August 21,
2015
Sometimes, I am forced to respond to articles
that I have read, using the same arguments as
before. Even though some of these issues are so
easy to understand, accept or refuse and be done
with them. However, some issues that are raised
by some of these writers have become so
repetitive that you might be fooled to think
they are reasonable, in spite of their patent
falsehood.
After President Obama's visits to Kenya and
Addis Ababa this year, to address the AU on the
detrimental nature of presidential longevity in
governance, one particular article appeared
pointing to the notion that Kwame Nkrumah was
the first to set this idea in motion.
As indicated, this false assertion has been in
circulation ever since and leading to Nkrumah's
removal from office in 1966.
Well, ever heard of Emperor Haile Sellasie?
But before we get to the thematic value of
titles, an emperor for life or a president who
wanted to rule for life, let's first get the
facts about Kwame Nkrumah's term in office
straight.
Nkrumah came to political prominence as leader
of government business in 1952, then became the
Prime Minister in 1957 after independence.
From 1957 to 1960, he served under a colonial
governor. And had it not been for the fact that
we voted to become a republic, the governor
would have been the substantive head, a symbol
of colonial rule and the monarchy in Britain
would have been our head of state for life.
The above was our structure of government prior
to 1960 when we became a republic. We are yet to
hear anyone curse the British monarchy for
wanting to rule us for life.
Ghana becoming a republic brought a finality,
politically, to any semblance of colonial rule.
So did the coup of February 1966 to Nkrumah's
rule, even if his ambition was to be the
president for life.
Since February 1966, we the people of Ghana have
been in charge of our own destiny. And for a
large part of the time, we floundered from coups
to coups. Longevity of presidential term in
office (with the exception of Rawlings) was not
the problem we faced.
A historian, writing about this period would
have said that we failed ourselves miserably
after 1966, showing nothing spectacular about
governance; the only exception being the Kufuor
years.
Evidences of our failure in self rule are
available. No need to bore you with details, but
there is our dumsor, the perennial floods,
strikes by professional bodies and students and
the constant plummeting of the cedi.
In spite of obvious failures on our part, as
soon as President Obama showed up at the AU and
talked against the policy of presidential
longevity tendencies, we start crowing, "It was
Nkrumah's fault, not ours. He was the architect
of the idea."
I could hear a sound from the past shouting at
us, "grow up"!
Nkrumah never had a chance to live out his
dream, even if presidential longevity was his
whole ambition. We, the people of Ghana, took
care of that by openly welcoming a series of
hero soldiers who in some other climes or
history would have been declared traitors.
Presidential longevity is not the problem for us
in Ghana. It is for some in other parts of
Africa. We have so far managed to observe our
constitutional demand for a two term presidency.
The problem now is our electoral system which is
being abused by power seekers.
As much as we should welcome Obama's warning
about presidential longevity, some of us had
wished that his address should have included an
apology or clarification on why Nkrumah was
removed from power in 1966 since we are
misidentifying Nkrumah's rule with the
presidential longevity problem in Africa today.
Was Nkrumah removed because of his wish for
presidential longevity? We ask to put the
assertion and the event in proper context: At
the time Nkrumah was removed, Emperor Haile
Selassie of Ethiopia (1930 - 1974) was still in
power, enjoying a healthy diplomatic
relationship with the United States of America.
Or, perhaps, we should parse what Obama said at
the AU, about himself and presidential
longevity?
He said he had no doubt that he could win a
third presidential term if the American
constitution allowed it. And you had to wonder
if the thought of a third presidential term
would have occurred to him were it not for the
bit of the African him!
But the applause for Obama's constitutional wrap
went up all over Africa and within the hearing
of those of us even in the Diaspora.
We have constitutions in Africa. Obviously, they
can be amended and many have already been
amended since inception.
Pierre Nkurunziza of Burundi just had a third
presidential term renewed, against the dictates
of the country's constitution and in spite of
Obama's speech to the AU.
AU members did not attend Nkurunziza 's
inauguration for obvious reasons, but,
certainly, not because they detested
presidential longevity and Nkurunziza's brazen
act.
Rather, they have declared a silent victory for
their future prospects and designs for their own
presidencies.
The inauguration for Nkurunziza that was set for
a specific date in the future, was abruptly and
conveniently held a week earlier than the
officially scheduled date!
The BBC commented, "... by being sworn in a week
ahead of schedule, the president sidestepped the
opposition, headed off predicted protests and
gave any heads of state who didn't want to come,
a good excuse for not turning up."
Quite a transparent ruse and this can only come
from Africa. No wonder we have not been able to
move the continent forward. When others are
looking for philosopher kings, the rule of thumb
for us has often been to select non-performers.
The reason why presidential longevity is
possible in Africa is because there is a lot of
political cowardice, opportunism and the view by
many politicians that the government is a cash
cow, through which you can gain the rewards that
your own ability, up to the time of your
appointment to state office, has failed to
deliver for you.
Why the AU is sympathetic to the concept of
presidential longevity is not a mystery and it
is not because they had Nkrumah in mind. The AU
is located in Addis Ababa where Emperor Haile
Selassie had his over 40 years reign!
E. Ablorh-Odjidja, Publisher www.ghanadot.com,
Washington, DC, August 21, 2015.
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