Taking ‘forward ever’ to another level, Ghana has done
it again, Ayekoo!By Samwin
Banienuba
On December 7th, 2016
Ghanaians pulled off yet another peaceful election almost on the blind side of
the world as many remained fixated on the thunderbolt of the American election
before it and the embarrassing confusion in the Gambian election next door. The
8th quadrennial affair in Ghana passed off without hiccups as if the
exercise of this democratic principle of changing their leaders through the
ballot box has always been indigenous.
At the end of the day, the NDC
sitting President John Mahama and his party lost and graciously conceded defeat.
The NPP opposition candidate Nana Akufo-Addo won and was conciliatory in
victory. They both called the elections a Ghanaian victory. Even before this laudable
patriotic exercise of exchanging acknowledgements and pleasantries went to
press, the two parties quickly teamed together to agree the transition process
and handover of power in accordance with relevant laws of the land. Seminal,
isn’t it?
In the run up to December 7th,
there was of course the not too unusual hype of a nation in tension as with
many national elections elsewhere. The candidates crisscrossed the country to
sell their wares as it were, and did slip on more occasions than one into
personality attacks or ethnic goofs. Some institutions including the Electoral
Commission were not spared their share of lashing tongues and criticisms. But
the rivalry was largely respectful if not friendly, and campaign rallies were
not without the typical African fanfare.
Although a total of seven
parties presented presidential candidates including an independent candidate, all
eyes were on the NDC and the NPP, the two parties which have dominated the 4th
Republican political landscape by virtue of their resources, but also by their broad
base and possible appeal. Respectively, they represent the left and right of
Ghana politics or the social democrats and conservatives whatever that means
today. All other parties have often been dismissively described as the ‘small
parties’, incapable of providing a third force between the two. They proved
their bidding yet again in this election.
Inasmuch as voter turnout may
have dipped slightly when compared with turnouts in 2012 and the years before,
68.62% would still make older democracies green with envy. The appetite for
democracy is without shadow of doubt great in Ghana, and likely to remain so in
the foreseeable future. It behoves the incoming government, as with all
successive governments, to sustain the momentum with an increasing supply of
all the other tenets of democracy that should make it a government of the
people, by the people and for the people.
It is for instance not lost
on Ghanaians and Africans as such that one of the key issues in the campaigns
was corruption, satirically also known as the African disease. It is not as if
it is a new issue; it has always been there, but it was pivotal this time. The
opposition alleged governance at all levels amounted to loot and share. The
government begged to differ and instead pointed similar accusing fingers at the
opposition when they were in power some eight years ago. Whoever is more
culpable is neither here nor there for the ordinary Ghanaian struggling to get
by. The equalisation must stop.
The very perception that
public officers dip their hands into the public kitty unaccountably suggests
the supply of democracy by elected officials is not matching the demand for
democracy by the electorate and citizens at large. The economy is not stupid
and the new government scheduled to take office have their work cut out. In
addition to their own expressed promises, they will have to quickly respond to nagging
youth unemployment, erratic power supply, inadequate drainage systems, high
inflation, an increasing public debt and a myriad of many others to justify
their election.
Certainly, Ghanaians will be
keen to see evidence of significant difference in status quo as regards equal
opportunity, equality before the law and accountability in governance as key
benchmarks of their democracy moving forward. But governments, they say, are
products of society, and currying favours from them promotes patronage which in
turn enhances the very corruption society wants to see mitigate. Indeed, civil
society organisations should not sit idly by for voter power to do the right
thing at the next quadrennial. Citizen vigilance and media scrutiny should hold
all arms of government truly accountable until then.
At independence in 1957,
Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah and father of the nation declared that Ghanaians were
going to create their own African personality and identity. Knowing this was
not going to be easy sailing for any new nation, especially as it was in the
days of the East / West divide, otherwise known as cold war, he quickly added
that Ghanaians should be allowed to make their own mistakes. And mistakes there
have been one too many, but clearly the country has gotten its act in place in
the 4th Republic and is staring the waves of democracy and good
governance throughout Africa and across. ‘Forward ever’ was the battle cry of
the Osagyefo and ‘forward ever’ it is as the country inches gracefully towards
its 60th anniversary in March 2017. The proud African personality
and identity may have finally docked.
Humanitas Afrika believe this
new brand of Ghana recasts the country in pole leadership role of the early
independence years of Africa, and raises the bar for governance and higher values
to which all other Africans can aspire. We take this opportunity to congratulate
the NPP and wish Nana Akufo-Addo great success in his tenure for the benefit of
Ghana and the pride of Africa. We also thank the NDC and John Mahama for
superintending peaceful, fair and credible elections in accordance with law and
expectations of country and continent. More importantly, we salute Ghana and
the Ghanaian people for their exemplary resolve to chart a course of freedom, unity
and peace through democracy and constructive elections. Well done! Or better
still, Ayekoo as they say in Ghana!
The writer is the
International Spokesperson for Humanitas Afrika
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