PNDC: Government of part timers
If all that the PNDC government has achieved is to take Ghana back to the situation that prevailed before December 31, 1981, then the military intervention has been one of the bloodiest waste of Ghana's time.The Africa Centre celebrated the twentieth anniversary of its existence by among other activities providing a forum for a further discussion of what was titled 'Current trends in Ghana.'
The speakers were Ms Elizabeth Ohene, editor of the weekly West African magazine, 'Talking Drums' and Mr Kofi Adotey-Bing, a research officer of Africa Magazine.
The trend of Ms Öhene's contribution was set within the context of contrasting Ghana's current trends with the situation before Flt-Lt. Rawlings coup of December 31, 1981. Her targets ranged from the judicial system or public tribunals, Defence committees and the economy to the political orientation of the country. She prefaced her analysis with a comparison between the famine that ravaged the country last year and the reported abundance of food this year.
Ms Ohene recalled that last year when the food shortages attracted worldwide attention, the government attributed it to drought, an act of God which the government could do nothing to prevent. This year however, when there have been rains and the food situation has improved, the government of Flt-Lt. Rawlings is claiming credit for it. Ms Ohene objected to his claim of credit and argued that since the bumper harvests have resulted from the rains, which is an act of God, the improved food situation, like the famine of last year should also be attributed to God.
Back on course to discuss the main topic of the evening, Ms Ohene never- theless expressed delight at news of the improved food situation in Ghana. But since this situation was being used as a barometer to judge the performance of the PNDC government she questioned, "how can an improvement in the situation of shortages caused primarily by Flt-Lt. Rawlings' intervention in the political process be credited to the same man?" In her view, if all that the PNDC government has achieved is to take Ghana back to the situation that prevailed before December 31, 1981, then the military intervention has been one of the bloodiest waste of Ghana's time.
But Ms Ohene took pains to explain that her assessment of the current trend of events in Ghana does not mean that there wasn't much to talk about Ghana before the intervention. She recalled her own problems with the government that was overthrown by the PNDC. Referring to specific characteristics of the PNDC administration Ms Ohene recalled the reason for the establish- ment of Peoples' and Workers' Defence Committees as the basis for a true democratic process in the country and contrasted it with recent reports of abuse of power by these same WDCs.
Ms Ohene's point was that experience had proved that dishonesty and abuse of power had nothing to do with being a manager or senior officer nor does the membership of a PDC mean that one is incapable of being dishonest.
Kwesi Botchwey, the Secretary for Finance.
She was also disdainful of the notion that anyone who does not believe in December 31 as the solution to the problems of Ghana is an enemy. She said that those who believe there are alternatives to the PNDC do not love Ghana any less.
On the judicial process, Ms Ohene referred to the disgraceful aberrations at the public tribunals and Fit-Lt. Rawlings apologetic assertion that they were behaving like the old courts. She noted that the controversy over the recent acquittal of Mr Kwame Arhin, former Chairman of the Ashanti region tribunal heightened by its condemnation by Justice D. F. Annan, a member of the PNDC and a former High Court judge proves that the new judicial process also knows how to protect its own. Ms Ohene therefore ridiculed a statement by Mr Kwamena Ahwoi, Coordinator of Investigations in which he requested Mr Arhin to emerge from his hide-out to face an appeal by the state and save him, Ahwoi from possible destruction.
Ms Ohene again condemned the practice of having a government run by 'part-timers,' and noted that Flt-Lt. Rawlings, himself is still an air force officer, the PNDC coordinating secretary P. V. Obeng is an employee of Mankoadze Fisheries and many other government functionaries are still University lecturers. Contending that there was no need for anyone to be apologetic about being in government, she called on PNDC members and secretaries to declare their full time commitment so that they could be held accountable.
The role of the newly constituted National Commission for Democracy to collate, evaluate and synthesise views on a new political structure for Ghana lent itself for review by Ms Ohene. She said, "one thought the PNDC itself knew what it is about. On the day of the coup Flt-Lt. Rawlings left no one in doubt about what he was about. If we are going to collate views, then..."
She was of the opinion that if the constitution of the land was being abused then since we now have a government prepared to do the right thing they should simply implement the constitution and ensure that it works. She was also disdainful of the notion that anyone who does not believe in December 31 as the solution to the problems of Ghana is an enemy. She said that those who believe there are alternatives to the PNDC do not love Ghana any less.
In conclusion she said that the current trends in Ghana show that there has not been a change and all that we have is a group of people who were simply determined to seize and cling to power.
Mr Kofi Adotey-Bing, the second speaker expressed contrary views to Ms Ohene's and which were in support of the government's policies. He said the concept and justification of the PDCs in theory and practice were that the majority would share in the process of decision making.
"If decisions do respond to the aspirations of the majority then we would have had the right thing. That's the concept of democracy," he said.
Mr Adotey-Bing disagreed with the argument that the improved food situation should also be classified as an act of God. He argued that if food production depended only on rainfall then the Amazon would have been the best food producing region in the world. In his view, incentives and other PNDC efforts account for the abundance of food in Ghana today.
He also rejected the argument that the tribunals do protect their own. On the contrary he said the fact that PDC members could be arraigned before the tribunals, including a relation of Ftl- Lt. Rawlings who was later executed, indicated the determination of the regime to discipline its own.
The PDCs, Mr Adotey-Bing pointed out had been mobilised to transform and raise the export sector of the country's economy which before Flt- Lt. Rawlings' intervention was prone to external forces. He painted a picture of life in Ghana's rural areas having improved as a result of the activities of PDC members who have been mobilising the rural population to undertake communal projects such as building of clinics, feeder roads etc.
Mr Adotey-Bing also noted a drastic fall in the activities of smugglers across Ghana's borders and attributed this healthy development to the vigilance of Defence Committee members in the village along the borders.
In conclusion Mr Adotey-Bing implored his audience not to equate current trends in Ghana with barbarism but should welcome the process as having released a lot of idle energies into positive activities. He invited them to commend the PNDC for having the guts to discipline its errant members.
Noting the speakers' differences of opinion, the chairman for the occasion who is also the Director of Africa Centre remarked, "despite the gap between the speakers there is no doubt that both are anxious to see a prosperous Ghana."
