General News of Saturday, 31 March 2018
Source: www.ghanaweb.com
2018-03-31
Most Reverend Charles Gabriel Palmer-Buckle
Most Reverend Charles Gabriel Palmer-Buckle, the Accra Metropolitan Archbishop of the Catholic Church has bemoaned the glaring animosity between the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
Reverend Palmer-Buckle expressed worry at the current state of our political space and how the actions of some key players have contributed to the unsatisfactory position of the country 61 years after independence.
“I am distressed by this acrimonious relationship between the NPP and the NDC. Those who are supposed to be in the leadership of our country, fortunately, or unfortunately they only are minority because if you put the two political parties together, those who do not belong to any political party or do not belong to any of these political groups, we are in the majority, and yet we allow the acrimonious relationship between the two political parties to dictate our sense of humility, service, selfless service, sacrificing love and service.
He wished for a Ghana where leaders put the nation first before any other political ambition.
He also shared how he hurts to observe that at 61, the attitude of humility and service to country has become a rare trait to be found in the average ghanaian.
‘’How I wish the politicians, the leaders of these two political groups will put Ghana first, have Ghana at heart and how I wish all of them will encourage us to humble service of this country. This is the only way that we serving our country in humility, selflessness, self-sacrificing, love and service, we will be able to help the President to bring about Ghana beyond Aid, “.he said.
There have been different views on how politicians make personal ambitions stand in the way of governance and national development and Reverend Palmer-Buckles assertion adds up to the lot.
Although there are other political parties in Ghana including, Convention People’s Party (CPP), All People’s Congress (APC) and the Progressive People’s Party (PPP), the NDC and the NPP are the most recognized.
It is common knowledge the way politicians in the country, sometimes go to unthinkable lengths just to gain political points such as oppositions impeding developmental projects by the sitting government to make the government look bad and saying horrible things about each other to stay relevant.
A recent example is the Koku Anyidoho ‘coup’ comment saga, where the Deputy General Secretary of the NDC was recorded to have made comments that threatened national security, when he cautioned the President of Ghana, to look out for a possible repetition of history-making reference to previous coup d’état, and making mention of a particular one involving the late father of the President.
The NDC firebrand reportedly said, “Somebody should tell Nana Akufo-Addo that history has a very interesting way of repeating itself. On January 13, 1972, a certain Col. Ignatius Kutu Acheampong led a movement that removed the Progress Party from power. Busia was the Prime Minister and Akufo-Addo’s father was a ceremonial president. Somebody should tell Nana Akufo-Addo that history has a very interesting way of repeating itself. There’ll be a civil revolt. There’ll be a people’s movement. During President John Mahama’s tenure didn’t we receive similar threats from the likes of Let My Vote Count and OccupyGhana,” the former presidential spokesperson opined. There’ll be a civilian coup d’etat; there’ll be a social revolution and the movement is starting on Wednesday. He [Akufo-Addo] will be fed up at the Presidency.”
As a result, he was picked up by some CID officers, at the Press Centre in Accra on Tuesday, during a press conference, for questioning.
This action was immediately politicized by the NDC which eventually blew the matter out of proportion.
Most Reverend Palmer-Buckle who sees the ill blood between the two major parties deepening and negatively affecting citizens and national growth advised that, when humility, selfless service, self-sacrificing love and service to God and country are reflected in the daily lives of Christians, and Ghanaians as a whole, Ghana’s success would be a model for the world.