Is the ‘spoils system’ going to be the status quo?
Was this young man offered appointment based on these reckless and sensational statements he made?
Is the “spoils system” going to be the status quo?
The spoils system also called patronage system is a practice where political parties, after winning an election, gives government jobs to its supporters, friends and relatives as a reward for working toward victory. This system is the opposite of a “merit system” where appointments are made independent of political activity.
I am asking this question because of happenings in our public institutions since the NPP took over the administration of the country. Professor Mills introduced a new concept he termed “father for all”, he retained some political appointees of the NPP administration when he took over and appointed persons who were not mainstream politicians or closely aligned to the NDC into his government. This singular action caused serious tension in his party, his boss Jerry Rawlings complained vehemently about that decision.
Moderates bring changes into our politics (body politic), headliners always feel comfortable practicing the old order and usually appear conservative when it comes to policy implementation and amendments. We heard our pastors and other opinion leaders in the country few years ago, how they incessantly demanded for an all inclusive government. Those who strongly advocated for this concept have suddenly gone quiet and clandestinely supporting the mess going on in the country
Currently on NDC platforms, one major issue which has dominated comrades’ discussions is the merit system the NDC administrations practiced and they complain bitterly about it. But looking at happenings in the country today, sacking from public institutions of persons perceived as NDC bias and the kind of appointments being made by this administration, one cannot blame them for expressing this anger and pain and I don’t think in the next NDC administration, the supporters will sit idle for the “father for all” concept to thrive.
This primitive system of political appointment adopted by this administration, led to the assassination of James A. Garfield by a rejected office seeker culminating in the passage of the Pendleton Act which created a bipartisan civil service commission to evaluate job seekers on non-partisan merit basis.
We are watching this dangerous cancer grow. Pastors, opinion leaders, etc. have all gone quiet allowing the politicians to polarise our nation further. People accuse Nkrumah for introducing the one party state system but the oldman took that decision to curb emergence of this satanic concept (appointment). He created many business magnates without looking at their ideological background. He sent some to Nigeria, India, etc. to learn trade and the first born of my mother’s siblings W. A Wiafe introduced the Taxi business from India, Kowus, Apenteng Mensah, Namco, Anim Addo, etc.
These business magnates established companies which became the bedrock of Ghana’s economy. We began seeing this sacking, victimisation, etc. under Afrifa and Busia. Ghana regained its unitary spirit under Acheampong and we all saw how Ghanaians supported his ‘Operation Feed Yourself’ concept. The Limann administration also did exceptionally well, the PNP’s alliance with the UNC in the second round and other parties balanced the system and we saw the performance of somebody like Harry Sawyer in the Transport Ministry. The PNDC administration just like the Acheampong government, was an amalgamation of all the ideological blocks.
Check the record of the PNDC in terms of economic policies and successes and you will understand why we must all stand up against the primitiveness we are witnessing in the name of modern day democracy. Ghana is too divided, we are sitting on something dangerous which is at its saturation point, soon, it will explode and we shall see our mistakes.
A young man named, Ernest Owusu Bempah has been appointed the new communication manager of Ghana Gas Company. I have no serious issue about the appointment but I remember few insults this man rained on the NDC and some reckless statements he made on radio.
The statements made by this young man include”
• “Mrs. Naadu Mills collected $5 million from the Woyome judgment debt- an amount which he got with no contract arrangement with the government of Ghana.”
• “NPP must adopt violence and hooliganism to win 2016 elections—Owusu Bempah”
Was the young man offered appointment based on these reckless and sensational statements he made? I know very well that the NPP has many brilliant communicators and some media guys who are not true and true NPP but sympathetic to the party and for the last eight years have defied all odds to write wonderful pieces in support of the NPP. One person whose performance in government support in my assertion is Mustapha Hamid, the young man has so far justified why his boss settled on him for the position of Information Minister. This is what we all want and need, Ghana deserves better, we must make proper use of the human resource gift bequeathed to us by God instead of killing them in the name of partisan contests.
We must all pray for this great nation and our democracy, our democracy is in a critical condition and getting worse every other day because of the entrenched position political actors have taken. The NDC I know will surely practice same doctrine when it comes back and I don’t think those who have suddenly buried the all inclusive crusade, will have the courage and appetite to resume their crusade.
Allah bless Ghana #PowerCorruptsAbsolutePowerCorruptsAbsolutely#
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