Ahead of the 2008 elections, one of the main campaign messages against the then ruling NPP by the then opposition NDC and its affiliates is the issue of corruption. At the NDC’s October 2008 manifesto launch at the Trade Fair Centre in Accra, the NDC promised Ghanaians a “Better Ghana” if Ghanaians should give them the chance to rule again. This promise of better Ghana by the NDC in a way gives us an indication that Ghana was not that bad as was claimed by the Fiifi Kweetey inspired deceptive propaganda machinery, “Settings the records straight”. In fact, Ghana was perhaps good and moving on the right track.
The then main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) party dubbed its 97 paged manifesto, ‘A BETTER GHANA 2008’. Their manifesto focused on four thematic areas that they thought were pressing concerns of Ghanaians. The four thematic areas include investing in people, investing in jobs, investing in the economy and maintaining a transparent and accountable government. Addressing the many enthusiastic NDC supporters that were at the manifesto launch, President John Dramani Mahama, who was then the running mate to late Prof. Mills, said the 2008 NDC manifesto is aimed at tackling poverty from all angles in the country.
He said there would be a major assault on poverty by the next NDC government so as to bring relief and joy to the suffering Ghanaians. President Mahama said as a first step into eradicating poverty in the country, corruption which has been the bane of this country would be made a high risk activity for both public and political office holders. He noted that the windfall that the country stands to gain as a result of numerous anti-corruption crusades that the NDC would embark upon would be invested into other areas of the economy to accelerate the growth and development of the country.
President John Mahama, who was then also the NDC Member of Parliament for Bole Bamboi, explained that as corruption thrives in a system that is not transparent, accountable or unresponsive to the needs and concerns of the citizens of the country. Therefore, an NDC government would not make any excuses for corrupt ministers, officials and other office holders, saying; “We shall promptly investigate and prosecute all corrupt public officials and allow the law to take its course”.
Many more things were then said by the then opposition NDC. The NDC were accusing the NPP of corruption despite they not having any substantial evidence to their claims. How time flies and how people easily forget things.
Today, president John Mahama is ruling the country and corruption is at his worse since Ghana’s return to democracy. Some even claim the corruption under president Mahama is the worse since independence. This current unprecedented level of corruption have actually made a mockery of the various revolutions and military rules we had in the past.
What baffles my little mind is, how can a government that used corruption as a main campaign message become so corrupt that even its own leading members are feeling ashamed to associate themselves with it? How can a president who spoke against bribery and corruption in 2008 take the lead in taking car bribes from foreigners? How would one explain the Woyome case or the massive unprecedented corruption at GYEEDA and SADA to future generations?
President Mahama promised to investigate and prosecute any corrupt public official irrespective of his party colours yet when the very corrupt government officials are exposed, they end up being promoted and elevated by the President. The presidency have succeeded in elevating the corrupt officials who disgraced us during the 2010 world cup. Kofi Humado who was accused of being the main culprit in the GYEEDA rot is left off the hook whilst Abuga Pele who is perhaps very innocent is used as a sacrificial lamb. The president have failed to fulfil even a single promise he made in fighting corruption and it’s therefore no wonder that the recently launched NDC manifesto is silent on corruption.
But in a way I’m not a bit surprised about the new promises made by president Mahama. I’m not surprised that NDC communicators are moving round and asking Ghanaians to rather thank the president for exposing corruption. I’m not surprised and will never be surprised about the promises and actions of president Mahama. This is because president Mahama has the unique privilege of being the only president in the history of Ghana who knows the Ghanaian very well and has emphatically stated that the Ghanaian has a very short memory.
The president knows very well that irrespective of how corrupt he and his government are, Ghanaians are likely to forget everything once elections draws near and they are deceived with some few freebies. The president and his NDC party know that even if they have always insulted, maligned, rebuked, attacked and defamed leading anti-corruption crusaders for exposing the unprecedented corruption in this extremely corrupt, clueless, uncaring, incompetent and indecisive NDC government, they can still turn around and take credit for those achievements of the anti-corruption crusaders. The NDC can easily take those credits because Ghanaians to the NDC are very gullible with very short memories.
I shall, In sha Allah, be back…
Fuseini Abdul-Fatawu
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