DYING TO BECOME A POLITICIAN - WORTH OR MESS

A few days ago, my mum asked what I would want to do with a Political Science major after my graduation next year. As if I had rehearsed the answer, I told her I would probably want to fight my way into Law School and become a lawyer. Apart from the pride- infested pleasure about her first son hoping to join the learned profession, I realized that the old lady heaved a sigh of relief. I'm sure she thanked whatever she believes in that I had given up on the whole dream of wanting to become a politician. Then I realized that, each time I had mentioned that dream to the family, it had either embraced mixed feelings or hopes that “my brains would start working someday”. In fact, the only relative who encourages me is a distant cousin of mine; but take it as a mischievous joke, his response would usually be: “Masa! Hurry up and come and give me contracts so we go share the money”. So in the midst of these whole aged talk of politicians and how corrupt they are, It only gives one reasons to wonder; “Is it what really a section of Ghanaians desire whenever their relative decide to enter into politics” ? “What do people even think when they decide to become politicians”? “What is it about politics that several supposedly decent people express their indifferences about”? “Why would people even perceive politicians as nation wreckers”? “Why would people actually think that politics always sets nations apart and ruin healthy relationships between blood brothers or close friends”? For me, these are very confrontational questions which beg for answers every day in the minds of nation lovers and several forward thinking Ghanaians.

Ordinarily, I won't pretend to have answers to those mind-boggling questions, however, let me set the tone for a kind of analyses that bothers on our political culture vis-à-vis the conduct of politicians particularly in Ghana. Quite recently, I've had to respond to an argument of whether born again Christians should enter into politics. As if politics is anti-Christ, several politicians in Ghana have fast gained notoriety for their involvement in fetishism, blatant lies, insults, curses, tribalism, reckless abuse of office, disrespect for the elderly, intellectual dishonesty, selfishness and unpatriotic tendencies. I dare say that the ordinary serial caller, the aggressive foot soldier, the loyal party journalist, the party communicator, the deputy minister and his boss, the opposition leader and his party, present and past senior state official, the president, his Vice and their friends and family have all in one way or the other, contributed to this new syllabus of politics in Ghana; even the so called student politician is not spared, perhaps I fall victim. What a country? The only fortunate thing is that we still haven't lost the essence of politics because several Ghanaians reckon that this country needs the politician as much as a woman needs her husband. “I'm sure the female gender activists would fight me on this choice of simile” but the truth is, every morning, 24million Ghanaians and over wake up hoping that they would meet an improvement in their hardworking lives as well as an optimum level of welfare in their education, security, transportation and health system with better food security and income to meet their needs. I'm sure it's the reason every 7th December; we go to the polls to elect our politicians. What happens next is what I'm about to tell you.

The morning after the president has been sworn in, a section of his political party starts planning over which positions they would be given after sacrificing in the December elections, they start making calls to influential party officials, preparing their C.Vs and telling their family members to prepare for a jolly good time. By then, the opposition party must have organized about 7 press conferences on how indecent the president dressed to the swearing in ceremony and how he fumbled and embarrassed Ghana. The weeks after, you would hear party communicators issuing threats about how former government officials would be jailed for raping the country of its resources. Lo and behold another press conference comes in warning the government to fix the problems of the country and stop nagging. Eventually when the new government supposedly starts fixing things, the opposition party either criticizes the government for being slow or stealing their policies and programs. Does it make sense to you? Week after week, you hear very nauseating things on radio; either government officials justifying their actions and inactions or opposition members casting silly aspersions on the president. Here, both the political neophyte and the most experienced opposition politician would have some unkind message to the government and its allies or vice versa. Sometimes even their families are not spared. Before you say jack there's another election and the result is that no matter how hard the government of the day had worked, our institutions are half developed, our problems are half solved or worsened, government promises are half fulfilled, there is even more blame game, radio arguments and exchange of insults. All the three arms of government would boast of paper work without practical results. Worse of all, somebody would be accused of stealing so much money belonging to the state. This is the real politics I've grown to meet in this country, where the government in power would have to do everything possible to maintain the sweet power in spite of the detractions or the leader of the opposition when frustrated would have to intentionally infuse some tribal emotions or literally call for violence when they have no idea of what violence is. Funny enough, every party has a media outlet or journalists to propagate their messages coupled with unnecessary argumentation, unproductive confrontations, unpatriotic selfish disagreement and much long talk without any action. Simply put, there is a pitiful lack of progressive consensus in our body politic whilst the politician sits comfortably in the centre.

I'm not done boring you if I don't talk about the zero-sum nature of our politics because it's saddening to say the least, that a onetime beautiful nation-state with diversified cultural heritage and espirt d'ecore has been sub - categorized under an atavism of political parties and their syncretism of ideologies. Instead of a healthy collaboration to allocate the public goods authoritatively, we are witnessing an acrimonious competition where bare truths are clad with party colours and national interest sacrificed on the altar of party fortunes in the next election. This has pervaded so deeply into our national fabric that even the young is not spared. Whilst the West and East have an agenda for this country, it is shameful that we can't agree on a national agenda. Continuity has been replaced with weakness so long as governance in this country is concerned. This has left all our national institutions in a sorry state and everyday what the politician cares about is making flimsy excuses, playing blame games or telling gargantuan lies with impunity. Why would people then see politics as a healthy venture to encourage their wards to ply? I'm quite knowledgeable about the various perspectives of politics and I'm not sure of how clean I would be at the taste power but I think it's about time we ceased impregnating ourselves with the thought that clean politics through which we can develop our country to our taste and embark on huge policy initiatives to change our fortunes is utopian. For me, it's about attitude and will; most importantly, that of our politicians. Several young people and I would want to witness a renaissance in which there is positive attitude towards development that is focused on a national agenda, where politicians would stay away from outright lies and serve their people genuinely, where politicians would not take monies that do not belong to them, where there is an unbridled proclivity to satisfy national interest foremost. Indeed, where the Ghanaian politician would not call for violence but activate our national struggle through peaceful co-existence, continuity and consensus building irrespective of the party in power. I envisage a country where Ghanaians would work hard in the plenty of opportunities and wake up every morning knowing that they can trust their politicians and comply with them in realizing our national hopes and dreams. That is true service to nation and true politics – The politicians we should all become.