Friday,
January 24, 2013
Right in front of our eyes, the
NPP is fast turning itself into a huge kite without a tail. Obviously, if you
have made or flown a kite before, you should know how a tailless kite behaves
when launched.
Going into a tailspin just before
the Chairman of the Electoral Commission (Dr. Kwadwo Afari-Gyan) announced the
certified results of the Presidential elections, even in the teeth of
opposition by the party’s leaders, the NPP didn’t take long to go into a terrible
overdrive only to lose its tail thereafter. It has remained on our radar screen
and we continue to monitor its gyrations.
And we don’t expect its commotion-without-motion
to end anytime soon because the whirlwind that propels the gyration is still
active on the horizon. Several happenings within the NPP’s own fold provide
that kinetic force to sustain that whirl. Call it a “Concert Party” show of
sorts!
Good friends, daily developments
suggest to me that the NPP is gradually moving toward the precipice and will
soon fall head-over-heels into the abyss that it has dug for itself. Or fold up
upon itself to become one huge ball of political tragedy.
I have all along been saying that
the party is suffering from self-inflicted harm. In all that its leaders and
followers have been doing in connection with Election 2016, I haven’t ceased to
caution them against their inching toward the tipping point. Now, it seems all
hell will soon break loose in that camp.
Three major developments have
occurred in the past few days to reveal that all is not well in their ranks: Dr. Charles Wereko-Brobby’s open
denunciation of the party leaders’ “knee jerk self-promotional gimmicks”; boycott
of vetting of Ministers-designate; and the Alan Kyeremanten campaign posters. Each
of happening has its tendency to divide ranks and deepen animosity. So, we unpack
them to know more.
The Wereko-Brobby Factor
Wereko-Brobby
came out strongly against the party’s leaders and firing salvos from all
angles. He publicly disapproved of their instigating a court case over Election
2012 as well as boycotting upcoming bye-elections in Akatsi South and Buem and the
vetting of newly appointed ministers.
To him, what is happening in the
party is unhealthy as far as preparations for Election 2016 are concerned.
The trajectory of his verbal archery is visible:
“The NPP must square the circle or cut out the
comic tragedy,” he roared, describing the party’s decision to boycott the Akatsi
South and Buem and parliamentary bye-elections as “illogical and nonsensical.”
Within the context of the lawsuit
before the Supreme Court, he was quick to identify the main problem facing the
party today as “self-promotional gimmicks,” and urged that steps be taken to
redirect energies toward preparing for Election 2016 and not crying over spilt
milk.
He also attacked crucial aspects
of the NPP’s unproductive agitations that clearly point to the self-destruction
that is looming. And he asked insightful questions to raise critical issues on
the party’s fate.
Questioning the basis for the NPP
MP’s boycott of the vetting of Ministers-designate, he raised interesting
issues, the gist of which is that if the NPP MPs feel they won’t recognize or
work with the Executive, then, they should all resign from Parliament and not
hold themselves up as such.
He is clear in his stance: “An essential pre-requisite for convincing
the majority of Ghanaians (not just the “yente gyae fanatics”) is to
demonstrate a commitment to principled democratic conduct and not knee jerk
self-promotional gimmicks.”
Then, he makes a passionate appeal to ancestry,
saying that “Our Party deserves better. Dr. J. B. Danquah
deserves better. Dr. Kofi A. Busia deserves better. President Edward Akufo-Addo
deserves better. Obetsebi-Lamptey deserves better. President J. A. Kufuor
deserves better. Victor Owusu deserves better.”
His public airing of these concerns
did some harm to the party’s interests inasmuch as it brought into the open the
dissensions seething within, which has been worsened by the caustic reaction of
the party’s leaders and identifiable groupings to his dare-devil pronouncements.
The picture is clear that something is not adding up well in the Osono family.
And it is just a matter of time before an implosion occurs.
Folks, as was to be expected the “attack
dogs” pounced on Wereko-Brobby and tore his reputation to tatters instead of
using their heads to comprehend the substance of his admonitions. A quick
analysis of the acerbic reaction reveals much about the extent to which the
disquiet can reach:
The
NPP New Generation Group quickly tore him to ugly ribbons, pouncing on him
in a frontal attack to shred his reputation beyond repair. Not only did they
paint him as “bad news” with “nothing to offer” but they also destroyed his
moral fabric, portraying him as a profligate and lecherous Billy goat with an
insatiable libido.
The
party’s Communications Director, Nana Akomea, expressed
disappointment at the public criticisms of Wereko-Brobby, describing his
arguments as “illogical” and lacking sense,” and saying that by his actions, he
has exhibited gross disrespect to the party.
The
party’s First National Vice Chairman, Fred Oware, said the leadership of the
party will not dignify Wereko-Brobby’s innuendoes about the party’s decision to
challenge Election 2012 with a response, insisting that Wereko-Brobby’s
statement was in a very bad taste and should be treated with the contempt it
deserves by the party’ followers.
Then,
he parried away Wereko-Brobby’s admonition as
evidence of infiltration of the NPP’s ranks by the NDC: “There
are people within the party who have been hired by the NDC to do what he is
doing, but we hope he is not one of them; people are encouraged to speak their
minds and that is the beauty of our party.”
The
Deputy Minority Leader, Dominic Nitiwul, described Wereko-Brobby as “an
unnecessary element” (a nonentity) within the party, an opportunist who
reaps where he hasn’t sown.
The
Chairman of the pro-NPP Alliance for Accountable Governance (AFAG), Dr. Ayew
Afriyie, described Wereko-Brobby as “senseless and reckless.”
We note that Wereko-Brobby is a founding
member of the NPP—what some of those in the forefront spearheading the party’s
agitations and their supporters insulting him are not!
All these verbal attacks against
one man who has been bold to remind the party leaders of the danger that lies ahead?
The truth is that Wereko-Brobby is not the only worried person in the party. The
Tain example is just an inkling. Don’t even include what Sekou Nkrumah is
revealing to undercut the party.
There are many more who aren’t bold
enough to air their sentiments or resentments but who are sitting on
tenterhooks, nursing fears for the party’s future, and waiting to explode at
the least poking.
We can tell that all is not well
in the NPP as daily happenings indicate that ranks are breaking—with some functionaries
for and others against all that is happening. A house divided against itself?
I shall return…
E-mail: mjbokor@yahoo.com
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