You may call it all the unpleasant names and ridicule it with the most comical words in the world, but the fact still remains that some decisions are politically reasonable than what the realist thinks.
Any right thinking person in the opposition National Democratic Congress must be extremely worried about President Akufo Addo's creation of the Ministry of Inner City and Zongo Development. The NDC should not only be scratching their heads and gritting their teeth because this ministry will burden the tax payer with excess expenses, members of the party must also be worried about the political effect of that ministry.
President Akufo Addo and his team of advisors created this Ministry for a political purpose. It is one of the ways the president wants to wash off the Akan tag on his party, NPP. Over the years, the NPP, rightly so, has been tagged as an Akan party.
Conducts and utterances of leading members of the party, including President Akufo Addo himself, have confirmed this Akanization of the NPP. The NPP has paid political price for this tag and from all indications the party has now located its lost bearing to erase the Akan tag.
Many have argued that the Akanization of the NPP is a perception forced on the party by NDC propagandists. This assertion is not entirely correct. If for nothing at all, Nii Ayikoi Otoo, former Attorney General and NPP kingpin, a Ga, has confirmed that non-Akans feel like outcast in NPP.
That was the sordid state of the NPP so far as representations of minority tribes are concerned. But this thing, I dare say, may not be said of the NPP again if their strategy to de-Akanize the party works to perception under President Akufo Addo.
Regardless of how the late Alhaji Aliu Mahama was treated, the NPP has produced two Muslims vice president. The NDC is yet to produce one. But without a Muslim vice president, the NDC prides itself as the party to have given Muslims two holidays, well-structured hajj organization, adequate representations both in government and party leadership positions and so on.
The NDC has always used these gains to woo those living in the Zongos to their side. The NDC is quick to point to the Aliens Compliance Order by Dr Busia, and how Muslims were humiliated because of that order. President Akufo Addo, in particular, has suffered because of the behavior of NPP forebears and his own sometimes reckless pronouncements.
With the creation of the Inner City and Zongo Development Ministry, the NPP is aiming at one thing- to consolidate it gains in the Zongos and densely populated areas. These are the areas that have voter for the NDC en bloc. If they succeed in this pursuit, then the NDC will be doomed forever.
Results from the last election indicate that the NDC is gradually loosing grip on the zongos and densely populated areas. Results from Ayawaso North, East, Central, Ablekuma Central, Asawase and others are enough pointers to back this unscientific theory. Many people in these constituencies either refused to vote or voted for the NPP because their principal need; employment was not met under the NDC government.
The Inner City and Zongo Development Ministry is not novel. There was something like that under the Mahama government but fashioned in a different form. There was a Presidential staffer under Mahama who was in charge of the welfare of Muslims. Whatever that position was used to achieve is something the NDC must deal with.
Going forward, anytime the NDC touts its achievement in the Zongos, the NPP will point to the "Zongo Ministry" as a way of recognizing Muslims. And if the sector minister, Ahaji Boniface Abubakar Saddiq, is able to implement the Zongo Development Fund and other Zongo related promises, the NDC will be in trouble.
Those living in the Zongos are enthused about the creation of this Ministry. Attempts to ridicule it will create disaffection for the NDC amongst those living in the Zongos. What the party needs to do is to find ways to renew its marriage with its base. Hoping for President Akufo-Addo to fail in order to take advantage to recapture power may not work. Even if President Akufo-Addo does not redeem some of his Zongo-related promises, the creation of this ministry alone sits well with most “Zonglians”. As the case stands now, the NDC, in the words of Kofi Wayo, is living in a "hopeless hope". But it shall be well.
Amos Blessing Amorse
Asabaham-Accra
[email protected]
Source: Amos Blessing Amorse - [email protected]
Disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. |
Point of correction the two muslem holiday was introduced by president Kufuor in 2001 and not NDC. get your facts right
PLEASE GO BEYOND MERE POLITICS. THE PEOPLE IN THE ZONGOS ARE ALSO GHANAIANS. THEIR DEVELOPMENT IS PART OF THE DEVELOPMENT IN GHANA. NEGLECT OF THE ZONGOS BREED ARM ROBBERY, VIOLENCE AND ALL MANER OF EVIL YOU CAN THINK OF. THEY ARE PART OF OUR SOCIAL SPECTRUM AND THEIR DEVELOPMENT BRING SAFETY TO ALL.
So much ignorance in this article.Many people in Ghana do not know the composition of Akans in Ghana.If Akans decide to vote NPP in every election then Ghana will be one party state forever.Akans are not only Ashantis as people are made to believe.If Akans were to go according to NDC tagging of NPP am sure NDC would have stopped that tagging.Approximate population of Akans in Ghana is about 70%.IKf Akans were to vote like voltarians NDC will never come to power in Ghana
It is early days yet. The idea is good but how it will be implemented will tell whether what you are suggesting will come to pass. Do not forget that no matter what there are die hard NDC supporters within the Zongos. This year's election results should tell you not to conclude the way you have done
Is the zongos made up of only Muslims?
You deserve living with animals.which part of the north do you come from? I don't see difference between you and an uneducated Akan. Because of your low level of education you don't understand accept been refers to as ***barred word***! Or because you claimed to be born in cape coast you should be call a Fante? If really you are a Northerner, which ever part, you should be proud of it. Illiterate like you complain when refers to as ***barred word***. As Puma said NDC and its followers should learn a lesson from this tribal politics.
So ndc is going to stay in opposition with these rubbbish which Ghanaians didn't buy but sent them to opposition? There is no constituency in Ghana called Zongo constituency which means they alone can't vote to make a president and 2ndly NPP are not developing the Zongo because of votes like ndc always think of votes but,NPP are developing the Zongo to give them a decent life so ndc can't use them any longer for their dirty work. How do you think with good education and good jobs anyone can use them to do their dirty work? That is the gap NPP is trying to bridge because after all ndc wasn't formed by a Muslim or someone from the Zongo so why would anyone claim the Zongo to be ndc,if anything at all the best party they could have joined is the PNC which was formed by a Muslim from the North but handed it over to his nephew Dr Hilla Limann but not the ndc whose founder overthrew Dr Hilla Limann ' s government and disgraced him
Hahaha Check Nana's appointments. Majority Akan even that has first class Akan and second and third class. It's not a tag but real. The Zongoes will not change because they know the mind sets of Akans towards them. I am a Muslim Northerner who grew up in Cape Coast and know what children are told about Pepefour. We 3rd class and filty and undesirable. No respect at all. That Ministry will not solve the problem. The solution will be Bawumia to take the mantle fafter Nana and rule without hindrance.
The Writer is the editot of the Al-Hajj newspaper. Fact
I believe the writer of article is a die hard NDC who is still struggling to believe they have lost the 2016 election. I thought the NDC will lesson from their tribal politics. I think the writer would have also talk about the benefits of this ministry instead of dwelling on who win in the zongo. What has this got do with the late vice president Aliu Mahama? In any case what has NPP did to him? Tribal politics will never help NDC. They should reflect on the recent election. Ghanaians are waiting for NDC to give a free way to Amissah Arthur to run for the 2020 election.