STATESMAN OPINION: Let's All Vote For Development

Politics is about development and making sure citizens benefit reasonably from the resources of the country, to improve upon their socio-economic welfare, irrespective of one’s ethnic, religious and regional backgrounds.

It is therefore expected that the electorate will consider development as the benchmark for supporting one political party or another when the time comes for the nation to go to the polls to elect a president and parliamentarians.

Many communities in the country have been traditionally associated with some political parties over the years, and the belief is that no matter what the parties do for them, when they are in government, they will always vote for these parties.

This is what has given the parties the urge to sometimes take such communities for granted when it comes to the distribution of the national cake.

But current developments in the country seem to show that this state of affair could change with time, as many communities are now engaged in open, vehement agitations against the governing National Democratic Congress that has enjoyed their electoral support over the years.

For instance, it was not a common practice in the past to see the people of Volta Region agitating against the NDC. But it is now happening on regular basis, with the latest coming from Togbe Afede XIV, Agbogbomefia of Asogli and President of Volta Region House of Chiefs, who has accused the NDC of taking the region for granted and showing gross disrespect to the chiefs and people when it comes to issues of development.

The paramount chief is particularly worried about the fact that members of the governing NDC deliberately shun developmental issues and rather focus on enriching themselves at the expense of the very people who voted them into office.

"Politics is not an end in itself; it must bring development and happiness to the people, not a select few. It must create opportunity for all,” the prominent Chief rightly pointed out.

The current agitations against the NDC are not only limited to the Volta Region. Across the country, especially in the northern part of the country, there have been countless agitations in recent times from many communities, often led by their Chiefs, which think the government has not shown the required interest in tackling the developmental issues that affect them.

The people are aware President Mahama and his cabal of self-seeking politicians are only interested in using the nation’s resources in advancing their selfish financial gains. To the people of northern Ghana, for instance, the SADA example readily comes to mind.

We at the Daily Statesman believe the time has come for Ghanaians to consider development as the benchmark for supporting one political party or another when they go to the polls, especially in the upcoming elections.

Voting in an election should be all about which political party and leader have the ability and will to ensure prudent use of the nation’s resources for the collective good of the people. Any other consideration, even if they should matter, must be secondary.

We are therefore encouraging all Ghanaians, especially the aggrieved chiefs and people of Volta Region, to vote for the party that can guarantee them development when they go to the polls on December 7, bearing in mind that the NDC cannot continue to take them for granted.