MUCH ADO ABOUT NKRUMAIST UNITY

By:  Jos Anyima- Ackah

It gas become a pre-election comic tragedy event so to speak, since it starts well but does not end well. This is a vivid contrast to the adage that says: All is well that ends well.

In other words, it is an issue that has been re-occurring prior to general elections in recent times, whereby leaders of the split political party crave and aspire to unite and contest the elections but eventually fail to accomplish the deal, creating rancour, bitterness and embarrassment among themselves to the disappointment of their followers and fans.

I believe that the implication here is obvious. It relates to the zealous leaders of the factions of the Convention People’s Party (CPP) and their futile attempts to merge into one formidable political force with the view of regaining political power.

For readers to better appreciate this situation, it is necessary to briefly go into the scenarios. With Dr. Kwame Nkrumah in the military Coup, his hard-won CPP was proscribed by the coup makers who made it absolutely illegal for anyone to belong to it. The party was forced to go under ground.

However, on the return of the country to democratic dispensation in 1992 and the resumption of multi-party activities, there was a split in the CPP front. Some of the leaders moved to other political camps either on their own volition or were induced to do so.

On different occasions, others teamed up to form separate factions’ dubbed “Nkrumaist parties” these included the National Independence Party (NIP), National Convention Party (NCP), People’s National Convention (PNC), People’s Heritage Party (PHP), People’s Convention Party (PCP) and Great Consolidated Popular Party (GCPP).

Wittingly, each one of them claimed to be the true Nkrumaist party and therefore called on the others to come and join it. In practice, while heading for a general election, the Nkrumaist parties create a panic situation by engaging in unity talks as it is considered as alarming and threatening to their political opponents. They set up ad-hoc committees for negotiations. A series of meetings are held in addition to consultations with the party caucus.

Then, when all seems to be going on well, suddenly suspicions, mistrusts, dissensions and other negative tendencies set in. Tension mounts. There is disgust, displeasure and disinterest which lead to the collapse of the unity talks. Things fall apart!

 Reason? The leaders approach the talks with selfish ambitions, making irrelevant propositions that seem to be irritating, frustrating and worrying. For example, as it happened in the last negotiations, each of the leaders resorted to machinations in the attempt to lead the merger that would be formed, while there was a fuss over the name, symbol and slogan or motto to be adopted for it. The feuding resulted in a deadlock and breaking up of the unity talks!

Surprisingly, according to press reports, with the 2012 general elections approaching, some of the Nkrumaist parties have started gearing up for another round of unity talks to enable them to contest the elections with a united front!

They are the CPP and PNC, leaving out the GCPP which has been dormant since the death of its leader, Uncle Dan Lartey. Indeed, this party is doomed to extinction by his absence just as the CPP is disintegrating with the demise of its founder, Kwame Nkrumah.

It is interesting to note that the CPP and PNC leaderships have expressed commitment and optimism to the achievement of a united Nkrumaist front. Other patrons, functionaries and supporters are equally hyped up for the big deal.

But, as already indicated, that vim, vigour and vitality had been the spirit of the Nkrumaist parties at the initial stages of the unity talks only to die and down and stop burning in mid-way.

With this disappointing and regrettable experience in mind, most people are convinced that the craze for Nkrumaist unity is one wishful-thinking or wild goose chase. To be more precise, it is a FANTASY that is a waste of time, efforts and resources, since the leaders are not sincere about it. They just wouldn’t comprise their personal political ambitions.

Indeed, it seems preposterous and ridiculous to raise the issue again. After the futile efforts, what needs to be done is that each party should stay and go it alone, keeping to the saying: Each one for himself and God for us all.

On the contrary, other people believe that there is a great necessity and urgency for the Nkrumaist parties to unite so that they can bounce back to political power. Though the going has not been easy and smooth, owing to obvious operational problems, unity could become a reality in the final analysis.

Clearly, it is a task that must be accomplished to perpetuate the memory of Kwame Nkrumah. Remember the saying: Nkrumah never dies. And so should his beloved party, the Convention People’s Party, under whose administration Ghana won independence and was set on the path of socio-economic growth and development to improve the living standard of Ghanaian

So, the much ado about Nkrumaist unity is of public concern and observers are watching whether it will remain a fantasy or become a reality. And when?  

The Ghanaian Times               Page:  8                   Wednesday, June 2, 2010.