﻿ The rise of political intellectuals in Ghana: The case of the NDC | Opinions 2017-06-21
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Opinions of Wednesday, 21 June 2017

Columnist: Andrews Krow


In dealing with this topic,one must think about the relationship between politicians and intellectuals and whether a politicians credibility depends on his intellectual status.

Marshal Tito was by trade a blacksmith before he served in the Army before becoming President of Yugoslavia, Khrushchev was a miner's son who could not read nor write but went through the adult education system and finally became a leader in the Soviet Union now Russia, Malenkov joined the army at the age of 17 and ended up a leader, Jomo Kenyatta was trained a carpenter at the Scottish mission ,worked as a carpenter and ended up the first leader of Kenya.

Politics as an institution, also involves a number of special requirements that are relevant to it. Some of our politicians meet these requirements others fail to meet these relevant requirements regardless of their intellectual status.

The current global dynamics in terms of politics and economics demands that political parties groom enlightened,thoughtful politicians who are broad minded to critically evaluate things beyond the ordinary.

Ghana is blessed with abundance of intellectuals who operate from the various political parties. We shall discuss that indepth but the focus today is on the NDC because of the perculiar situation it finds itself today and the twist put on what its fact finding committee led by Dr Kwesi Botchway said about the party,and its intellectual base.

If you trace Ghana's political history from the early 80s, one can confidently say that the NDC as and its mother political organization the PNDC, have produced real intellectuals who practically applied their intellectual prowess to our country's socio- political as well as economic evolution than any other political party. The other parties have astute intellectuals but most of them stay off their main political arena.

They sponsor and support them covertly and may only openly join them when they win political power. History of Ghana's modem economic foundation cannot be narrated accurately without the mention of Dr Kwesi Botchway.

It was under his watch that Ghana's economy transited from the its utopian state into what we have today through his structural adjustment concept.

Most of the our local government policies were drafted by Professor Kwamena Ahwoi. His contribution to the National Investigation and Public Tribunals concept was enormous. We can also talk about the constitution of the republic. Others persons who weren't PNDC bias, supported the drafting of the document but the major role played by the intellectuals in the NDC then cannot be downplayed.

If we came to the party's young officers, the party must always walk chest high on the political arena because of its solid intellectual base. It has some past NUGs leaders at its fold including Mr Ablakwa who was also a member of several boards of legon SRC and Commonwealt Hall JCR,operated his,own small business successfully before joining the political game.

Edward Omane Boamah who is a medical doctor with a medical elective in a university in Missouri in the US, was also a NUGs president and was also an executive member of some student association boards and boards in medical school, was the convener of the ecowas students summit and convener of a workshop on students loan trust proposal, a founding member of the CJA.

The Party also has Mr Haruna Iddrisu another brainy young politician who once lead NUGs. An accomplished Lawyer with enviable political record. Elvis Afriyie is another asset,has huge Knowledge with masters degree in International affairs and cetificate in public relations, worked in renowned institutions including Mechanical Lloyd Company etc before joining the political family, The party has Fiifi Kwetey another daredevil.

His academic prowess cannot be challenged,worked as financial analyst etc and stock broker and fund manager at CDH Finance holding limited, the Party has Hannah Bisiw, Joyce Bawa and accomplished Lawyer. Other young and dynamic persons are joining the game from different sectors lawyer Edudzi Tamakloe, Engineer Onasis Kobby etc.

The Party can also boast of intellectual orators such as Sam Dzata George a young politician from Ningo Prampram who has proved his worth with his clever submissions from the first day he emegee on the political arena, Felix KwakyeOfosu, a young politician with huge unlocked potential, extremely intelligent and smart, Oliver Kevor a lecturer with vast knowledge about his field and politics,Silvester Mensah another Wonderful brain with huge potential, James Agyenim Boateng one of the finest politicians in the country .

The party can boast of brainy young persons across the regions Brogya Gyanfi, Spencer Quaye, Chief Biney etc all these personalities are making serious incursions. The party can also boast of some highly rated journalists who have made their mark on the political arena including Kobby Fiagbe one of the highly rated journalists in the country, Mike Dokosi another wonderful journalist who has become a force on the political arena, David Tamakloe a young talented journalist with huge potential, Alhaji Bature Harzet who doesn't hold party card but has distinguished himself as a journalist with exceptional qualities whose support for the NDC cannot be downplayed.

The party can also boast of tough skinned politicians who are intellectually powerful including its current Deputy General Secretary Mr Koku Anyidoho, Aquinas Tawiah Quansah a politician whose personal attributes put him in a special position on the political arena, Stan Dogbe who produced one of the world's renowned journalists ever Komla Dumor and one of the pioneers who made Multimedia what it is today.

I will come out with more of the partys human resource assets in my subsequent writeup. I just want to remind the NDC folks that practically, the party is ahead of all the parties when it comes to production of intellectuals.How to fully utilize their talents is what must concern all the supporters.

The point noteworthy, is the activities of there young persons prior to joining the political game. We know of how Haruna Iddrisu defied all odds to battle the government of his time, how Omane Boamah tormented Osafo Marfo and the Kufour administration over non payment of monies into the Ghana Education Trust Fund and how his become a thorn in the flesh of the Kufour administration, we saw Elvis Afriyie, Koku and others prior to the 2008 election how these young men together with Omane, Felix, Fiifi, Ablakwa, Hannah etc defied all odds and exerted reasonable pressure on the Kufour administration culminating in the 2008 victory,

Apart from these brains, the party can boast of members ( intellectuals) who have distinguished themselves on the global arena including Madam Hanna Tetteh, Ibn Chambas, Madam Betty Mould Iddrisu, Harruetta Brew etc.

The quality of persons who have likely to contest for the Party's presidential candidate slot also confirms my assertion. Professor Alabi an accomplished acadamician, Doc Spio Garbah another powerful brain with enviable global image, Bagbin a man whose contribution to our Parliament's current status cannot be underestimated.

With this powerful intellectual base, if the party organises it structures well it will remain unbeatable for many years. The party must focus on its human resource development agenda to always have such powerful brains to replace the old hands...