Ghana: History Is Bad Teacher

31 January 2025
opinion

I once had to disagree with the late Justice D.F. Annan at a public forum, State House in Accra that history is not a bad Teacher. I said "it is the generations of students which failed or would not learn". He did not demur. At a recess I compared history to any celebration at all: to remember the who or what there was, take the flops and triumphs to rationalise. All for both not repeating the errors and let their determination to emulate or step aside. Dr Ephraim Amu's "This is our homeland". I heard the song was danced in Parliament recently by the Opposition to stall business. Thinking about it bemused. The case of Ablekuma-North unrepresented was irrelevant relative to prior Constituencies denied the vote for four years in the 8th House.

I will not go beyond that reference not to stray my theme to show the futility of walk outs- veto (at the UN in the 60s) boycott and here in our parliaments historically. The most memorable was the troop out when Dr Kwame Nkrumah moved for authority to ask Britain to grant us our independence. The same Opposition garbed resplendent Kent's to the presentation by the Duchess of Kent, representing the Queen. At the UN after vetoes led by the US or the Soviet Union and rarely Britain, that ideological misuse of the veto it took 16 years for China-Peking to unseat China-Taipei. That finally justified Nkrumah's campaign for a THIRD Bloc of non-aligned Country-members to keep a balance between East-West. That thawed the Cold War.

It may be recalled, put in another context, that existence of a new Bloc at the UN weakened the East-West rigmarole. Ghana's role contributed to making Nkrumah a target, ousted 1966). On the negative side the greater tangible reason to eliminate these demonstrative ambushes is there is no gain, primarily because majority wins. In our parliament today, the majority is overwhelming. The minority appear to be engaged in playing to the galleries, tooth-picking faults and or walk outs. There is a likely oblivion of the history which led to the present. The tide has not ebbed. The memories of anger, disappointments and the internecine within, are also publicly emerging. That means wrong basic display in keeping a government on its feet. Both the public and government respectively laugh and ignore you. Therefore, the Opposition have two adversaries to contend with--the public [which includes their internal malcontents] and the government.

Much of the deficiencies showing now is the depth and thrust of leadership. It is possible the new minority did not have a plan "B", if they lost. Be that as it may, our political history does not remember the last time there was a vacuum of this sort--from Dr J.B. Danquah through Modesto Apaloo to Reg Amponsah. I had speculated to discuss this issue years ago in this column. Things have not changed. (It is like the Conservatives in Britain presently). The problem is about SUCCESSION as regards leadership. Generally, for African leaders up to independence, who come apres moi (after "I"), this is an anathema to ethnicity dilemma ilk in whispers for some and a taboo in other countries approximately in the Diaspora, confirmed by cursory reading. It is borne by personal fear and or, inordinate ambition and fanned by competing groups around the seat--some sycophants and others in the range of n'er do well or, the' you have never had it so good'.

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This awareness would make it less difficult to find causes of "third term" and beyond it into LIFE--self-perpetuating. The notion neither connote "Bedu nndzi adze wo aber a Akon tse ase"--'the tenth born does not leapfrog the ninth, once alive'; nor who joined the party first. In our case pursuant, either individual has claimed the largest investments or family presence and or traditional support to bid. This has long been albatross to be opened for perhaps writing a semi-criterion to decide the order. Our experiences about vote buying and reports of bullying, during recent years must have given indicators. -This is a self-appointed pivot of our national failure--perhaps benefit of hindsight. No one can thread this hallowed ground except the political parties would, or be seized with extraordinary boldness. By the way, it is a continental disease, becoming chronic. Here at home, an episode occurred. An elected member from the Victor Owusu-led PFP's Member of Parliament moved the party to replace the Leader after the 1979 elections. That was killed.

The WHO NEXT FACTOR has also been dogged by ethnicity arguments. Incidentally, the PP (Busia's ruling party in the Second Republic) had elements of ethnicity in the dynamics of their split. The Ashanti-Akyem fight over the ownership of the NPP remains a sensitive live wire which may or not trip a leadership restructuring in these early months of the state of the party post-2024 heavy defeat, unprecedented in our political history. Elections are won in advance like the dawn opening of the market, unless the government commits an unpardonable "Haram"--into self-emulsion. There is a common irritation over the governing side--a probable rushing them into mistakes. Their shown inclination not to bite the bait is a casus belli.

Without playing politics, I think it unfair in the interim. This honeymoon period is to allow any government to roll in its policies. The impatience, apart from all else, can lead to conspiracy theories and be assumed as a strategy to interpret as a ruse to panic and wrong foot them. It is like joining the dance before the band arrives at its venue--your home [parliament]. You had exhausted your dancing skills by then. As for the numbers game, [the minority waxing superiority or sitting up the government well, that is their duty; however, our experiences do not tally that the fiery, if any, would upset to reveal cowardice or pandering to be accepted. Our governments had never carped since independence. In fact Col Acheampong could have imposed no party system of government, despite the rejection in a referendum and Rawlings could have run a third term. The NPP was adamant about the burdens of the taxes pile.

In all of these the country can no longer sit idly by or be a huge spectator. And it may partially to the credit of President Mahama's call to the nation, in extenso to howl disapprovals and against things going wrong. I trace this public apathy to the foundation of political partying in this country. It reads a better translation of Nkrumah's "seek ye first the political Kingdom..." Its logic is that the Elders who led the independence struggles were obsessed with wanted mere power, taking over from Britain. Generations following did not give themselves time to reflect the "what next" in reality. From the second batch, confused and scattered by Western subtle divisiveness-tactics until today, ref BRICS, succession of Leaders had not either been left alone by domestic and external pressures to reach out to matching solutions to develop. Let us face the guilt and re-think. There will be the new formulae to cantankerous the new paths but the lessons of history should defeat the stratagems which had been afoot. These are the ones which requires:

[i] to be focused to resist or dismiss both the obnoxious and the entirety which impinges on our cultural values about our of living -trading and self-respect in public office with honour including our Chiefs and taking cognisance of adopting to adapt relevant global trend to bolster -the Chinese; [ii] work ourselves not be left behind; and [iii] preserving what our heritage holds as sacrosanct (anti-LBGTQ+, for example) in decent private and public conducts. (for all the dislike of US President Donald Trump, he has reportedly declared 'there are two sexes-- MALE AND FEMALE; and then, [iv] be honest more than sufficient to re-define corruption, perceptively and reality with reference to keeping our traditional attitudes, so badly mixed with incompatible interpretations--a gift to the Chief by Whitee when he arrived. There was a motive behind it, contrasts with our traditional concept or indeed, a norm between Chiefs and his people--subjects. I like to believe the Constitutional Review would take an in-depth search to arrive at key recommendations. Corruption has been an unbearable thorn for over-long. History shall always remember them and posterity shall salute them.

By Prof Nana Essilfie-Conduah.

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