“Rejecting Bawumia as flagbearer means NPP hates Northerners.” ~ Bugri Naabu

MY RESPONSE Part 1

One Bugri Naabu, an ex-Chairman of NPP in the Northern region made the above statement among other very serious effusions.

Ordinarily, I don’t concern myself with internal matters of the NPP and NDC. They lack physical beauty, moral beauty, and intellectual beauty. They represent darkness and nothing else.

I’m responding to this particular guy because Northern politicians like singing this hymn too much. Reckless Mahama has made several similar statements and so has Delirious Bawumia. Somebody has to set the records straight, and I, Nii Amu Darko have volunteered to do so. The Osu sea may decide to burn. Hehehe.

Before I proceed, I will like to summarize the points raised by Naabu if Bawumia is not elected as flagbearer.

1. Confirm the perception that they can only play 2nd fiddle
2. If the Ashantis reject him, then we’re not together
3. Then NPP hates Northerners
4. Insulting to say, Northerners are only good for Vice
5. Busia/Dombo, Owusu/Tolon-Na, Kufuor/Aliu. Aliu didn’t get it. Northerners got to learn sense if Bawumia doesn’t get it.
6. How many Northerners have become Presidents?
7. Bawumia must win BECAUSE HE’S A NORTHERNER.

I will devote Part 1 to basic facts and history.

1. The total population of the North is about 18% of Ghana’s
2. The latest tax card from GRA showed that the North contributed only 0.38% of domestic tax revenue
3. According to GLSS 7 (2012-2017 essentially under Mahama’s rule) consumption growth in the North and Volta was ZERO. The indices for poverty and extreme poverty in the North led Upper West are totally unacceptable. Does Naabu care?

So, we’re talking of an absolute demographic minority block with very little input into the national economy. OK. Yet, in this 4th Republic, apart from Rawlings, every government has had a President or Vice- President from the North. No numerical and economic minority like the North has had this privilege anywhere in the world. I am saying, the North is the luckiest pan-minority block in the whole wide world. They must be very grateful.

4. The freest and fairest post colonial elections in Ghana was held in 1979. Limann won the 2nd round with 62%. Nobody has even crossed 60% in any free elections in Ghana. Nkrumah at his peak in 1956 got 57%. Even with all the support of Afrifa, Busia got 58% in 1969. Rawlings with absolute control over the state managed only 58% in 1992. In 2nd round with Mills in 2000, Kufuor managed only 56%, and Mills against Akufo-Addo in 2008 got a very skinny 50.03%. These were all known and seasoned politicians for years. Completely unknown Limann came and he got 62%. This could happen only in Ghana where some of us have conscience. The same conscience that made Gamɛi vote massively for Nkrumah against their “own” physician Dr. H.H Bannerman and lawyer Obetsebi-Lamptey in 1951. When you know these facts and hear people like Naabu talk the way he talked, you ask yourself very serious questions. What the hell is going on in the heads of some people? The darkness is way too much.

Let me continue.

Ghana is a unique country – the only one with a NORTH and No SOUTH.

How did the North concept evolve or develop?

1. The British governed over broadly over 4 areas:
2. The colony (Western, Central, GA & Eastern regions)
3. Transvolta Togoland (Volta region & bits of NR)
4. Ashanti (Ashanti & BA)
5. The NORTHERN territories (NR, UE & UW) – the only place originally named geographically.

(I don’t recognize Akufo-Addo’s 6 tribal enclaves).

People from the Northern territories became known as Northerners.

In 1947 – Paa Grant, Danquah & others formed UGCC as a national movement.

In 1949 – Nkrumah, Gbedemah & others formed CPP also as a national movement.

In 1954, Dombo, Braimah & others formed the 1st regional party Northern People’s Party. So, out of the geographical North, a political North was created. The motto of the NPP was “together we stand.” A political “tribe” has been formed.

Economically and developmemtally the North was poorer and lagged behind Ashanti and the Colony. Majority of the 20% or so Muslims in Ghana came from the North. The mixture of these factors created social differentiation between Northerners and those in Ashanti and the Colony. This differentiation led to social stigmatization and some level of discrimination which in turn fostered a greater sense of solidarity among the different groups in the North. I mean the political and the social economic narrative took precedence over the ethnic dimension, and everybody just became a Northerner with all its derogatory connotations. The non-Northerners do not generally see tribes when it comes to the North. They see Northerners.

Ewes from Transvolta suffered a similar but less acute stigmatization and discrimination as the Northerners. Awoonor in his book, “The Ghana Revolution” tried to explain the basis of the so-called Ewe solidarity along these lines, but the usual dead brains, lacking moral and intellectual beautys attacked the old boy 24/7.

Nothing has changed in 2 generations post colonial rule. Like I said above, the GLSS 7 stated clearly that there was no consumption growth in the North and Volta. This is a national crises that should be the front and centre of Northern and Voltarian politics. But do they care? In fact, do they know what I am talking about?

Let me continue.

For this social differentiation, Dombo and his friends did not want to be part of independent Ghana. They were scared of the consequences of “forced integration” with Ashanti and the Colony. The colonial government advised them “perish that thought. You could not survive. Wise Dombo and his team then dropped the idea and adopted federalism as their political goal. In my opinion, they were right. Federalism remains the best option for the North, and indeed the whole of Ghana.

With the background I have shared above, men of goodwill did everything possible to make the integration as seamless as possible. Nkrumah’s free education for the North at the expense of the cocoa farmer was one of such “bridging the gap” policies. Now, you understand why the ARM’s motto is Bridging the Gap, don’t you? Political representation from the North was made to be greater than its fair share per population. It has remained so till date. The problem is that after two generations post independence, the generosity of the rest of Ghana has morphed into Northern entitlement. The political elite from the North feels so entitled you begin to ask yourself very hard questions.

I am not dealing with Naabu here. I am dealing with the general mindset of the Northern elite. When the new Chief Justice was appointed, one guy actually posted on Facebook that after 66years of independence, the North has not had a CJ yet. Brothers and sisters, it crossed a human mind that in a country like Ghana, it was fair and appropriate to have the Vice-President, the Speaker of Parliament, and the Chief Justice from 18% of the population and a very fringe participant in the economy. I could not believe this thoughtlessness. I was not surprised though. Until Nketia’s coup in the NDC, Mahama was the leader, Bagbin was the Speaker, Iddrisu was the Minority leader, and Muntaka was the Chief Whip. Just unbelievable. Even before that, in 2012, of the 5 parties that took part in the elections, 3 were led by Northerners and one had a Northerner as the running mate. It was only Nduom who did not have a Northerner on his ticket. A casual observer would think 60% of Ghanaians were Ghanaians and the economy was controlled by Northerners.

Now, are you surprised that Naabu believes the two status quo parties should be led by Northerners. I mean if these guys were Newton and Einstein we might look the other way but here we are dealing with two of the worst three political leaders in our history: Mahama and Bawumia, with the 3rd, Akufo-Addo cheering the latter. Jesus Christ, how did we get here?

Let me stop here. I shall return. Part 2 to follow.

Tswa omanye aba.

Nii Amu Darko

President, ARM

23rd June 2023