ASPIRANT: Professor Agyeman Badu-Akosah

CPP ROOTS: son of the former “strong” District Commissioner in the Nkrumah regime.


Introduction
We know where he stands. He has taken on the tobacco industry, lambasted the banks for neglecting the agricultural sector, invaded the ordinary citizen’s kitchen and attempted to remove “chicken legs” from his diet. He even “butchers” our dear departed in order to tell us what is wrong with Ghana. And there is more to come from this straight talking pathologist aspiring to lead a united Nkrumahist party.

Unsurprisingly, he is very particular about health issues and he never misses the opportunity to link the nation’s wealth to the health of its citizens. In deed, he recently revealed in one of his many speeches that forty per cent of Ghanaians in the Northern Sector are malnourished while 24 per cent of those in the South share the same fate. He is of the opinion that the burden of diseases, which has a direct link to the food eaten, need to be brought down "otherwise, everybody would start going to hospital everyday".

He is not afraid to deprive private citizens of their property for redistribution if this would help with the nation’s development. This is inferred from his statement that that lands that are lying fallow should be taken over by Government and given out for farming as a way of increasing food production. And what is his solution to the urban commercial phenomenon of hawkers? Farming, of course, with credit assistance from the banks.

What does he intend to do about the brain drain in the health sector? He has proposes a choice for health workers to study in Ghana or abroad on sabbatical leave.

Has he really got what it takes to lead an Nkrumahist party to victory?

(To read a copy of the full analysis, email osagyefo@neo-nkrumahist.org)


Political experience
We maintain that a candidate without any political experience and achievement should not consider himself to be disadvantaged. Political experience must be relevant. Mere existence on the political stage will not suffice. The Professor has never held any political office in the past. In fact, he has even as at now not exposed himself to the general public as a politician. He is currently a public servant and he is cautious as to the extent to which he dabbles in political party activities.

His public office, however, allows him to reach out to the masses in a manner more permeating than that of a politician. That is his advantage and he appears to use it as often as necessary.
(To read a copy of the full analysis, email osagyefo@neo-nkrumahist.org)


Grassroot popularity
We assert that in Ghana the political temperament of the electorate is predictable. For the presidential contest partisan politics is relegated to the background. Voters tend to go for the strongest candidate irrespective of the party he leads. They are more concerned about how a ruling party implements its policies. Voters want politicians to tackle the real issues that have held us back for fifty years; Tribal disaffection, the military-civilian divide, corruption and everyday issues as and when they are outdoored.

(To read a copy of the full analysis, email osagyefo@neo-nkrumahist.org)

Despite not being a politician, the professor has a broad grassroots platform because he uses his office to start debates that have the potency to engage the entire nation. If the professor “booms” today, the media will be busy with the “boom speech” for the next couple of weeks. Ordinary citizens do not discuss what the Director General of the Ghana Health Service says; they discuss what Professor Agyeman Badu Akosah says! He has successfully managed to personalise his office and this has given him as much advantage as his fellow contenders who are already in the political limelight.

(To read the full analysis, email osagyefo@neo-nkrumahist.org)

He has proven himself as a strong candidate who can implement his party’s policies. Where is the evidence? He took on the tobacco industry and succeeded in getting them to change their advertising policies to match that of their parent companies in their respective jurisdictions. Some analysts contend that he may have gone too far by likening the industry to criminals because impliedly, the revenue the government receives from taxing the industry could be considered as proceeds of crime. Now, any political analyst worth his salt will tell you that the tobacco industry does not lose a fight easily. Akosah has skilfully and successfully used his position as a public servant to push for a fundamental change in the tobacco industry –a feat that we doubt he could accomplish in a political capacity. In Ghana non- smokers far outnumber smokers so Akosah has scored some vital political points.

The professor may be straight talking but those disaffected by his “boom speeches” are equally unsympathetic with their criticism. Some have dismissed his suggestion that we should not eat “chicken leg” because it has no nutritional value as simplistic. Others have described him as elitist. But these are just opinions. What matters is the fact that Akosah has maintained a great platform in the grassroots. If he can be credited for raising hot debates as a public servant then he will have as easy ride with the grassroots as a politician. He is definitely one to watch.

(To read a copy of the full analysis, email osagyefo@neo-nkrumahist.org)


Personality
We maintain that the ordinary Ghanaian registered voter perceives the personality of an aspirant to be an important factor to consider when choosing a presidential candidate. This, in the Ghanaian context, means the candidate must have among other things, an acceptable face to female voters. He must be of reasonable height and have an impeccable dress sense. He must be able to command respect with his physical presence. He must be able to connect to voters with much ease. He must be both elitist and the common man’s friend.

In Ghanaian political history only the Osagyefo is known to have possessed all these qualities. He had no disdain for the common man and he was part of the elite. Rawlings affiliations with the common man is much envied by many politicians and his disdain for the elite has been attributed, rightly or wrongly, to the level of his education and his upbringing.

For Professor Akosah, it appears that he can descend from the ivory tower and face the Ododiodio type of crowd without sniffing his pinstripe suit for a whiff of the korle lagoon fragrance. He has visited some of the most deprived communities on official duty and the people know him. If truly, the majority of registered voters are women, then Akosah has very little to worry about.

(To read a copy of the full analysis, email osagyefo@neo-nkrumahist.org)


Education and Command of Spoken English
It is our observation that the candidate’s level of education is completely irrelevant provided he speaks English reasonably well. Voters often cast doubt on the qualifications of well educated candidates who do not have a good command of spoken English where as a candidate without any qualifications who speaks English fluently will lose no sleep over this issue.

Rawlings has many admirers because of his command of spoken English. Kuffour has a lot of critics who even go as far as to cast doubt on his qualifications as a lawyer because of his lack of command of spoken English.

Judging from his numerous media appearances, Prof Akosah has no problem at all so we shall move on.

(To read the full analysis, email osagyefo@neo-nkrumahist.org)

The new media factor and political exposure
We believe that the media establishment in Ghana is still in the rudimentary stage. Journalism is practiced in its truest form. The institution has not been “professionalised” and media houses remain truly independent. If journalists have a duty to report only truth, then they do not need any special training to do so.

As a result of the independence of the media, an aspiring candidate must seriously consider revealing skeletons in his/her cupboard at a very early stage, perhaps before he formally launches his campaign. A candidate who opens his cupboard after launching his campaign is measured with a longer stick because of his newfound status.

It is still early days but as at now the media has yet to sniff out any decaying bones in Professor Akosah’s cupboard.

(To read the full analysis, email osagyefo@neo-nkrumahist.org)

Agenda for Ghana
The aspiring candidate must have an agenda for Ghana. That agenda must resonate in all constituencies. A prospective voter must feel part of the agenda. The agenda must be so meaningful as to attract voters from the opposite sides. Nkrumah’s industrialisation and mass education programmes are examples.

Professor Akosah appears to link the wealth of the nation to the health of its citizens and in our opinion, that is his agenda for Ghana.

(To read the full analysis, email osagyefo@neo-nkrumahist.org)

Leader, Neo-Nkrumahist Convention
osagyefo@neo-nkrumahist.org

24th January 2006

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