In the wake of the brouhaha of allowing political parties to participate in the elections of Metropolitan, Municipal, District Chief Executives (MMDCEs), one of the National Communication Officer of the main opposition party in Ghana, National Democratic Congress (NDC) has boldly asked government to spare Ghanaians the trouble of partisanship at the local government level.
According to him in a write up sighted by the www.thenewindependentonline.com, the already polarized nation NDC and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) is enough.
Therefore, Mr. Godwin Ako Gunn urged the Ghanaian populace to vote massively NO in the upcoming referendum.
The Electoral Commission (EC) of Ghana has set December 17th this year for a referendum of allowing political parties to actively participate in the elections of Metropolitan, Municipal, District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) as stipulated in the 1992 Constitution of Ghana, Article 55(3).
Below is the full test of Mr. Godwin Ako Gunn, a Deputy National Communication Officer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC)…
We have tried many years with our members of parliament making laws and voting on our behalf, do they come to us for our opinions on how to vote ?
They constantly or consistently vote and take decisions subtly or largely on the bases of party affiliation or ideology. Now the people we run to in our communities; assembly members and unit committee members too, they want to take from us !!!
Assembly members and unit committee members are not paid but when our communities are faced with challenges such flood during the rains, street lights, and the rest, they are with us and understandably so, they are the link between the people and authorities.
They are constantly found at the hospitals, police stations, the Chief’s palaces intervening or settling disputes. This is why individuals go out of their free will support them in their activities to make sure they deliver.
A lot of assembly members have worked to save their community many times, devoid of politics, though as human, they ” may ” have their political preferences or affiliations.
Let me emphasise that, some Ghanians are tired of NDC and NPP voices each day on radio, social media and TV. What they need is peace of mind to do their business. Let us not disturb them with 24×7 around the clock politics.
There are many who do not want to associate with partisan politics. So they prefer to serve at a non partisan level where their abilities will be well utilized with a clear conscience of service to the people. Why will we want to push those people out with our YES vote.
Many have assisted the District assembly’s through self help projects. Members of our communities, especially the well to do have provided, culverts, gravels, cement, pipes ecetera through the assembly to help solve some pertinent problems in our communities. They do it because they live in the community and they don’t care the political party of the neighbour next door.
The district assemblies mostly complain of no money. Will voting for a unite committee member on partisan lines bring those revenues? Infact it will rather close the doors to potential donors who are very partisan.
We have lived with our assembly members devoid of political believes or ideologies. We eat together play together and see ourselves as one people .
We have always campaigned for who we love and believe can do the work and not the party they belong to. The leadership of this nation today says we must look at everyone and everything with a political eye !!! To what end if I may ask.
We should not further sink this nation into an NDC and NPP sickness at the basic unite of development of our society.
There should be a point that we see ourselves first as Ghanians and not as NDC or NPP.
As a nation, we are already polarised along tribal lines. We see ourselves more as Ewes, Nzemas, Fantis, Asantis , Gonjas, Sissalas, Mamprusis etc than as Ghanians .
Based on these, people have fought and destroyed others on tribal lines with some living with pain till date. Some tribes have vowed never to marry from a particular tribe or family.
Some churches have tribal groups like Akan kuo (Akan group) Ewe association etc. YES IN THE CHURCHES !!! Others have formed NPP and NDC clubs in the churches.
Shouldn’t we be thinking of how to heal our land and eradicate the fast building blocks that makes me see you differently from myself ?
Then suddenly, Nana Addo Danquah led administration says we should go and vote YES or NO to further divide us on political lines at the basic level of our nation. It must be a loud NO NO NO .
Let us vote NO and keep our unity. Don’t be decieved that it is about MMDCEs it is not
We are one people, one nation with a common and a singular destiny . We live together or we perish together.
Say NO on the 17th of December
Say NO to partisanship at the Assembly and unit committee level.
There are better days ahead for Ghana . The sun will shine again !!!
Kun fa Yakun.
By: GODWIN AKO GUNN
