Wednesday,
September 26, 2012
The NDC Propaganda Secretary, Richard
Quashigah, sank into the gutter a month ago when he downgraded the NPP’s
flagbearer, Akufo-Addo, as too old to be Ghana’s President.
“Nana
Addo would have been a better candidate four years ago when he was between 63
and 64, but today he has passed 65 years and he is not suit for the
presidency,” he was quoted as saying (Ghanaweb, 8/26/12).
According
to Quashigah, age would play a pivotal role in Ghana
choosing a new president in December. He stressed that Ghanaians, especially
the youth, now need a relatively young leader for the high office of the land.
His statement was in response to
Akufo-Addo’s utterances concerning an earlier pronouncement by President Mahama
that put age at the forefront of political considerations.
As
reported, Akufo-Addo had told journalists in Accra that claims in a section of the
media that President Mahama’s age puts him in a suitable position for the
presidency are untrue and a political gimmick. That claim was later re-echoed
by former President Kufuor, indicating that the NPP members have been hard hit
by President Mahama’s pronouncement.
All
of a sudden, then, age has become a major political issue just as it did in
1979 when political opponents of the late William Ofori-Atta (Paa Willie) of
the United National Convention taunted him over his advanced age and consigned
him to the Osu cemetery even before the elections could be held. As Fate would
have it, he lived on to see the outcome of the elections, though.
For
Akufo-Addo, the insinuations concerning age seem to sting; hence, his sharp
rebuttal. After suffering from negative publicity regarding ALLEGATIONS of
immorality, drug abuse, and his unmeritorious performance under the Kufuor
government, anything framed around the age factor might be too disconcerting for
him to gloss over. He is resilient, I know, but how much more can he endure?
Some
detractors have even drawn attention to his somehow “Lilliputian” stature,
labeling him as “Kapwepwe” (in direct reference to the late diminutive Zambian
politician, Simon Kapwepwe) and suggested that he is not personable enough to
be the eye of the country.
Others
see his baldness (what they ridicule as “Television Head”) as a problem. Many
more scorn his wearing of dentures and conclude that he is not physically appealing
enough to be regarded as a Presidential material.
Such
ridiculous claims are not only childish but they also reflect the depth of
pettiness to which our national politics has sunk. That is why I strongly
condemn Quashigah’s stoking of the fire on age. His is the second reference to
the age factor in our national politics over the past one month.
The
NPP has already joined others to criticize President Mahama’s seemingly
innocuous statement that he is the first Ghanaian born after the country’s
independence to become head of state. From that vitriolic reaction, I can tell
that the President’s claim didn’t go down well with those critics, not because
it came from him (a political rival), but because it was considered as
disparaging to Ghanaians born before March 6, 1957, some of whom played
pioneering roles in the struggle for independence. Those still alive continue
to contribute their quota toward national development.
But
truth be told, President Mahama had no ulterior devilish motive behind the
claim he made. He only sought to sensitize the youth and to identify with them,
hoping that they would recognize their role. Indeed, he was only rallying them
for national service, using himself as an example. Nothing basically wrong with
his reference to the age factor in this case. But the matter has assumed a
different dimension, being hyped by his political opponents to cause disaffection
for him.
The
same cannot, however, be said of Quashigah’s categorical statement that
Akufo-Addo is too old to be Ghana’s President. This is a downright puerile
statement to make. It is a misguided declaration of ill will and demonstrable
nonsense. It is unbecoming of someone who should have known better not to
resort to this kind of juvenile politics. His is in a bad taste and
demonstrates the shallowness that continues to alienate segments of the
population from the NDC.
It
is often said that the
age of Methusellah has nothing to do with the wisdom of Solomon. Of course, we
are told that Methusellah died at the age of 969; but I can’t remember anything
noteworthy being credited to him despite all that longevity. Solomon didn’t
live that long but is reputed with immaculate wisdom and “servicing” of over
500 concubines in addition to his wives!
Akufo-Addo
is no Solomon nor is he too old to crave for the Presidency. How many of our
heads of state, apart from Rawlings, ascended to the throne at less than 50
years? And what did Rawlings do about national life that the other leaders
haven’t done? Are out of the4 woods yet?
All over the
world, most of the leaders have been of ripe ages. Here is the statistics on
the average ages of leaders wielding executive powers (presidents, monarchs,
prime ministers) provided by Ruth Alexander in a BBC article, entitled “Why do so many
African leaders die in office?” (8/27/12): Africa and Asia: 61 years; Europe: 55 years; North and Central America: 59
years; Central America: 60
years; and Australasia: 58 years
(Reference: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-19356410).
On the whole, factors that affect the health or performance of
any head of state go beyond age. Let’s take Senegal’s Abdoulaye Wade, for
instance, who was elected President at almost 72 or 73 years, having previously
contested and lost the elections on several occasions. His almost 15 years rule
has its own implications for Senegal, but he was removed from office when the
need arose despite his senility and attempts to manipulate the electoral
process.
At almost 86 years, if he dies today, his country will honour
him for his part in national development efforts. He is just one of the
politicians whose advanced age didn’t adversely affect their role in national
politics. Old age is not a necessary inhibition for the Presidency and must be
respected, not damned.
Indeed, age is a major factor in
human affairs; but on its own, it doesn’t mean anything except segmenting human
existence into phases, each evoking its own implications and interpretations. It
can’t necessarily be regarded as a constant determinant of success in one’s
handling of national affairs. That is why it is nonsensical for Quashigah and
those thinking like him to make reprehensible statements against political
opponents on the basis of advanced ages.
Deflating Akufo-Addo should take
another direction. There are many issues-based ways to do so, and the NDC must
look that way instead of dwelling on his age for that hatchet work.
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