Ghana/USA military pact; where are the voices that were once unforgivingly critical of Mahama?

When the NDC was in charge of running the country, a variety of civil society organizations, pressure groups and clergy lined up stringently against it. Their frequent target was former President, Mr. John Dramani Mahama.

To say they were unforgiving in their criticism is to put it mildly; they were vociferous, unrelenting and avowedly political.

Their goal, which they made no discernible effort to conceal, was the ultimate ouster of the NDC. Ghanaians granted them their wish in December, 2016, when they chose the NPP over the NDC.

But now that their favorite political horse, the NPP is safely ensconced in power and directing the show, these voices have suddenly and strangely fallen silent.

Nothing President Akuffo Addo or NPP legislators do is enough to rile or provoke any kind of response from the likes of Ace Ankomah, the reverend Otabil and others who made Mahama’s life as president a living hell with their virulent put downs of his policies.

No one needs any prodding to conclude that these groups and their leaders, clearly, are apologists and sycophants of the NPP. If the party were to turn Ghana into a police state, with accompanying flagrant human rights violations, Ace and his gang of enablers will stay quiet.

As a matter of fact, Mr. Addo and the NPP are currently in the midst of pursuing political and economic policies that are deeply unsettling and hugely detrimental to the interests of the country, yet there is nary a reaction from those who were quick to jump on the anti-Mahama and NDC bandwagon.

The recent military pact with the world’s only superpower, the United States, for a base in Ghana, is a case in point. For it being onesided and advantageous to the United States, and putting Ghana in the crosshairs of American haters, the pact was rightly criticised and all its faults and shortcomings exposed.

But despite the criticism, the NPP didn’t have the common sense to reconsider its position. Instead, it went right ahead and cemented the deal, giving the Americans everything under the sun.

The NPP needs to be reminded of a popular phrase; the Ugly American. The country will soon find out why all around the world there has been massive locally directed resistance against the establishment of American military bases.

I applaud Mr. Mahama for coming out last week against Otabil and questioning the reverend’s integrity and strange silence in the face of all that is going on. The former president was right to call Otabil, Ace Ankoma, Franklin Cudjoe and others who have intentionally stood by as the NPP runs roughshod over the country, hypocritics.

It is galling that the NPP steers our country into a dubious military agreement which could be disastrous along the way, yet voices that should be questioning the rationale behind the pact, are silent and supportive. Their hypocrispy and double standards are stunning.