Our elders have stated it very unequivocally that “he who the gods want to destroy, they first make mad.”
The absurdities of the actions of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Minority buoyed by Speaker Bagbin can only be an attempt to create confusion in the society.
We are convinced that the actions of the NDC, depict its members as enemies of the state, bent on moving heaven and earth to wreck the ship of state, especially under the leadership of President Akufo-Addo.
Already, the NDC Minority has started unveiling its wicked agenda of making it difficult for the government machinery to be functional. That is why a lawyer of repute like Dominic Ayine, who was once honoured with the high office of Deputy Attorney General, has revealed the evil machinations of the NDC and the reason why quickly Speaker Bagbin ruled on Haruna Iddrisu’s petition to declare the seats of the four independent candidates vacant, at the time the Majority Leader has served notice to seek interpretation of the petition before the Supreme Court.
Our hearts ache because the people on the NDC Minority include seasoned lawyers, including Speaker Bagbin himself, have closed their eyes to the spirit and letter of our Constitution. The only body in our country clothed with judicial powers is our judiciary headed by the Chief Justice. The Presidency or the Executive and Parliament or Speaker Bagbin have no judicial powers.
The orders they give or make are administrative edicts which can be challenged in court. Speaker Bagbin is not the law and he knows that the only way to resolve disputes or conflicts is the resort to the court as the final arbiter.
The dislocation in government business that Speaker Bagbin sought to achieve was unnecessary and needless. Now the Supreme Court, which the Constitution recognises as the body to interpret our laws when there is conflict, has shown Speaker Bagbin his true size, power and authority by directing him to allow the Members of Parliament (MPs) who have decided to go independent the opportunity to remain in the House until the final determination of the substantive matter.
We urge the NDC to move away from the coup d’état posturing and imbibe the tenets of democratic governance.
It is absolutely nonsensical for the NDC to at this stage, with less than two months to the December 7 elections to be disturbing the constitutional order with a petition like the one filed by Haruna Iddrisu.
It sends the signal that John Mahama and his NDC no longer believe in the ballot box, and prefer a constitutional crisis to reaching out to the people to sell their 24-hour economy and the like.
The NDC claims the Akufo-Addo government has mismanaged the country and the economy, and its candidate John Mahama has the magic wand to make life easier for the people. Truly, if that is the feeling on the ground, albeit admittedly so, then the NDC should be laughing to the ballot box on December 7, because the overwhelming majority will cast the ballot for John Mahama and his NDC.
Perhaps, the intelligence gathered by the NDC, reveals something to the contrary, hence consistently, John Mahama’s agenda shows the lack of faith in the ballot box. John Mahama and his NDC have rallied the partisan leaders of some civil society groups to scream about the lack of transparency in the compilation of the voters’ register and galamsey activities in the forests and on major rivers.
It is believed that the NDC infiltrated the ranks of Organised Labour to get it to declare an indefinite strike, but when the Joshua Ansah-led Organised Labour realised the futility of its campaign, the workers’ leaders rescinded their decision.
However, Ransford Gyampo’s University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) has persisted till today, refusing to read in between the lines that the NDC is using the university teachers to achieve its political goals.
Maybe the dyed-in-the-wool NDC Ransford Gyampo has cast an Indian spell on his colleague lecturers, but those who have seen the light are turning away from the NDC-induced UTAG strike.