Confidence in democracy dwindles in Ghana

Prof. Ken Attafuah Despite Ghana’s improvement in human rights, rule of law and democratic accountability, a recent Afro Barometer poll indicates that Ghanaians are gradually losing confidence in democracy. A criminologist, Prof. Ken Attafuah, who made the revelation at a two-day seminar on e-voting spearheaded by the Danquah Institute in Accra on Monday, said this might be as a result of politically motivated violence that continues to mar the beauty of Ghana’s electoral processes. “The recent Afro Barometer poll showed that whilst Ghanaians may favour democracy over all other forms of government, with 78% of Ghanaians stating that they prefer democracy to any other form of government, Ghanaians are less impressed with the tangible results it has delivered and their patience with democracy – that is those who think we should still give democracy a chance - has dropped from 80% in 2005 to 62% in 2009.” In spite of that, Prof. Attefuah noted, Ghana’s ability to organize five successful elections and transfer power on two occasions has been celebrated all over Africa as a real beacon of hope, peace and democracy and political and economic stability. Touching on the country’s road to democracy, he recalled that Ghana’s history has recorded “four major coup d’états, a horrible record of egregious human rights violations, large scale corruption and unwanted destruction of the economy that generated the debilitating levels of poverty and an exodus of biblical proportion”. Prof. Attafuah who chaired day one of the two-day seminar, skewed his support towards the need to have e-voting system in Ghana since the current system has suffered a number of setbacks, including “contestations over the qualifications of registered voters, particularly the Ghanaianess and age of some voters arguments over the integrity of our electoral register and over the credibility of electoral outcomes continue to bedevil our elections”. He believed the biometric system would ensure that only registered persons with matching thumbprint would be able to vote during elections, and reduce election-related problems. The well attended programme had participants from various sectors of the society, including politicians from the various political parties in Ghana. Story by Isaac Essel/myjoyonline.com

Ghanaian political leaders want to eliminate illiteracy?

Fred wrote:

Egya Kojo Sam:

It was Mao Tung, the Chinese leader, who once said, "I don't know economics but If I see a good economy I can tell you." Do African presidents orpolitical leaders want progress? I don't think so! Their attitudes and actions show that they don't. When I look at them I see people who are content with the status-quo. They don't want any progressive transformations of our society, they just want things to remain the way they are. Think about these: Do Ghanaian political leaders want to eliminate illiteracy, unemployment/underemployment and unproductive civil workers? Do they want to build infrastructures of roads, bridges, underground sewage system, school buildings, pipe-borne water, clinics, etc? I don't think so! If they really want these things for their people, I want to see a different attitude and action from them.

Kojo, I am aware of the group of Ghanaian university alumni who meet in the state. Yes, they stated that they wanted lecturers but the leader of the group, Kwame Adakwa, was very emphatic on the need for parking lots for Teck!... Parking lots for the university because some students drive their cars to school. How many students have cars? Are those pressing priority! When some people suggested that students who wanted a parking lot should be prepared to pay for it, he stated that they wanted it free. Then how do you recoup the cost of the investment in parking lot?Sometimes I feel like giving up on Ghana, because I think we have a bunch of visionless and unthinking people in positions of leadership. I don't want to say more on that issue because it drives me crazy.

Kojo, Ghanaians are all over the place. While many Ghanaians are doing odd jobs in oversea others are lucratively employed. Look, we have Ghanaians in every profession. But, you know what? I am not prepared to go back home and help in any thing. The fact is that I would be arguing and disagreeing with them all the time. So what is the point? I would be critical of their do-nothing attitude, fa ma oyame attitude, obroni-superior attitude, foreign input attitude, you name it. I will end here.Have a nice day. Fred

Obama to the thieves and tyrants in Africa: Adopt Democracy and Good Governance

And today, I will focus on four areas that are critical to the future of Africa and the entire developing world: democracy; opportunity; health; and the peaceful resolution of conflict.

First, we must support strong and sustainable democratic governments.

As I said in Cairo, each nation gives life to democracy in its own way, and in line with its own traditions. But history offers a clear verdict: governments that respect the will of their own people are more prosperous, more stable and more successful than governments that do not.

This is about more than holding elections - it's also about what happens between them.Repression takes many forms, and too many nations are plagued by problems that condemn their people to poverty. No country is going to create wealth if its leaders exploit the economy to enrich themselves, or police can be bought off by drug traffickers. No business wants to invest in a place where the government skims 20 percent off the top, or the head of the port authority is corrupt. No person wants to live in a society where the rule of law gives way to the rule of brutality and bribery. That is not democracy, that is tyranny, and now is the time for it to end.

In the 21st century, capable, reliable and transparent institutions are the key to success - strong parliaments and honest police forces; independent judges and journalists; a vibrant private sector and civil society. Those are the things that give life to democracy, because that is what matters in peoples' lives.

Time and again, Ghanaians have chosen Constitutional rule over autocracy, and shown a democratic spirit that allows the energy of your people to break through. We see that in leaders who accept defeat graciously, and victors who resist calls to wield power against the opposition. We see that spirit in courageous journalists like Anas Aremeyaw Anas, who risked his life to report the truth. We see it in police like Patience Quaye, who helped prosecute the first human trafficker in Ghana. We see it in the young people who are speaking up against patronage and participating in the political process.

Across Africa, we have seen countless examples of people taking control of their destiny and making change from the bottom up. We saw it in Kenya, where civil society and business came together to help stop postelection violence. We saw it in South Africa, where over three quarters of the country voted in the recent election - the fourth since the end of apartheid. We saw it in Zimbabwe, where the Election Support Network braved brutal repression to stand up for the principle that a person's vote is their sacred right.

Make no mistake: history is on the side of these brave Africans and not with those who use coups or change Constitutions to stay in power. Africa doesn't need strongmen, it needs strong institutions.

America will not seek to impose any system of government on any other nation - the essential truth of democracy is that each nation determines its own destiny. What we will do is increase assistance for responsible individuals and institutions, with a focus on supporting good governance - on parliaments, which check abuses of power and ensure that opposition voices are heard; on the rule of law, which ensures the equal administration of justice; on civic participation, so that young people get involved; and on concrete solutions to corruption like forensic accounting, automating services, strengthening hot lines and protecting whistle-blowers to advance transparency and accountability.

As we provide this support, I have directed my administration to give greater attention to corruption in our human rights report. People everywhere should have the right to start a business or get an education without paying a bribe. We have a responsibility to support those who act responsibly and to isolate those who don't, and that is exactly what America will do.

Electoral Commission and Afari Gyan deserve Nobel Peace Prize

There are few institutions in Ghana and in Africa that can hold its head high when it comes to discharging dispassionately its constitutionally mandated duties and many are under performing or have no accomplishments due to corruption, partiality, and inability to stand the pressure from politicians. However, Ghana’s Electoral Commission has been just one of the few to have defied all those negativities. The Commission stands tall among all the civic institutions in Ghana and Africa tasked with preserving democracy, political pluralism and constitutional rule. It is one of the few institutions in the continent that has not given in to political pressure, threats and intimidations which have brought violence and destruction to so many countries in the continent.

The peace and tranquillity enjoyed by Ghanaians today and envied by so many countries in Africa would not have materialised had it not been the good work of the Electoral Commission and its Chairman Dr. Kwadwo Afari Gyan. For 18 years beginning in 1992, the Electoral Commission has helped to organise five consecutive free and fair elections a record that can only be matched by very few electoral bodies in the continent.

Through the gallant performance of the EC, Ghana has come to be seen as the little white dot on a big black map. The country has been hailed as the beacon of hope for Africa and described as the burning spear and guiding light of the Continent. Ghana has become an icon and a brand name in Africa and the democratic world. She has become the most spoken name in the world of democracy and all lovers of democracy, freedoms and rights in the world now draw inspiration from her achievements and many nations want to be associated with her. Ghanaians and their leaders are held in high esteem across the world.  But all these accolades would not have become possible without the tireless and crucial role of the Commission. Through its crucial role the Commission has helped to build and shape the image of the country as a democratic, peaceful and tolerant nation.

Electoral Commission and its leadership have faced two great challenges (tests) in the past 18 years but have managed to sail through with distinction.

The first test came in the 2000 elections when the poll became fierce and competitive between the then ruling National Democratic Congress candidate Prof Evans Atta Mills and the opposition New Patriotic Party candidate John Agyekum Kuffour, forcing the elections into a run off. The nature of the contest had the potential to turn the elections into violence and instability similar to those in Zimbabwe, Kenya, Somalia and elsewhere. But not shivering and not bowing to political pressure, the head of the Commission decided to let people’s choice and the interest of the nation stand above party interests and declared the opposition candidate winner, which was the first to happen in the whole of West Africa if not the whole of Africa. The timely intervention and the umpire role played by the Commission helped to avert the potential bloodbath between supporters of the two political parties.

The second test came in 2008 when the contest between the ruling party candidate Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo-Addo and the opposition National Democratic Congress candidate Prof John Atta Mills became so fierce that the onus came to lie on the commission. Then again the Electoral Commission stood firm and decided to allow the aspirations of the people to have priority over those of incumbency and political parties. The Commission therefore declared the opposition candidate winner of the elections after a fierce contested run-off.

The decision of the Commission to stand firm and not collapse under the weight of political pressure, threats and intimidation by political parties has enabled peace to prevail in the country. It has helped to brighten the image of Ghana as a peace-loving country and a country that has opted for a genuine democracy instead of despotism, scant elections and fruitless power-sharing deals which have become entrenched in many parts of the continent. Through its role Ghana has become an Island in an ocean full of political and elections violence, bloodbath and instability. The impartial role the Commission has played since 1992 has helped to reinforce Ghana’s reputation as haven for peace, justice, development and save investment.

The Commission is the single authority that has helped to preserve the Constitution of the Fourth Republic, nurture democracy and has helped to rekindle the bright star that Ghana came to symbolise when she became the first country south of the Sahara to gain independence and in the process lifted the hope and aspirations of millions of coloured people and Black Africans in particular throughout the world.

The Electoral Commission has come to symbolise fair play, transparency, accountability, honesty, justice, independence, integrity, selflessness, openness, objectivity and strong leadership and is idolised by many institutions in Ghana, Africa and the World.

Such courageous display of showmanship should not therefore go unnoticed. Since the Nobel Peace Award is for those who have contributed to world peace and tranquillity, there is no doubt Electoral Commission has all the credential and qualification that entitle it for such an award. The Commission therefore deserve to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for the way it has helped to nurture Ghana’s democracy, maintain peace and tranquillity in the country and has helped to avoid the blood bath that has become so common in Africa during and after elections. The achievement of the Commission has made a role model for the rest of the electoral institutions and civic organisations in Africa and recognition by the Nobel Peace Committee will prompt other electoral bodies in the continent to work to ensure that elections are conducted in a transparent manner free from political interference and incumbency manipulation.

The choice of Ghana as the only country south of the Sahara to be visited by President Obama would not have materialised had it not been the tireless effort, exemplary leadership, and the independent role played by the electoral commission. I therefore want to use this piece to urge the Nobel Peace Committee to consider Ghana’s Electoral Commission and its head Dr. Kwadwo Afari Gyan as candidates in the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize for without them Ghana would have joined her neighbours and the rest of the continent in the usual bloodbath, violence, political instability, death and infrastructure destruction and economic collapse.

I also want to urge the government of Ghana to bestow the highest civilian honour of the state on Dr. Kwadwo Afari Gyan and his Commission for the peace they have helped Ghana to build and enjoy. A statute should be erected Dr. Gyan’s honour and a street named after him for excelling in his role as the head of the Commission.

I also want to encourage the leadership of other institutions such as Commission on Human Rights Administrative Justice, National Commission for Civic Education, Customs, Police Service, the Armed Forces, Judiciary, Parliament and the Executive to emulate the Electoral Commission and the its leadership for making it possible for Ghana to enjoy 18 years of unadulterated constitutional rule and peace. As the world congratulates Ghana for holding free and fair elections we must not forget those who made it possible.

By Lord Aikins Adusei

The author is a Political Activist and Anti-Corruption Campaigner.

Ghanaians must unite behind President Mills

Now that the elections are over and the president has finished enjoying his honey moon, the people of Ghana must unite behind him and his ministers as they try to move the nation forward. Democracy is not just about multi party elections but include the whole process of development and nation building. Citizens must therefore get involved in the building of the nation as they did during elections.

Since 1966 Ghana has been marking time while other countries are moving forward. We have been left behind in everything that matters to mankind. Our education, our health system, our environment, roads, electricity, water, agriculture, infrastructures, and above all our economy are all behind. We still wash our clothes with our hands and farm with cutlasses and hoes. Our houses and communities are without water, toilet facilities, electricity, shopping centres, children playgrounds and libraries. Our streets are unpaved and many of the houses in the rural areas are still built with mud and roofed with raffia leaves. This does not have to be so but because politics of lies and lack of strong, competence, dedicated and visionary leadership we have been forced to go begging as a nation. But the people also share part of the blame for tolerating their lies and not putting them on their toes to deliver on their promises. Our peers in Asia have moved forward socially and economically while we are still fighting over petty things.

There is time for everything. There will be time for politics in 2012 but now it is time for nation building and development. Therefore it is time for the government and the people of Ghana to stand up and be counted as human species. It is time for action and solutions to solve the numerous problems facing the nation. It is time to end the politicisation of every national issue in the country. Therefore every issue in the country must viewed away from party politics or be based on bi-partisanship. It is time to develop the nation and build the infrastructures.  And it is time for government to formulate sound economic policies to generate jobs, built the nation's infrastructure and resurrect the defunct factories so that jobs could be created for the millions of Ghanaians who remain unemployed and destitute. 

There are a number of things Government must do to make Ghana the new Africa Tiger. First of all the President and his team must have vision as to how they want to see Ghana after four years and those visions must be integrated into national policies and programmes. We all know Dr. Nkrumah’s vision led him to build Akosombo dam, two universities, Tema city and the harbour, nursing and teachers training colleges, numerous secondary schools and a number of factories most of whom have been sold or let to rot. All these were achieved during his nine years as president.

To revive the economy and create jobs for the youth, government must set aside a certain percentage of Ghana's Gross Domestic Product to build the infrastructures including roads, power plants, rail lines, hospitals, schools and housing. This will not only create jobs but will also provide the enabling environment for investors to invest in the country which will lead to further expansion of the economy. Government must work with the private sector to establish processing factories to take care of the waste that occur in the Agricultural sector.

Government must also take the opportunity to fight corruption which is slowly destroying the nation. Therefore, the president must ensure that anti corruption watchdog institutions are made independent, strengthened and adequately resourced so they can do their jobs properly. 

The years of aid dependency and loans and its associated odious debts must end. No nation has ever developed on hand outs and left over from other nations. Government must therefore come up with ingenious ways to mobilise internal and external funds for use in nation building. Government must market the nation abroad through bonds and stocks selling. Government must work vigorously and aggressively to sell the nation to those with private capital. What Ghana needs are investment, trade and not aid which cripples us and make us beggars in eyes of aid donors. Government must seek genuine partners in development not multinational corporations whose intentions are to rip the nation off.

All these require President Mills to show strong and dedicated leadership and commitment to diversify and build the nation beyond just exporting cocoa, gold and importing used stuff from abroad. Ghanaians deserve better than that. The broken promises and pledges by previous administrations have not done the nation any good. 

As the President and his ministers begin to travel abroad they should look at how the nations they visit have developed and how their citizens are enjoying better education, health, and high living standards and try to think about how they can help Ghanaians to do the same. Every travel by the president, his vice or any of his ministers must be a lesson and followed by action. The days of unfulfilled pledges, promises must be a thing of the past. While supporting the president and his ministers to meet their challenges facing the nation, the people must male sure the deliver on his campaign promises, pledges and targets he set for himself. 

Whatever Ghana receives as GDP must be used judiciously to develop all the sectors of the economy and must not be siphoned away by corrupt entities who only reason for asking for ministerial and district chief executive positions is to enrich themselves at the expense of millions of poor Ghanaians.

As president you ill be remembered for what you do and achieve for Ghana. Some of your ministers may be given credit for what they do but you will receive the blames or praises for whatever happens in your government. That is the more reason why you must be firm on your ministers and ensure that they are implementing your agenda and that the vision that you have is being pursued to the letter.

What is important is for your government to build on what the former government left off so that by the time your term end the nation will be more peaceful, more united and more developed than ever before.

Ghanaians must rise above party politics and contribute whatever they can to make the nation a better place today so that future generations will not experience economic hardship the way we are today. Please let us end the petty bickering and partisan politics and device more ingenious ways to build our nation so that by the time 2012 comes Ghanaians can proudly say we are no more the same four years ago. Every citizen must play his or her role in our quest to develop, however much depend on the president and his ministers as well as the leadership of the opposition parties and the entire population of Ghana.

The president must take steps to diffuse the tribal and ethnic tension in the country by bringing the tribal and ethnic leaders in the country together. Such tensions are unnecessary detraction and do not serve the country any good. All political and traditional leaders must work towards peace in the country. We must remember that instability anywhere in the country is a threat to stability everywhere. We cannot develop as a nation without political stability. Therefore our brothers and sisters in the north must work towards peace and eschew violence and anything that might undermine the development of the country. We must all recognise that there are more things that unite us as a nation than those that divide us and we must work to improve on those than unite us.

Ministers must not look at what they will get as ministers but what responsibilities have been placed on them to make Ghana the new Africa Economic Tiger. It should not be a harvest time for them but a call to duty. Projects costs should not be inflated because such activities deny the people the needed facilities to survive. Every penny of the state must be used to develop the nation for all to enjoy.

Ministers must not sit in their offices and expect the nation to develop. They get out and hit the ground to ensure that we are moving forward. They should be selfless, honest and be prepared to account for all the monies that go through their offices. We see children selling everywhere in the streets of Accra, Kumasi and many of our regional capitals. This is what the ministers are there for. These children are the future leaders of the nation. They should not suffer the way they are suffering now. Therefore the ministers and their lieutenants have a responsibility to make sure these unfortunate children will not endure the hardship they are today. 

The ministers must think about Ghana when they receive money from the Ministry of Finance to finance development projects. They must think about the electorate who elected them. They must think about the towns and villages without roads, running water, electricity, fertilisers, farming equipments, toilet facilities. Think about children going to school on empty stomach and parents without any economic opportunities. If they think about all these and begin to realise that the people need all that to survive then they should think about how they can help the people to build those facilities and infrastructures.

Ghanaians must not look to president and his government for everything. Traditional rulers must do more to use the resources they have to develop their communities instead of asking government for everything. It does not make sense as traditional leader when your people live in poverty while you claim to be a king, paramount chief. The traditional rulers in Ghana have been very passive when it comes to fighting poverty and that attitude must stop. As traditional leaders they should not defer their responsibilities to the government.

Whatever you do today as a minister, president, vice president and members of parliament will have its effects on the nation now and in future. Ghana must move forward. The Asia Tigers have made it. The gulf region made up of United Arab Emirate, Bahrain, Qatar and Saudi Arabia are making it.

 My only hope is that the future generation will not live to suffer the same chronic poverty, homelessness, unemployment, humiliation that has characterised the lives of Ghanaians in the last 40 years of our independence. Let us unite as one people with a common destiny and support the president and his ministers as they try to put the nation on the development map of the world.

I am a proud Ghanaian, are you?

 By Lord Aikins Adusei

The author is a Political Activist and Anti-Corruption Campaigner.

He blogs at www.ghanapundit.blogspot.com

How deep is Ghana's Democracy?

In 1992 Ghanaians went to the pools to choose a new present and parliament after 11 years of a PNDC dictatorship.

In 1996 Ghanaians went to the polls again to choose a new president and a new parliament and the process was repeated in 2000 in which the opposition NPP won the election. After the successful 2004 and 2008 elections is it obvious that Ghana is charting a path of democracy. 

But the 2008 elections revealed a deep seated animosities within the NPP and NDC. 

Giving the tension that we saw in 2008 elections and its potential to derail the the constitutional governance that we enjoy, is Ghana's democracy just on the surface? In other words how deep is Ghana's democracy? Can anything be done to prevent the tension we saw in the 2008 elections? 

Why did the NPP lose after 8 years?

The New Patriotic Party won the 2000 presidential and parliamentary elections amid wild jubilations. It was even said in some quarters that National Democratic Congress would not be able to come back to power again. But after just 8 years the NPP narrowly lost to NDC. What went wrong for NPP and what propelled the NDC to win after massively loosing to the NPP in 2000? 

Fulfilling Africa’s Economic Dreams

Part I: Africa Must Achieve Political Stability First Before Economic Development

The greatest threat to the economic development of Africa is political instability. Political stability is the foundation of economic development; it is the magic bullet and the magnet that holds all other activities in a country together; and provides the avenue for investment, job creation and raise the necessary revenue needed to fight poverty and diseases. Economic development thrives well in atmosphere of peace and tranquillity.

Since independence many of the countries in Africa have known only wars, coups, dictatorships and violence. This cycle of political instabilities has established the continent as a no go area for investors. Africa scores badly among investors as a place where the risk of investment is high and where businesses are done contrary to norm. Such concerns are largely informed by the anarchy in Somalia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Sudan, Northern Uganda, Guinea, Mauritania and the dictatorships in Gabon, Libya, Equatorial Guinea, Zimbabwe and many other places.

It is also informed by the violence in Kenya, Zimbabwe, Nigeria and the tensions in Ivory Coast. Such instabilities, wars and election violence seen in Africa are the major reasons why investors shy away from the continent; capital flight is high and the confidence of those with investment in the continent continue to wane. At the moment about $150b leave the continent annually due in part to the political stalemate in Sudan, Chad, DRC, Niger Delta, Northern Uganda, and the Great Lake Region.

The chaos, confusion and violence that always characterise elections create an atmosphere that only work to isolate the continent as attractive destination for investment and are the reasons why the continent is seen as the most expensive place in the world to do business. All these instabilities do not help the image of the continent and is a factor why endemic poverty is rampant.

Therefore to ensure investor confidence, promote and sustain economic development and growth, there should be a complete political stability in the whole of the continent. Without political stability it is impossible to achieve any economic development and fight poverty. It is a fact that you cannot rebuild your house while it is still in flames and so African countries must ensure they get stability first before talking about economic development. How do you construct roads in war zones or build a factory in militarised territories? Political stability is the homework African countries must do in order to achieve economic development. Establishing political stability through democratic processes is the magic bullet needed to defeat poverty.

To achieve political stability there are a number of tough decisions Africans must make. First the leadership in the continent must realise that instability anywhere is a threat to stability everywhere and cooperation from all the leaders is what is needed to defeat the instabilities. Therefore they must work together and coordinate to eliminate all those factors that act as magnet to engineer and fuel the instabilities.

Tyrannical rule, civil wars, and military adventurism must give way to democratic governance. It is the only way that can bring stability to the continent and prepare her for the economic development that has eluded her peoples for decades. Political stability is highly compatible with economic development; a disruption of one is a disruption of the other. Democratic governance is the political path Africa must chart if it is to prepare itself for economic development and social progress in this 21st Century and beyond.

This therefore calls for an end to dictatorial rule in all parts of the continent especially in Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, Angola, Congo, Libya, Egypt and Zimbabwe where few people, their families and cronies have hijacked their countries and taken the people hostage. All undemocratic leaders and tyrants must be made to understand that the days of unchecked and unaccounted power and despotic rule are over. The current situation where Gaddafi, an absolute dictator is calling for a federal Africa is totally unacceptable. The only acceptable way is for all leaders including Gaddafi, Obiang Nguema, and Blaise Campore to make themselves available for elections if they wish to serve the people and I mean serve the people not to be served by the people. All leaders in the continent must be reminded that they do not own their countries and the resources in them. The claim by Mugabe that “Zimbabwe is mine” should be condemned unequivocally.

The stability also calls for an end to all civil conflicts, military interventions and armed rebellious currently seen in Sudan, Uganda, DRC, Guinea, Mauritania, Chad, Nigeria and Ivory Coast. Use must be made of the few Africa role models in the continent like Joachim Chissano, Kofi Annan and Desmond Tutu to mediate to bring an end to the conflicts in Darfur, Somalia, Northern Uganda, DRC and all the troubled parts of the continent. All parties including individuals and groups with grievances must be encouraged to seek redress from the court instead of rushing to take up arms.

The leaders must realise that the current state of political unrest in Africa is in nobody’s interest not governments, opposition parties or the people and that is the more reason why democratic reforms must be spearheaded in countries where people have fewer political rights and cannot democratically change their leaders. People must be given the chance to elect their own leaders.

There should be a level playing field for the ruling governments and opposition parties so as to avoid allegations of vote rigging that are major cause of instabilities and violence in Ivory Coast, Kenya, Zimbabwe and Somalia among others. To ensure this there should be financial support to political parties and all parties must have unrestricted access to the state media. Again election observers must be allowed without any restriction to observe elections and make their own assessments without pressure from any quarters.

The AU and the sub regional bodies such as ECOWAS, SADC, EADC, COMESA, AMU and ECCA have a major role to play in ensuring the stability. The AU leaders must be reminded that instability anywhere is a threat to stability everywhere. The days where few individuals take over power and do what they like without the AU or sub-regional bodies saying or doing anything must end. Therefore, the Charters of AU and sub regional bodies should be implemented to the letter and all those who violate the charters should be punished severely. All clauses that limit the bodies from criticising or having greater role to play in times of crisis should be removed. 

The democratic countries in the continent should work closely together and encourage the less democratic ones to adopt reforms with the aim that Africa stands to gain more from being democratic than being under dictatorships and civil conflicts. Therefore all nations must be encouraged to ratify and implement the New Partnership for Africa Development (NEPAD) charter.

In addition each country should have a constitution that caps or stipulates a fixed term of office for political office holders and that fixed term should be adhered to even if a candidate is a messiah. The current situation in Algeria and Tunisia where both presidents have changed the constitution in order to run for a third term of office and in Nigeria where Olusegun Obasanjo tried unsuccessfully to run for a third term is very unfortunate and must be discouraged at all a cost for it is such actions by African rulers that have brought wars, coups and mayhem to however a peaceful people. Such actions only fuel corruption, nepotism, cronyism, abuse of power and mistrust between the ruling and opposition parties and serve as breeding ground for coups, civil unrest and political instabilities.

Even though the number of armed conflicts has gone down compared to a decade ago, the continent is still prone to instabilities and giving such a political climate, it is obvious that political stability will not be possible without an African Military High Command with powers to respond to crisis, emergencies and to crash any rebellion, arms insurgence that may show its ugly head in the Africa political scene. The establishment of AMHC should however be done on condition that all leaders will submit themselves to the rigour of elections and allow their people to choose whoever they want to lead them without intimidation, threats or whatsoever.

Tyrannical rule and military regimes are highly incompatible with the establishment AMHC and therefore all effort must be made to ensure that the wishes of the people are respected and that leaders are not forced onto the people unnecessary. Already the Southern Africa Development Community has created what they call SADC Brigade and it is beginning to make impact in the region which is encouraging.

The Pan-Africa Parliament should be fully resourced to deal with issues affecting the continent more importantly corruption, poverty, environmental degradation and political instabilities. Laws enacted by parliament must be binding on all members and countries that frown on the laws must be severely sanctioned.

The Africa Court of Justice must be made the highest in the continent with powers to settle disputes between and within countries. It must be a court of last resort in the continent and its ruling must be respected.

Africans cannot build a just society without a strong media and contribution of civil society organisations. The media, civil society organisations must be allowed to operate freely without fear of intimidation or attack and under no circumstances should a media house, NGO, and CBO be barred from operating in a country. Therefore in Sudan, Zimbabwe, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea and in many other countries where the media and NGOs have been banned, the governments involved must be forced by the AU to let them in.

Western political and business leaders must stop doing business with all the dictators, and coup makers the likes of Bongo, Obiang Nguema, Gaddafi, Mugabe and all those who have used undemocratic means to hold on to power. Sanctions and embargo targeting these leaders (not their people) should be enforced so as to force them to loose their grip on power. Western and Asia defence companies and contractors who illegally and irresponsibly ship arms to the continent to fuel the conflict and create instabilities for their own selfish interests must be identified and barred from doing any business in the continent.

A democratic Africa free from tyrants, coups, civil wars is the single most important ingredient necessary for attaining economic development because it is an undisputable fact that development thrives in atmosphere of peace and tranquillity not hostilities, instabilities and tyrannical rule. There is no way Gaddafi who doubles as Chairman of AU and head of state of Libya could advice Mugabe or Mwai Kibaki to accept election defeat when he (Gaddafi) has been a dictator for 39 years. There is no way Omar Bongo could advice Obiang Nguema when Bongo is the longest ruling head of state in the world. For Gaddafi and Bongo to offer any genuine advice they must relinquish power and allow free and fair elections to take place. Tyrannical rule, civil wars, and military adventurism must give way to democratic governance. It is the only way that can bring stability to the continent and prepare her for the economic development that has eluded her peoples for decades. Political stability is highly compatible with economic development; a disruption of one is a disruption of the other. This is the political path Africa must chart if it is to prepare itself for economic development and social progress in this 21st Century and beyond.

By Lord Aikins Adusei

The Author is a Political Activist and Anti Corruption Campaigner. He blogs at www.iloveafrica2.blogspot.com

Where are Africa’s Political Role Models?

Since Abraham Lincoln became the role model for President Barack Obama, I wonder which African politician President Obama could have picked as a role model if he had run as a candidate in any African country. Currently there are about 53 presidents and prime ministers whose countries form the Africa Union. It should therefore not be difficult to find role models among such a large contingent of leaders.

A google search for possible role model candidates led to Mobutu Sese Seku, Sani Abacha, Iddi Amin Dada, Gnassingbe Eyadema of Togo, Samuel Doe of Liberia, Charles Taylor, Emperor Jean-Bedel Bokassa of Central Africa, Ibrahim Babangida, Kenneth Kaunda of Zambia, Lansana Conte of Guinea, Museveni- Uganda, Milton Obote of Uganda, Bakili Muluzi, Laurent Kabila, Kwame Nkrumah, Jerry John Rawlings, Blaise Campore, Arap Moi, Hosni Mubarak, Omar Al Bashir, Gaddafi, Omar Bongo, Obiang Nguema, Sassou Nguesso, Eduardo dos Santos, Francois Bozize of Central Africa, Yahya Jammeh of Gambia, Iddriss Deby of Chad, Valentine Strasser of Sierra Leone,  Mwai Kibaki, Mengistu Haile Mariam and Meles Zenawi of Ethiopia.

After a careful examination and analysis of their record President Obama may find it difficult to settle for any of the above. The reason is that almost all of them have been accused of embezzling hundreds of millions of dollars belonging to their poor countries. Again all of them have demonstrated poor leadership, political immaturity, are insensitive to the plight of the people and have shown no understanding of issues affecting the people including fighting poverty.

Additionally, nearly all of them established one party dictatorship; killed, imprisoned or exiled their opponents; aggressively destroyed press freedom, freedom of speech and association; banned their opponents from contesting elections; kept their people in perpetual poverty while living opulence and extravagant lifestyles.   

Furthermore, virtually all of them were or are dictators who have committed human rights abuses against their countrymen including murder, torture and force imprisonment. Besides, almost all of them were or are military or rebel leaders who illegally ceased power through the barrel of the gun and subjected their people to inhuman treatment including torture, extrajudicial killings and murder. Those who came to power through the ballot box have become anti-democrats and the International Criminal Court is seeking to put a number of them on trial for human right abuses and war crimes.

Moreover, a good number of them have spent decades in power and are unwilling to relinquish it despite their huge failures seen in the form of poverty, diseases, homelessness and wars. Example Omar Bongo of Gabon has ruled for 42 years, Gaddafi of Libya 39 years; Dos Santos and Sassou Nguesso 30 years each; Teodoro Obiang Nguema of Equatorial Guinea and Robert Mugabe 28 years each, Hosni Mubarak 27 years, Paul Biya of Cameroon 26 years, Yoweri Museveni of Uganda 23 years, Omar Al Bashir of Sudan 20 years, Iddriss Derby of Chad 18 years, Yahya Jammeh of Gambia 14 years.

What is more, despite years in office none has been able to build a successful economy for their people. Despite receiving hundreds of billions of dollars in loans and grants from the IMF, the World Bank, USA, Japan, China and European nations; and also receiving trillions of dollars in revenue from oil, gas, gold, diamond, timber, copper, coltan not a single one of them was able or has been able to put their economies on the level equal to that of the Asia Tigers or even the smallest economy in the European Union. Out of the 53 countries making the Africa Union only one was invited to take part in the G20 Summit that ended in April 2009. Their failure to eradicate poverty has prompted questions as to whether Africans can ever build a prosperous society devoid of abject poverty, blatant official corruption, mismanagement and tyrannical rule.

The Who is Who of Africa’s corruption ranking feature Mobutu at the top. He is followed closely by Sani Abacha of Nigeria, Omar Bongo, Eyadema, Hosni Mubarak, Denis Sassou Nguesso, Eduardo Dos Santos, Obiang Nguema, Lansana Conte, Arap Moi, Gaddafi, Ibrahim Babangida of Nigeria, Blaise Campore of Burkina Faso, Museveni of Uganda, Paul Biya of Cameroon, Jerry Rawlings of Ghana, Charles Taylor of Liberia, Iddriss Deby of Chad, Bakili Muluzi -Malawi, Frederick Chiluba of Zambia, Meles Zenawi of Ethiopia and Jacob Zuma of South Africa. There are many whose corruption status has not yet been determined. Among them are Joseph Kabila, Paul Kagame, Robert Mugabe, Kenneth Kaunda, Francois Bozize, Yahya Jammeh of Gambia and a host of others.

Corruption, malfeasance, tyranny, mismanagement, nepotism, cronyism, human rights abuse, incompetence and media censorship run through almost all the countries in Africa.

Ghana became the first territory south of the Sahara to gain independence in 1957. In 1966 the army ousted Nkrumah who had ushered in a one party state and was on his way to become a dictator. Nkrumah introduced the Prevention Detention Act in which his political opponents were arrested, tortured and imprisoned without trial. Others were murdered and those who had the chance to flee sought asylum in foreign countries. One coup in 1979 and a second one in 1981 brought Jerry Rawlings to power who spared no effort to annihilate his perceived opponents. He ruled till 1992 when he changed his military uniform into civilian and ruled for another 8 years. Jerry Rawlings, the longest ruling tyrant in Ghana killed all the former heads of state by firing squad leaving only Dr. Limann who lived a miserable life till his death. His administration was largely corrupt and marred by nepotism. He is discredited for sowing the seed of tribal animosities in the country especially between the Akans and the Ewes. In 2000 after 19 years in power and under pressure from the West and the people, Rawlings unwillingly handed over power to an opposition government when his party the National Democratic Congress lost the elections to the New Patriotic Party.  The Fourth Republican Constitution drawn up by his regime has a lot of clauses that make him unanswerable to the abuses committed during his regime.

Since independence in 1960 Gabon had known only two leaders. Leone Mba who was elected president in 1961 and ruled till his death in 1967 and was succeeded by Omar Bongo who has since ruled the oil rich but socially and economically impoverished nation for 42 years. He is widely seen as one of the wealthiest and most corrupt rulers in the world. Bongo was a subject of French police investigation that uncovered that he owned at least 33 luxury properties. In February 2009 his nine bank accounts were frozen by a French court. He was implicated in the trial of former Elf Aquitaine executives for accepting bribes to the tune of $40m annually in exchange for oil concessions. A US Senate report of 1997 accused him of spending $100m annually mainly from his Gabon coffers. A US Senate inquiry in 1999 revealed that the giant Citibank held private accounts for Bongo who transferred US$100 million, into it. French News Papers including Le Monde have uncovered about 59 properties owned by him and his family including one bought in 2007 at the cost of 18.8 million Euros. He was sued by Transparency International for stealing Gabon’s resources.

Jomo Kenyatta became Kenya’s leader at independence in 1963 and ruled till 1978. As usual Kenyatta’s Kenya Africa National Union (KANU) was made the only official political party which controlled Kenya for four decades. Kenyatta was replaced by Daniel Arap Moi who also ruled till 2002. Moi’s 24 year reign was a dictatorship marred by official corruption and nepotism. He was accused in a report by Kroll International of having banked £1b in foreign banks. He and his family are known to own several properties in Britain and Australia among others. He avoided prosecution for corruption in 2003. Mwai Kibaki who succeeded Moi in 2002 faced a re-election battle which was marred by violence. He has been accused of sheltering Moi and his cronies and not doing enough to fight corruption which cost Kenya at least $1b a year.

Since independence in 1958 Guinea has known only two leaders Sekou Toure who ruled from independence till his death in 1984 and Lansana Conte who seized power in a coup in the year Sekou Toure died. Conte ruled from1984 till his death in 2008. He is seen as one thee most corrupt leaders ever to have ruled an African state. He has been accused of pocketing 70% of all revenues coming from the sale of bauxite in Guinea. A dictator for a quarter of a century he can only be remembered for bringing poverty, misery, deprivation and cronyism to Guinea. After his death army officers led by Capt. Moussa Camara have also seized power and there is little sign that the poverty stricken country will ever taste democracy.

The presidency of Equatorial Guinea has been dominated by two men from the same family since independence from Spain in 1968. Mr Obiang Nguema the current president overthrew his uncle, President Francisco Nguema, in 1979, had him tried and executed. Since taking power Obiang Nguema has presided over a corrupt government. He has curtailed rights and freedoms of his people; allows no opposing views and has dealt mercilessly with the media. Human rights abuses in his fiefdom are widespread and head of the opposition is in exile. Many of the 600,000 inhabitants of his country live in poverty despite billions of dollars of revenue from oil. He and five other corrupt leaders were sued by Transparency International over allegations of corruption and embezzlement.

In Uganda after independence in 1962 and short period of democratic governance the country became a hot bed for coups and counter coups that saw Milton Obote toppled twice; Iddi Amin becoming life president; invasion by Tanzania and a civil war that brought Colonel Yoweri Museveni into power in 1986. Museveni has since ruled till today, he has been in power for 23 years. Like many of his contemporaries his government is very popular in promoting corruption, nepotism and cronyism. Museveni’s government is nothing more than an oligarchy. In Uganda Museveni is the president; his wife Janet Keinembabazi Kataha Museveni is the First Lady, MP and a Minister; his son Major Muhoozi Kainerugaba is an army commander of his elite group and a possible successor of Museveni. Museveni’s younger brother, Caleb Akandwanaho, is senior presidential advisor on defence. His daughter Natasha Karugire is private secretary to the president. He has vehemently resisted all calls to introduce democratic reforms in Uganda.

In South Africa after the brutal regime of the apartheid government came to an end, Nelson Mandela took over and successfully handed power to Mbeki after just one term in office. However, Mbeki was forced out office in September 2008 after a bitter power struggle with Zuma. Mbeki refused to embark on campaign to curb the menace of HIV/AIDS which killed several people under his watch. Crimes of all categories have increased and it seems the nation is slowly joining the rest of the continent as a poor developing country. Jacob Zuma who is likely to become President is embroiled in corruption allegations and a rape case against him was dismissed by the court. His reputation has been badly damaged by the rape and corruption charges brought against him.

In Zambia, Kenneth Kaunda ruled from 1964 the year of independence till 1991 a total of 27 years. He embarked on one party rule that barred opposition parties from actively engaging in politics. Despite being a major copper producer, Zambia under Kaunda’s watch slipped from being a potential economic power house into one of the poorest countries in the world. He was accused of corruption by Chiluba’s government and spent a few time in jail. His major contribution was to the independence struggles of South Africa and Zimbabwe but he is most remembered for failing to use the huge mineral wealth to better the lot of Zambians. His successor Fredrick Chiluba is battling corruption allegations and parliament has voted to remove his immunity. A High Court in Britain ruled in 2007 that Chiluba and four of his aides conspired to rob Zambia $46m. The elections that brought Rupiah Banda, the current president into power were decried by the opposition as not free and fair.

In Tanzania, Julius Nyerere ruled as the sole leader of the country from independence in 1962 till his retirement in 1985. Under his leadership all political parties were outlawed except the Party of the Revolution which happened to be his party. His social and economic programmes (ujamaa) were a total failure he is however credited for deposing Iddi Amin. Since he left office the country has chalked a lot of successes in the field of democracy and governance and the economy is showing signs of growth. Ex-President Benjamin Mkapa who became president in 1995 successfully transferred power to Jakaya Kikwete in 2005 after 10 years as head of government.

Burkina Faso formerly Upper Volta got her independence from France in 1960. Six years later the army as it has always been were in power. A series of coups in the 1980s saw Thomas Sankara taking over power in 1983 but he too was ousted in 1987 by Blaise Campore who was a close. Campore has since ruled the country as his personal fiefdom he has been in power for 22 years. He is one of the Corrupt Five who were sued by Transparency International for having amassed wealth at the expense his poor people majority of whom live on a dollar a day in this semi-arid country.

In Tunisia, Ben Ali has changed the constitution of the country in order to run for third term in office. In Algeria, Abdelaziz Bouteflika has won a third term after using the rubber stamp parliament to change the constitution of the state. He has been battling fundamentalists who were denied election victory in the 1990s. In Togo, after the assassination of the country’s first elected president in 1963, Gnassingbe Eyadema took power in a bloodless coup in 1967 and ruled till his death in February, 2005 after 38 years as head of state. His son Faure Gnassingbe was quickly installed as president by the army but international outcry resulted in an election in April 2005 which the army said Faure won 66%.

In Zimbabwe, Cameroon, Libya, Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya and Chad the norm has been corruption, mismanagement, election violence, torture, dictatorship, murder, imprisonment of political opponents and the use of security forces against the people. In Africa and the rest of the world the names Mobutu Sese Seku, Sani Abacha, Omar Bongo, Denis Nguesso and Dos Santos are synonymous to blatant corruption, nepotism, cronyism, murder, incompetence and mismanagement. The word Kleptocracy was first coined to describe the nature of Mobutu’s government which was nothing but a government of thieves.

However despite the negativities there are some few shining examples. Botswana, Africa’s most successful economy is also the continent’s only true democratic country where multi-party democracy has been in place since independence in 1966. It is the least corrupt country in Africa and has a good human rights record. It is the only country in the continent where the leaders have used revenue from the natural resources mostly diamond to benefit the people. It is the world's largest producer of diamonds and the trade has transformed it into a middle-income nation. The current president Seretse Khama Ian Khama came to power in 2008.

Gaining her independence from South Africa in 1990, Namibia has joined the community of democratic nations after Sam Nujoma handed over power to his chosen nominee Hifikepunye Pohamba, after three terms as president. Like Botswana the leadership of Namibia are using revenue from diamond to improve the wellbeing of the people. In Benin an independent candidate won the presidency and in Liberia Johnson Sirleaf, a woman has become president the first in history of the continent.

Nelson Mandela is the only ex-president to have willingly stepped down as president after just one term in office. He is a Nobel Peace Laureate, a statesman, a freedom fighter and a hero not only in South Africa but also around the world. He has a monument erected in his honour by the government of Britain. Another respected personality in Africa is Arch Bishop Desmond Tutu who is also a Nobel Peace Laureate, a Statesman, peace activist and powerful anti apartheid campaigner.

The last of the possible role models is Kofi Annan, a former UN Secretary General who has recently being playing a leading role as a peace mediator and a critique of political corruption and anti-democratic governance in Africa. Since Tutu and Annan are not politicians and therefore out of the political equation, Obama will have no choice but to scream with the question, “Where are Africa’s political role models?”

By Lord Aikins Adusei

Political Activist and Anti-Corruption Campaigner