Politics as the saying goes is a dirty and divisive game; it is not for the faint of heart. If you lack the fortitude, tolerance, a big heart and patience to be in the game, it is definitely not your calling.
Without mincing words, let me state categorically that some of our northern politicians sorely lack the qualities I just mentioned.When northern politicians from opposite ends of the political spectrum venomously attack each other, it brings tears to my eyes.
I listen to their catfights, insults and denigration and my heart sinks. I agonize and bow down my head in shame watching them engage in tactics that are beneath their status.
Yes, indeed, it saddens me endlessly that our northern elected representatives acutely aware of the astronomical challenges, poverty, underdevelopment, lack of adequate healthcare and rudimentary education, facing our regions — the North, Upper East and Upper West — choose to spend a great deal of their time savaging each other to the consternation of their constituents but much to the delight of others.
There is one very important fact people tend to gloss over when any discussion of northerners crops up, and that is, northerners are not monolithic.
They have divergent social and political views on a wide variety of subjects which explains why I am deeply troubled by our northern politicians’ seemingly inability to bury their differences and fight for the common good — the betterment of our much maligned regions.
The two most politically powerful northerners as it currently stands are the vice president Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia and the former president, Mr. John Dramani Mahama.
Northerners, irrespective of their tribal or political affiliations, look up to these two gentlemen. They command a great deal of respect. They are without iota of doubt trailblazers.
Given all that, you would think these two would eschew their partisan colors, throw away their core differences, and get along, and respect each other, if anything at all, for the sake of the region they hail from. But no. There is no love lost between them. And, that is depressingly pathetic.
When the former president throws a jab at Dr. Bawumia, the Vice President retaliates with an equally devastating punch.
As these two giants knock each other out silly, the nation watches in befuddlement and northerners throw their hands up in exasperation. Chinua Achebe said it best: when two elephants fight, it is the grass that suffers.
It is a heart-wrenching spectacle and reinforces the absurd notion that northerners can never forge a united front, this daily back and forth between Mr. Mahama and Dr. Bawumia.
Somebody should tell these two gentlemen to cut out the crap, to stop the nonsense. Our region, much despised and maligned as it is, desperately needs the kind of political leadership that will prioritize its problems not a leadership that engages in prolonged and worthless squabbles.
For one thing, it demonstrates a total absent of unity
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