How To Lose An Election In Three Easy Steps (2)

The Thunder is of the firm opinion that one of the best governments Ghana ever had was the John Agyekum Kufuor led New Patriotic Party(NPP) government from January 7, 2001 to January 7, 2009.

That was when Ghana started to enjoy practical governmental social policies that mitigated the cost of living.

There was the introduction of the free maternal health care. There was the introduction of the National Health Insurance Police (NHIS) and it worked perfectly well. The aged citizens did not pay a dime as premium yet they went to hospitals for free.

That was the era where the Metro Mass Transportation was introduced and transport fares in those buses were heavily subsidized. The aged and school pupils in uniform even bored those busses for free and paid nothing.

That was the era Ghana discovered oil.

That was the original era of roads where some of the roads were even named by the locals as ‘Kufuor Me Daase’ to mean Thank You Kufuor.

That was when one hot mean per child was served in primary schools. That was when one Ghana cedi was equivalent to one American Dollar.

That was the golden age of doing business and one was proud to be a Ghanaian.

Yet, despite all these record setting achievements, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) could not break the eight years jinx. Interesting.

On hindsight, President Kufuor could have handed over to another NPP President if the media had told his government just 20 percent truth instead of turning itself from the aggressive watchdogs that brought the party into power  and then becoming friendly lap dogs licking the feet of allies who walk the corridors of power.

Despite the brilliant achievements under Kufuor, there were basic challenges the party in government glossed over and even when it was clear the said challenges should be resolved, the attitude among leadership was that such complaints cum challenges were being exaggerated and fueled by opposition elements.

Today, the NPP is back in government and repeating the same mistakes of saying that genuine complaints are coming from ‘yaanom’, and should therefore be glossed over.

Complaints of internal neglect and a feeling of not being appreciated. Complaints of cheese being reserved at the top alone and not been allowed to trickle down.

Complaints of ‘edidigya’.

Just as is happening now, media houses that are seen as being too loud are treated at an arm’s length while the ones that are praise singers are given tight hugs and golden kisses.

How can you correct your mistakes when you expect everyone to sing your praise?

Funny how some persons who should know better in the NPP were quick to conclude that the recent #FixGhana campaign was being instigated by political rivals.

It is refreshing that superior minds within the party and government saw the need to not dismiss such agitations but to rather dialogue and engage them.

If the NPP is really determined to break the eight years mystery, then it ought to do things differently and stop the business as usual type of out-of-date politics.

Be ready to take constructive criticisms, listen more, engage more and bring all hands on deck. And of course, let the cheese trickle down. TO BE CONTINUED