24 January 2006
MAKING A MOCKERY OF NKRUMAH’S HERITAGE
MAKING A MOCKERY OF NKRUMAH’S HERITAGE
| Posted: Tuesday, January 24, 2006
Over the last decade and a half, the descendants of the Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah’s Convention People’s Party (CPP) have been trying hard to redefine themselves.
For a party that has the enviable record of leading the country to independence, one would have expected that its inheritance would be the envy of all. Unfortunately, today, those who claim to be followers of that great leader, and shamelessly address themselves as Nkrumaists, taking after his name, cut a sorry sight as they are scattered in small groups, with each trying to preserve its small colony, for fear of ceding some of the powers they wield in their small enclaves.
Currently, there are at least three parties, namely the People’s National Convention (PNC), Convention People’s Party (CPP) and the Great Consolidated Peoples Party (GCPP) that claim to be Nkrumaists, with the first two, incessantly engaged in unity talks.
But worst still, even within the little colonies, the backbiting and bickering are such that these people are increasingly making a mockery of the great name of the founder of their party.
The colony, carrying the name CPP, seem to be the most crisis-ridden of the lot, always living in their past glory. Strangely enough, it is this group that has the two of the greatest analytical minds in the media, that productively deployed for their party, could send shivers down the spine of any party spokespersons in political debates.
But worst still for that particular colony, its three parliamentary candidates have been without radar from the party, and thus have behaved like sheep without a shepherd.
It is surprising to learn from the CPP Members of Parliament (MPs) that the party seem not to have taken any positions on major policy issues that have come before Parliament, for them to be accused of working against party interest.
The PNC MPs have in the past, made similar arguments against their party executives when they were similarly accused of promoting the interest of the ruling government at the expense of their party.
Whereas it could be argued that the MPs are genuinely caught in a dilemma of serving their constituents and party interests, going by what they have said so far, the two parties seem not to have attempted to take advantage of the uniquely placed position of their MPs to influence state policies.
With regard to the CPP MPs, perhaps the cozy relationship that existed between them and the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the run-up to the 2004 elections, underlie the suspicions of their party executive to the extent that they failed to try to give direction to their MPs.
As for the MPs themselves, it is inconceivable that they would turn against the NPP, since it was very instrumental in getting them to annex all their three seats.
Many Ghanaians had hoped that the CPP and its affiliates were going to unite to form a formidable third force on the political landscape, so as to widen the options available to Ghanaians.
Unfortunately, so far, what these so-called Nkrumaists have succeeded in doing is to make a mockery of, and dishonour the name and memory of their great leader, Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, by telling Ghanaians loudly that their center cannot hold.
source: chronicle editorial
| Posted: Tuesday, January 24, 2006
Over the last decade and a half, the descendants of the Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah’s Convention People’s Party (CPP) have been trying hard to redefine themselves.
For a party that has the enviable record of leading the country to independence, one would have expected that its inheritance would be the envy of all. Unfortunately, today, those who claim to be followers of that great leader, and shamelessly address themselves as Nkrumaists, taking after his name, cut a sorry sight as they are scattered in small groups, with each trying to preserve its small colony, for fear of ceding some of the powers they wield in their small enclaves.
Currently, there are at least three parties, namely the People’s National Convention (PNC), Convention People’s Party (CPP) and the Great Consolidated Peoples Party (GCPP) that claim to be Nkrumaists, with the first two, incessantly engaged in unity talks.
But worst still, even within the little colonies, the backbiting and bickering are such that these people are increasingly making a mockery of the great name of the founder of their party.
The colony, carrying the name CPP, seem to be the most crisis-ridden of the lot, always living in their past glory. Strangely enough, it is this group that has the two of the greatest analytical minds in the media, that productively deployed for their party, could send shivers down the spine of any party spokespersons in political debates.
But worst still for that particular colony, its three parliamentary candidates have been without radar from the party, and thus have behaved like sheep without a shepherd.
It is surprising to learn from the CPP Members of Parliament (MPs) that the party seem not to have taken any positions on major policy issues that have come before Parliament, for them to be accused of working against party interest.
The PNC MPs have in the past, made similar arguments against their party executives when they were similarly accused of promoting the interest of the ruling government at the expense of their party.
Whereas it could be argued that the MPs are genuinely caught in a dilemma of serving their constituents and party interests, going by what they have said so far, the two parties seem not to have attempted to take advantage of the uniquely placed position of their MPs to influence state policies.
With regard to the CPP MPs, perhaps the cozy relationship that existed between them and the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the run-up to the 2004 elections, underlie the suspicions of their party executive to the extent that they failed to try to give direction to their MPs.
As for the MPs themselves, it is inconceivable that they would turn against the NPP, since it was very instrumental in getting them to annex all their three seats.
Many Ghanaians had hoped that the CPP and its affiliates were going to unite to form a formidable third force on the political landscape, so as to widen the options available to Ghanaians.
Unfortunately, so far, what these so-called Nkrumaists have succeeded in doing is to make a mockery of, and dishonour the name and memory of their great leader, Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, by telling Ghanaians loudly that their center cannot hold.
source: chronicle editorial
