‘No contribution, no chop’

One of the post-election exercises I love to engage in is speculation over who gets what juicy position and who gets to weep into their political calabash out of pain.

I find it quite cathartic, especially after a National Democratic Congress (NDC) victory when I need my spirits lifted.

One fine afternoon soon after the election when I was quite bored and felt rather presidential, I drew up my list of cabinet appointees.

It was great fun. Three of my ‘appointees’ eventually made it to President Mahama’s list in the same portfolios I had assigned them to – Energy, Communications and Foreign Affairs. 

I was completely outfoxed by others, particularly in Education and Defence. 

Presidential patronage

The President is armed with the power to make many appointments, from Ministers, board members, MMDCEs, and ambassadors to agency heads, among others, but the hopefuls far outnumber the slots available.

The recent public revelations surrounding the mouth-watering pay package of the immediate past State Insurance Company (SIC) boss perhaps underline the basis of the fierce lobbying for positions with the formation of new governments in this country.

Those who have been appointed must be feeling relieved. With most ministerial and agency CEO vacancies filled, I can imagine some hopefuls nervously gnawing away at their fingernails as the vacancies dwindle, wondering when, or if, a phone call will come through anytime soon. The lobbying must be real and agonizing.

I have noted some social media posts by opposition NPP elements shedding crocodile tears for NDC persons who they insist worked hard in opposition to the party but have been ignored.

“Monkey dey work makes baboon dey chop”, they write sorrowfully, weeping more than the bereaved.

President Mahama has a delicate balancing act to perform, almost like a trapeze artist, and I do not wish to be in his shoes.

No doubt some would have supported him in opposition with finances, intellectual input and other important resources.

Some contributors are more equal than others, and some ministries and agencies are juicier than others, so one cannot just assign anyone anywhere ‘by heart’.

On top of that, he is mandated, constitutionally, to ensure ethnic and regional balance in his appointments, and also to appoint no less than half of his ministers from Parliament.

Further, per his declared commitment during the campaign to appoint no more than 60 ministers, he is boxed in considerably.

Then there is his manifesto commitment to ensure that at least 30 per cent of appointees to his government would be women. 

I have seen social media posts, both at present and in the past, complaining that certain ethnic groups had either been underrepresented or ignored to the advantage of other groups in the sharing of appointments. 

NCNC, school version

The current expectations within the NDC, which cut across our wider political culture, remind me of the concept of ‘No Contribution, No Chop’ (NCNC) back in secondary school and at the university.  

Whenever a group of boys decided to club together to arrange a communal waakye, kenkey or ‘gari soakings’ meal, the unspoken principle was that only those who contributed to the feast would be allowed to partake in it.

It was a strict rule, and the student who would be lounging on his bed nearby pretending not to have heard or seen his friends putting money or food items together, but would spring into action with a long spoon dug out from the God-knows-where would be met with a formidable ring of steel around the feast, together with a not-too-gentle reminder that ‘NCNC’.

The scowls on his friends’ faces would emphasise the reminder. ‘Chop time, no friend’, goes the saying.

On some occasions, an offer to wash all the plates and clean up after the feast would be grudgingly accepted, and he would be allowed to partake in the feast, with eagle eyes focusing on the size of his morsels, lest he overstep his bounds. 

Political culture

In our part of the world, elections are seen as wars, electoral victories are seen as war victories, and public offices, together with their various perks, are considered as spoils of war that must be shared equitably among the victors as is customary at the end of military campaigns.

Contribution to electoral victories goes beyond vast funds and intellect. Ordinary party workers pound the streets of our towns and villages to campaign, mount platforms, affix posters and provide crucial ground support, chanting ‘eye zu!’, or ‘kukrudu!’ in the sun at rallies. ‘The job dey ground’, as we say in politics.

They all have expectations for themselves or relatives in the event of victory, whether for recruitment opportunities into the public sector, contracts, scholarships, SHS placement or other political ‘goodies’.

“Our government is in power’ is a standard boast at the party grassroots level.

 Inevitable disappointments lead to disillusionment, and then apathy, which is bad news for any government at the next election.

We have, with time, perfected a ‘No Contribution, No Chop’ governance system, which both major parties accept and enforce when they accede to power.

Those who have lost an election, in full appreciation of the rules of engagement, then resign themselves to watching the action from the sidelines, waiting patiently and working hard in the hope of winning the next election, whereupon they activate the next edition of NCNC.  

For as long as many people perceive election victory as primarily an opportunity to enjoy some perks, however basic, rather than a burden of service and duty, we will continue to run an “NCNC” political system, anchored firmly on the philosophy of ‘winner takes all’.

Collectively, we do not appear ready to change the status quo, despite the many effusions in the public square to the contrary.

Rodney Nkrumah-Boateng, 
E-mail: rodboat@yahoo.com