Who won victory for NPP…. Can we forget about our foot soldiers? No way. That will be a recipe for disaster because, they are the proper winning team and no one can dispute this fact.
Was it H.E Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo Addo, H.E Dr.Mahamudu Bawumia or Mr. David Kankam Boadu alone who won power for the NPP? No, it was the grassroots. Indeed, majority carries the vote, nonetheless, without strong leadership there is no control. Without proper management, there is always confusion. Therefore I would like to congratulate H.E Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo Addo and H.E Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, Freddie Blay, John Boadu, Sammy Awuku, Kamal Deen, Kwabena Abankwa, Otiko Djaba, Martin Korsah, Perry Okudzeto amongst many because without these as our leaders who are we as a political party? Likewise, without our grassroots where would the NPP be? So clearly it’s a two way affair. The time has come that we take them serious and walk the talk.
As a very good friend of mine always says; “When a party is in power, many people become disappointed than appointed”. This should be a statement to guide the way we handle our grassroots. Gone are the days when politicians can always have their way with their support base (grassroots) because they know that in the final analysis the loyalty of the people will still be intact. Times have changed so much that, many don’t mind subscribing to governmental policies that are feasible, decide to cast their vote for or against a particular political party than loyalties. If we know nothing at all, let’s learn from the just ended 2016 election. Why did the NDC loose? Those same old tricks to give attention to the grassroots when elections are underway is no more effective. Where do we even think that the over 1 million votes came from? The NDC suffered an outright rejection from their own grassroots and all those votes were added to the NPP likewise those from other ”floating voters” as well. One thing we need to also learn is that, automatically, grassroots loyalty is stronger when a party is in opposition, then starts waning down when same party is in power because of rejection by the same elites they suffer to bring to power and this is where the danger is.
As the saying goes; “ a hungry man is an angry man”. A man who feels his hopes have been betrayed becomes a monster that is very difficult to tame and in my analysis, this is exactly what is gradually happening to the grassroots in our dear party the NPP. Wherever I go, every single grassroots person is either complaining or cursing. It has become a common trend and a universal problem.
We are in power, true, but let’s not deceive ourselves into thinking that all is well just because the government is in Accra, undertaking national projects and policies. We still have a party to run and members to make content and happy. We need to call a spade a spade and not a big spoon. Sitting in an AC room and driving a V8 shouldn’t deceive anyone into thinking that all is well.
We must endeavour to change the elitism or “big man things” because, we need the “nobodies” (grassroots) to win an election. In fact, they are more than the elites and we must revert our attention to them. The time to act is now.
Lets therefore leave our comfort zones and give rapt attention to our grassroots because they make or break a political party!
DAVID KANKAM BOADU (former NPP National Chairman aspirant)
