“Objects we ardently pursue bring little happiness when gained; most of our pleasures come from unexpected sources.”
Herbert Spencer
HERBERT SPENCER coined the phrase “survival of the fittest” which is defined as “the continued existence of organisms which are best adapted to their environment, with the extinction of others”. It is a concept in line with the Darwinian theory of evolution which espouses “natural election”, as found in Darwin’s treatise: “On the Origin of Species”.
The phrase is used in the social context just as ‘Social Darwinism’ in trying to apply biological concepts of ‘natural selection’ and ‘survival of the fittest’ in human society. Reduced to the politics of Ghana today and the specific issues of ‘manifesto launch’ and qualification of presidential aspirants one can argue that it is only “fittest” manifesto and the “fittest” aspirants that will survive in today’s Ghanaian politics. A famous expression In English goes like: “When the going gets tough, the tough get going”.
Last Sunday (09/1/16) saw the Manifesto Launch of the New Patriotic Party. The venue was the Trade Fair Site at La, Accra. The Manifesto is titled: “Change: An Agenda for Jobs, Creating Prosperity and Equal Opportunity for All”.
Former President, John Agyekum Kufuor, who chaired the function, started the ball rolling with fluent speech extolling the virtues in the team available to Nana Akufo Addo to “…turn the dwindling fortunes of the country. He stated: “We are determined to come to power and transform this country as we once did when the people of Ghana gave us their mandate”.
Speaker after speaker spoke of the palatable fare on the plate of the NPP. Boakye Agyarko caught the crowd with his powerful delivery of the contents of the Manifesto. Elizabeth Afoley Quaye, NPP Parliamentary candidate for Krowor outlined the party’s agricultural policies which include the building of 10 landing sites along the coast and the effective distribution of pre – mix fuel to the fishing communities. Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen was strident on job creation: “…pursue aggressive industrialisation based on value addition, provide tax and related incentives for manufacturing businesses, invest in skills training and apprenticeship as well as provide resources for small business and start –ups to emerge and flourish”.
Maxwell Kofi Lugudor, NPP parliamentary candidate for Ketu South extolled his party’s youth policy which includes the tapping of the expertise of the youth. Speaking on issues of women and children, Hajia Alima Mahama said the NPP would provide incentives for women who venture into agriculture, reduce the Kayayei phenomenon and fully implement the Domestic Violence Act, Disability Act and the Human Trafficking Act. What should gladden the hearts of women was the plan to appoint 30% of women to important positions. It was rather unfortunate that the hands that revived the body of NPP supporters at an NPP rally at Yendi, Dr Frimpong Boateng, had to be wheeled off the rostrum for ill – health.
Of all the speeches, the one that touched the heart of many NPP supporters was the one by Dr Mahammudu Bawumia about NPP abolishing the tax burden on kayayei (the head porters). It is not clear when this policy was introduced to tax kayayei– these innocent victims of our own bad policies. But Bawumia had flayed the government over Moody’s ratings. Compare Kufour’s time: without oil, Ghana was rated B+ positive; Moody now gives Ghana, with oil, B3. He noted that allowances would flow for trainee nurses and trainee teachers but warned: “The mismanagement of the economy, under this John Mahama – led government has resulted in an increase in taxes on virtually everything taxable. Taxes were imposed even on condoms and cutlasses….”
Nana Akufo Addo disclosed that President John Mahama was not the right person to give him lessons on patriotism. Quoting 1Samuel 17:45 – 47, he noted that: “David gave encouraging words to his followers to demystify the perceived might of Goliath. NPP is going to battle with an NDC which has unrestrained and unprincipled” access to state resources. He advised President Mahama to “…go beyond the veneer that closets him, just a little behind his immediate circle of family and friends, he will see the agony in Ghanaians”.
And it was ‘Kalyppo’ session, featuring all the NPP bigwigs sucking Kalyppo. All of a sudden, Kalyppo ceased being a drink for children ever since a naughty ‘against man’ posted the picture of Nana Addo sucking ‘Kalyppo’ to quench his thirst. That, a lot of people think, happened in 2008.
Lawyer Obiri Boahen reminds us of the ‘boomerang effect’ of this ‘Kalyppo’ clip that had gone viral. In ‘Social Psychology’, the ‘boomerang effect’ refers to the unintended consequences of an attempt to persuade resulting in the adoption of an opposing position instead. The persuasive position returns (like an Australian boomerang) to hit the thrower.
Awal Mohammed had a special mention for switching from NDC (as Deputy National Communication Officer of the Zongo Caucus) to NPP. Awal said that NPP’s proposed Zongo Fund will go a long way to help his brothers and sisters in the Zongo communities –an issue one Adisa Dagomba had for long been trumpeting.
And it was a big blow to some of the presidential aspirants when the Electoral Commissioner gave twelve of the contestants a knock out. Hassan Ayariga (APC); Dr Edward Nasigri Mahama (PNC) Nana Agyenim Boateng (UFP); Kofi Apaloo (IPP); Kwabena Adjei (RDP); Dr Papa Kwesi Nduom (PPP); Henry Lartey (GCPP) Richard Nixon Tetteh (UDSP); Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings (NDP); T.N.Ward – Brew (DPP); Alfred Kwame Asiedu Walker (independent). Akwasi Addai (Odike’s) fate is awaiting the High Court decision over the challenge to his membership of the United Progressive Party.
In Matthew 13, the parable of the sower says a sower went out to sow his seeds: some fell along the path, and were picked up by birds; some fell on rocky places, and got quenched; some fell among thorns, and got smothered; others fell on good soil, and produced abundantly.
Some people have no pity for some of the rejected presidential candidates: Hassan Ayariga popularly or notoriously called ‘Ayaricof’ (for coughing incessantly whenever Nana Addo was talking during the last Presidential debate) claims NPP had plagiarised his 2016 Manifesto; Akua Donkor who had partnered a JHS leaver and farmer, not quite 40years old, and who cast a poor shadow of herself reciting the national pledge; there were others who were merely also – rans. They merely spiced up the exercise. But some people have pity for Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings, Dr Edward Nasigri Mahama and Dr Papa Kwesi Nduom who have amply demonstrated their seriousness. Why did the E.C. not alert the candidates where they had gone wrong? Why make the candidates suffer from the illegal machinations of the one person out of 432 persons who endorsed two contestants? Some people think: The law was made for man, and not man for the law. Don’t we have to put a human face to every law? Can the E.C. remain blameless? Why had the E.C. not clipped the wings of some of those people who merely made up the magic number: 17? Does anyone have to advise those rejected to take the matter to court? Lawyers too must survive.
Meanwhile, following Spencer’s theory, the NDC, the NPP, the CPP and an independent candidate, Jacob Osei Yeboah, remain the “fittest”—but let’s hope it is only for now.
Africanus Owusu-Ansah
africanusoa@gmail.com