The Allotey-Jacobs affair.An ideological U-turn in the NPP in the offing?
The New Patriotic Party (NPP), Ghana’s biggest opposition party and the most serious contender to the incumbent National Democratic Congress (NDC) of President John Mahama, since the onset of the 4th Republic in 1993, is very definitely in the midst of a serious ideological crisis, a soul-searching that may result in our generation witnessing a sea of change in its core beliefs right from its inception in the latter part of the 1940s.
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The NPP has been an unabashed champion of liberal democracy, liberal values, civil and human rights and the rule of law as the indisputable template for national, social, economic development and improvement in the living conditions of the Ghanaian people. Flowing naturally from these foundational values and beliefs is the attachment to Western countries and their preference for their way of doing things as distinct from the illiberal posture of the East and its leftist politics.
This rough and ready sketch of the contours of our politics mirrors the contours of international politics since the end of the second World War when the world was divided into two, the East, championed by the then Soviet Union and China, and the West, by the United States. Long after the collapse of this bipolar order in 1990 or thereabouts, Ghanaian politics, and specifically, NPP politics, has accurately refracted this division which is a quaint relic of our collective past.
A remarkable example of this slavish adherence to the policies and politics of the West in the historical party was the introduction of the disastrous dialogue with apartheid South Africa policy in 1970 by the predecessor party, the Progress Party of Dr Busia, who was our Prime Minister at the time. The shambolic progress of this shameful policy through party, nation and finally its ignominious defeat at the OAU conference the following year was arguably a low point in the international relations of our country. Even the editor of this paper at the time, the formidable Cameron Duodu, was sacked over this matter for editorialising against this policy, laying to rest the beliefs of the party regarding press freedoms.
On hindsight, it is clear to me that the policy was promoted to satisfy the Western allies of the Busia government who were in bed with apartheid South Africa at the time, and in blatant disregard of the cruel inhuman treatment as well as the deprivation of the political rights of the overwhelming black African majority in that country. Does the party report to Ghanaians or not?
I did write my University of Ghana BA Long Essay on Dr Busia and his politics in this country, way back in 1982, but I must admit my views then do not agree with my present views on these matters. I now believe there was something fundamentally and racially wrong with a policy option the beneficiaries did not welcome and did not find amusing or benign.
Ideological beliefs
I have taken us back to the 1970s to situate the real meaning of the dramatic things that have occurred this year alone in the NPP relative to their ideological beliefs. I refer to the furore regarding the acceptance into Ghana, by the government of President Mahama, of two ex-detainees from the Cuban outpost of America, Guantanamo Bay. The current rumpus regarding the false arrest and detention of the Central Regional Chairman of the governing NDC, Mr Allotey-Jacobs, is the other.
Observers will note that these two events have resulted in the most vile insults, abuse and calumnies heaped upon the traditional Western allies of the NPP, America and the United Kingdom, by party members. The historical and cherished relations between the party and these countries has been carelessly and wantonly thrown to the dogs, and the most unfortunate abuse hurled at their leaders, political systems and their countries as a whole by NPP leaders without let or hindrance, and completely oblivious of the relationship and its benefits to the party.
To further worsen matters, a crude U-turn is sought to be navigated as a disclaimer and a warning to desist is being peddled. Even that statement from the Director of Communication of the party, Nana Akomea, has been disowned by others online.
What is happening? Already, thanks to the visible performance of our government in the infrastructural development of this country, the NPP is now claiming near social democratic status by touting its legislating into being the National Health Insurance. Never mind that the party opposed it tooth and nail when it was in opposition in the time of President Rawlings when the government was running the pilot schemes for its eventual nationalisation. How can a party priding itself historically to be on the right of Genghis Khan in capitalist accumulation and profit and rent seeking to be so easily dissuaded from its beliefs?
In pursuance of the distancing from the extremely unwise posture on the Allotey-Jacobs affair, party members have now turned themselves into international whistleblowers, bringing to the notice of foreign countries, the infraction of laws on conflict of interest. Is this a worthy pursuit by members of a party which desires to govern a specific country in the world, or an assemblage of busybodies miffed by the infractions of laws anywhere and anytime?
I have read the post online quoting extensively American laws broken by the hosts of Mr Allotey-Jacobs and inviting the American Attorney-General to prosecute the host. The writer of that post failed to address his initial belief in the patently false story of the money-laundering infractions of the NDC party satrap, and is now left with the contemptible crumbs of whistleblowing. Was the same whistleblowing zeal exhibited when three per cent of our oil patrimony worth a whopping $300 million was gifted to party members at the time of President Kufuor?
Perhaps the party of Danquah, Busia and Dombo is now finally drawing closer to their traditional local opponents, as they crush underfoot years of friendship and co-operation, in pursuit of the Holy Grail of political power in this country. The worst sort of sin, however, is hypocrisy and this is a classic example.
Is ideology to reflect the innate beliefs and fears of the people they wish to govern, or to position the party as anti-Ghanaian, and anti-African, ready and willing to do the bidding of foreign interests? Or the party believes in nothing?
aburaepistle@hotmail.com