Playwright and Author James Ebo Whyte has advised Ghanaian politicians not to allow their foot soldiers to control them when they get into political office.
He said when politicians stand for elections they are voted for because of who they are and the qualities they exude and not because of their team or foot soldiers.
Speaking on the Easter edition of Joy FM’s Super Morning Show, he said it is a mark of weak leadership for politicians and their allies to do the wrong things in government and expect to be forgiven when they go into opposition.
“We do not have great leaders in this land who can hold their people in check” Mr Whyte pointed out.
According to him, although they [politicians] have a team backing them, they should know that they were the ones voted for and not their back room staff.
Since the announcement of candidate Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo as the winner of the 2016 elections, some supporters of the party have taken the law into their own hands confiscating public property.
Aside vandalizing and seizing toll booths, the supporters have tried to take over state institutions like the Passport Office.
Some supporters of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) who were seeking to takeover the food preparation allegedly attacked caterers of the school feeding programme at the Ejura Basic School in the Ashanti region.
The incident led to the destruction of food prepared for school children.
Recently, over 200 members of a self-styled security force affiliated with the governing NPP attacked the Ashanti Regional Security Coordinator claiming they were promised someone linked to them will be put into that office.
Discussing the matter on the SMS, Mr Whyte said it is erroneous for politicians to reward incompetent foot soldiers when they come into power, adding, it is not only the footsoldiers who put them in power.
He said this must stop somewhere because if the current government gives in to the demands of these footsoldiers, the situation will be worse if another government takes over.
“For me, it is short-sighted and foolish because even if you rule for 10, 12 or even 20 years, you will one day go away,” he said.
He said it is unacceptable to say this is done to appease supporters adding, “when I find a dog whose tail is wagging then I know it is a sick dog and our leaders are allowing their tails to wag them.”
The popular playwright said Ghanaian politicians must know that their supporters’ votes alone cannot win them power adding “for any party to get into power, it needs people like me and you who are not affiliated with any political party.”
“Knowing very well that I may not take a second look at the people around you [to vote for you], yet you allow them to run you, then you have done a great disservice to yourself, me and everybody.
“A leader should be able to call his people to book and say ‘not on my watch, this thing won’t happen’ and not the other way around,” he said.
Mr Whyte admonished Christians to, like Jesus, love their neighbours who may include their enemies and political opponents
“He was asked who is my neighbor and the example he gave is the worst ever example you could get; a Samaritan and a Jew! So NDC and NPP is nothing,” he said.
