When will the main opposition party, the NDC get its act together? The answer lies entirely with the bosses —the hierarchy of the party —– which is currently embroiled in a never ending war of words and beating each other silly.
It is increasingly becoming apparent that the party hasn’t gotten over last year’s electoral defeat.The internal bickering and finger-pointing haven’t stopped. Various factions within the party each with an agenda towards the 2020 elections are jockeying for power and influence.
The scenario unfolding daily before our eyes is that of a party in complete disarray. From all indications, it appears the concept of close door, negotiations and discussions of internal problems is alien to the NDC as the founder of the party, Mr. John Jerry Rawlings publicly rails against Mr. Mahama for presiding over a cesspool of corruption and Mr. Mahama’s defenders openly slamming the founder for being just as corrupt when he once ruled the country.
Judging from his recent statements, that for most part, dripped with disdain and contempt for his once good friends, Mr. Rawlings comes across as a clearly peeved man, a very angry and bitter man who has feels used, slighted, abused and ignored by some members of the erstwhile Mahama administration. Known for his propensity for bombast, Mr. Rawlings has wasted little time going after those in the party he perceives as his mortal enemies.
His detached approach to last year’s elections spoke volumes about his overall attitude towards the new crop of NDC leaders. He does not see them as committed to the principles of the party. Instead, he views them as unfailingly corrupt and a drag on the party’s fortunes. There is even speculation that he took great delight in the party’s embarrassing defeat at the hands of the NPP.
While some would want Mr. Rawlings to stop being a pain in the neck and stop the blistering attacks on former president Mahama and his close associates, I think he has every right to mouth off about what he sees as the wayward direction of the party he spent years building into one of the country’s formidable political players.
What is so sad about the NDC’s internal squabbles is that they are distracting the party from performing its duty as the major opposition party; the constant jawing, insults and defamation make it difficult for the party to effectively play its role of challenging the governing majority from enacting policies that don’t advantage the ordinary Ghanaian. Ultimately, the failure to do its job lets the ruling NPP off the hook, giving it the free rein to do whatever it pleases.
Our nation is going through a period of darkness characterized by the recent savage murder of a young army captain. Lawlessness seem to be the order of the day as public lynching of completely innocent Ghanaians continues unabated.
We Ghanaians need the NDC to work closely with the governing NPP to craft legislation that will strengthen our law enforcement authorities and security agencies to confront the raging and out of control lawlessness. At this critical stage, all hands must be on deck, and that also includes the hands of the NDC.