Before you read and try to think a little tribalistic about my write up, have this at the back of your mind, that the people of the Greater Accra – GaDangme Region, are the most accommodating tribes in Ghana and not because of the usual cosmopolitanlity nature of the region, their make up as a people today is a mixture of all tribes, especially in Ada where I personally come from, they are a make up or a mixture of Akans, GaDangmes and Ewes with some few Northerners, this is why I see myself more of a Ghanaian than a tribal person, I am a typical example of a mixture race of both Akan, GaDangme, Ewe and Northern.
Since pre-independence through 1st, 2nd, 3rd and the 25 years of the 4th republic, where corruption has become a kind the monster.
Eight(8) out of the ten (10) regions before the splitting of some of the regions to make the current regions to be sixteen 16 , Nobody from the Greater Accra-GaDangme Region has ever been strategically presented or given the opportunity for the presidential candidature or even the running mate/vice president position within the major political parties in Ghana who had and are still ruling Ghana.
Although the Greater Accra – GaDangme Region has been one of the determining factors of winning elections in Ghana just like the Central Region and few others which are sometimes called the swing regions.
In the 1st Republic Dr. Kwame Nkrumah from Western Region-an Akan was the president without a vice, I think so.
In the 2nd Republic, Dr. K. A. BUSIA and Edward Akuffo Addo–both Akans from Brong Ahafo and Eastern Region, serve as Prime Minister and ceremonial President like President and Vice .
In the 3rd Republic Dr. HIlla Limann of Northern Region and De-Graft Johnson-Akan from Central Region serve president and Vice president respectively.
In the Almighty 25 years of the 4th republic, the following serves as president and vice presidents
1. J. J. Rawlings from Volta Region as President and Ekow Akaah-Akan from Central Region as the vice president.
2. J. J. Rawlings from Volta Region again as the President and Professor Evans Atta Fifi Mills-an Akan from Central Region as the Vice President.
3. J. A. Kuffour an Akan from the Ashanti region served as president and Aliu Mahama from the North as Vice president.
4. Atta Mills from the Central Region serve as president and John Mahama from the North as his vice president.
5. John Mahama from the North serve as the president with the Amissah Authur from an Akan from the central region
6. Nana Akuffo Addo-an Akan from the Eastern Region again as the president and Dr. Mahamadu Bawumia from the north again as the vice president.
I like us to set a balance and fair regional agenda for 2024 and beyond presidential and vice presidential agenda on what can benefit Ghana as a whole.
I remember the pre-independence avoidance Discrimination Act, 1957, stopping or preventing all political parties formed on Tribal, regions etc., line such as the following:- Anlo Youth Organization(AYO). GaDangme-Mambii party,
Federation of Youth Organization (FYO),
Muslim Association Party (MAP),
Northern People’s Party (NPP)
Togoland Congress (TG)
Is it a northerner or a southerner factor or Majority Akans of the then ten (10) regions(Ashanti, Brong Ahafo, Central, Western and Eastern Region factor or minorities of the other ten 10 regions factor( Volta, Greater Accra-GaDangme, the Northern, Upper East and Upper West regions factor?
What difference will it make if NDC and NPP or our new proposed strategic upcoming third force are all led by a minority Greater Accra-GaDangme Region person with a majority Akan or vice versa and probably a speaker of Parliament still from the North.
This the Regional Developmental agenda? I am calling for in the 21st century and beyond
Can we have Ghana Regional Development Agenda? Can we make the agenda negotiable in all the major political parties now no matter the persons affiliation?
Have we not paid our dues in full to the various major political parties we so love and indirectly tag on tribal lines yet a child from the Greater Accra – GaDangme Region has to fight or lobbied more than someone from majority Akan and minority non-Akan regions.
Currently our beloved Nation Ghana is at the Crossroads of political direction, planning and development beyong winner takes all and partisan compromises of create, loot and share, like every four years unthinkable Ex-gratia increaments.
How independent are our three arms of government, Executive, Judiciary and Legislature, many Ghanaians are blaming the ineffectiveness and lack of focused and Nationalistic planning and development agenda, as a result of weakness in the 1992 constitution which seems to give the Executive too much power, especially in the appointment of leadership positions of the supposed non-political and non-partisan institutions like the security services heads etc. In the just ended 2020 elections petitions unlike in the of the 2012 where many Ghanaians thinks that the two scenarios the same others thinks they are different on the bases of you do me, I do you kind of a thing considering the 7-0, the 9—0 in the 2020 to the 5-4 Apex Court ruling or decision, yet still the truth is that the law has its own rules to make and unmake, especially in most decisions of Apex Court.
In recent times the Ghanaian electorates are beginning to think differently about the relationship of our three arms of governments, worried at most recent events between the executive and judiciary or the executive and the legislature but that of the Judiciary and the Legislature is not a bother much.
Again they seem to be blameing the executive and the legislature for not having solutions to the social and economic challenges that are facing the Ghanaian increasing population where everything in the country is not stress up like Hon.Hawa Kumsoon of the fishery said about sudden washed away fishes from the sea then is stress on the human being socially and economically where minors are thinking of human sacrifices for rich quick, many parents seems to loose control of their children, I believe the state must handover responsibilities of children care to parents, the state must treat the parents well not only those parents in politics.
Can we think beyond Northern and Southern political factor to that of regions regions, if it is truth that 50% of Ghana’s population is in the private sector, 20% are in the public sector, 15% are unemployed and the other 15% are students
What have our leaders done to nurture and grow more private sector businesses out of political views, just like is done in most less resourced but developed countries.
Condering the golden triangular theory of society, social, economic and the political arms of the triangle must been seem as equal to balance the society.
Can we as Greater Accra-GaDangmes , sponsor a candidate each in the two major political parties or lobby for the running mates before they win 2024 and beyond power without the help of any Greater Accra – GaDangme person or foreigner ? Can we also become president or Vice President?
I’m sure we all have the answers-must the Greater Accra – GaDangme people always be used for votes whiles they always seat on the national leadership fence unconcerned?
Where are the days when we used to lookout for each other and the Greater Accra – GaDangme Region is respected by all Ghanaians, our love of hospitality can be one of our negotiation powers it is our loyalty and trust worthiness?
Can we think 2024 and beyond with this regional balance concept or agenda to redeem the declining image of our society in view of our social and economic freedom.
Our country is in deficit of almost everything that will give our next generation a future, education, electricity, water, employment, shelter etc. are all in deficit,
Even our National History of equality and diversity based on our cherished African values of social, economic and political independency is in crisises as political history of tribal domination and twist of historica facts.
This remind me of our forgotten heroes who invested in our today leaders and their ancestors, Tetteh Quarshie, Jacob Wilson Sey, Alfred John Kabu Ocansey and Alfred Paa Grant the real social, economic and Nationalists.
Till today, non of our leaders and their descendants have bother to rethink into the past works and contributions of these great but forgotten heroes.
Written by Nene Engr. Dzabaku Ocansey.
