the politicians. You are doing a good job, but there is still room for improvement, and I know you know that. Also tell Akwasi Sarpong to reign his folks in on Newsfile, and they should discuss crucila issues than shouting at each other.
Our political leaders have taken Ghanaians for granted, it’s really sad when you see Ghanaians excelling all over in diaspora whiles our belove homeland is in caos. they cannot make a common suggestive decision between equiping our hospitals and provide common ammenities for Ghanaians, to importing unnecessary espenditures.
Kojo you cannot do it alone to take this ignorantes politicains on, this podcast is a good start. I hope they will come and read some of this postings.
I mean common how can a new born baby be retain in a hospital because thier parents cannot afford hospital fees. come on look at the picture on MOH website korlebu ER pathetic. When you are taken to a hospital in Ghana you know you are not coming back. Either you die from this stinky chemicals or there is no equipment to detect what you have. But then we have millions to by planes, cars, and celebrate. And even pay allowance to the poor. Why don’t they train this people by creating a job training for them. I don’t know how this people think. Sometimes it make you think is Dr watson right about blacks or is just our leaders. Because Blacks are excelling here in the States.
How can they throw all this money in school feeding program, but then it looks like feeding kids in a refugee camp. you tell me?
it is time to take this people on an dif possible please educate Ghanaians not to vote the same party for the presidency and paliament if not nothing can be change.
kojo, u couldnt have said it any better. its time we demanded issues based campaign from our politicians. we should not allow them to deceive us and make us fight each other whilst they sit back and watch.
they must tell us their plans for agriculture, education and health but not who brought knife to the chief imams palace. thats the work of the police.
thanx
Kojo, this piece was timely and a well presented fact. I could not stop marveling at your courage to tel all that we collectively have failed ourselves. What made me happy most is the way some so called senior journalist have made themselves spoke persons for politicians and forgotten of their call as journalist to act as the fourth estate of our nation’s governance. Thanks for bringing these issues up
I work with a rural development organization in northern Ghana. You should want to read about the depth of poverty and deprivation and the lack of attention on building structures to put the poor in a position to liberate themselves. There virtually are no schools in some localities, access to water is a mirage, access road is now no border at all for these people, hunger has become a way of life and these people to say the least are the happiest in Ghana. For once, our politicians should stop calling names and give us right solutions to these problems that beset our society.
We are not asking for promises but real plans to solve these basic things. How many schools would their governments build in rural areas, how many kilometers of access roads would they build when they come to power, how many water systems would they build and or expand on, where are they going to get the funds to do what ever they would have planned to do. What would they do to stop importation of food and make us (Ghanaians) grow our own food, would there be jobs for thousands of my friends and relation who are all dependent on me as the only one employed, what about our health systems etc. We need to see good plans and we can be sure they are serious politicians.
What makes me sick is how Nana promised us an issue based campaign and has so fallen for cheap politics. Yes make comparisons, but not with the PNDC. Make comparisons to our potentials as a nation and not the PNDC. We could grow at a better rate than we doing today. We could expand our growth and get more people employed sustainably, so that, they the politicians can continue to live in affluence and we would not be bordered. We need what the Americans call “American Dream.” What is our dream as a nation. Do we all know that dream. Some nations do and their people so work towards that, please give us a break.
Thanks
Kojo, thanks for the good job u are doing. It’s high time we experienced the sense of maturity and began to question these ploticians whose only aim is to manipulate the ordinary Ghanaian. Ghanaians should wake up and speak out for themselves. These politicians have taken us for a ride for far too long.
Kojo, i agree with you. We vote the politicians because we do not have faith in ourselves. The only truth the politician speaks is to lie. We have had enough of this lies. Its about time we realize as Ghanaian to faith in ourselves and demand from the politicians the things they have promised us.
Kojo, in your poll on the December election on the main page, I think it will be interesting to see how many people plan to abstain or are undecided from the polls. The question doesn’t quite account for that.
I think ur piece wuz precise on the issue nd u were frank.I think we need to have the courage ascitizens to take control of our own destiny.I can,t believe the supporters of both men fought among themselves bcuz of roadblocks . Politians will not be fighting aganist each other on trival issue like that. Ghanaians shd have a sense of tolerance for once.
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Kojo, much as i would want our leaders to speak to issues, some of them concern themselves on petiness. we are now wise cuz we dont eat empty promises and stuff like that, they can longer take us for ride. long live Ghana, Oppong Nkrumah and all.