Between the opposition National Democratic Congress and the ruling New Patriotic Party, the political differences are thin in practice. Though the NDC professes, on paper, social democratic credentials, we know that its roots, as partners of the World Bank and other development partners since days of the Provisional National Defence Council, are as pragmatist as that of the NPP. The NPP has also proved that it can be pragmatist and social democrat in practice, even more than the NDC, in rolling out its development agenda under its ‘Development in Freedom’ motto.
Synergy in programmes
Particularly since 2009, the difference has so narrowed that manifestoes of either political party have seen more of an agreement in programmes than a divergence.
This is something experts from academia and development acknowledge, as global partners continued to support the ‘social democrat’ NDC after the exit of President JA Kufuor, as much as they have supported the NPP under the current tenure of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
From education and health through agriculture and industry, or tourism and sanitation, the support has been similar – all aimed at improving lives and livelihoods.
That is why it is convenient for the NDC, for instance, to insist that its administration has a right to benefit from any political advantage that comes from the success story of the Free SHS programme or the NHIS, for that matter.
Jaw-jaw
That notwithstanding, jaw-jaw between actors of the two political parties has been so vehement that most decent Ghanaians have expressed worry over excesses expressed in insults and attacks, instead of debate and consensus.
It is worse when those who lead the gangster politics are young people who should be learning from the old and experienced ones. And it is far worse when we reward those who are shrillest in trading our divisive and ‘hate’ wares on the public space.
Unity in divergence
It is in this vein that we join the President in reminding ourselves that much as we are in a race for political power, it must be a healthy one, instead of a rat race in which the winner stands and the loser stands too small for comfort.
Thankfully, in that contest, as recently manifested in the heated debate on the 2022 Budget and Economic Policy, stakeholders are still engaging and the Minister for Finance, the Speaker and leadership of Parliament working out a middle ground as part of a consensus-building mechanism for our collective benefit.
Again, the difference has been thin, whether it is with respect to Agyapa or MoMo Tax, as the NDC prefers to term it.
In spite of the recent ugly scenes in Parliament, we are back to where we belong together, which is a united Ghana with a common destiny to lead Africa in development and global partnerships.
Pulling our people along
It is sad that, while those at the top, including MPs and appointees, engage in the political dog fights, ordinary citizens, not quite enlightened about the intricacies, get confused while greedy propagandists, again, get rewarded.
That is why we commend government and the Minister of Finance as well as the House and its Speakers and leadership for going back to the table.
As we engage, we must find ways of letting ordinary citizens know that it is to our collective benefit that we iron out our differences when they confront us. And we must strive to move forward in resolving them with the larger interests of Ghana as our focus.
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