US-based Ghanaian lawyer and activist, Prof. Stephen Asare, popularly known as Kwaku Azar, has registered his dissatisfaction with the state of party politics in Ghana, describing it as a “cartel system” that prioritizes loyalty to party over loyalty to country.
In a thought-provoking Facebook post on Saturday, April 12, Prof. Asare lamented that party politics, once embraced with hope, has degenerated into a system where “loyalty to party trumps loyalty to country.”
He cited the National Commission for Democracy (NCD)’s foundational work on the future of democratic governance, which warned that political parties could become investment vehicles for personal gain rather than national progress.
“The NCD held out hope that the painful lessons of our turbulent past—from one-party rule to revolutions wrapped in lofty slogans—would inoculate us against repetition,” Prof. Asare noted.
“That hope, though noble, underestimated the resilience of opportunism and the fragility of institutional memory,” he observed.
Kwaku Azar decried the casual acceptance of slogans like “Obia boa,” loosely translated they are all liars), which has become a license to loot.
“This phrase, once a cynical aside, has become a license to loot. It suggests that corruption is universal and, therefore, excusable,” he said.
“In this warped logic, looting is no longer deviant, it is expected, even rationalized.”
Kwaku Azar called for a national introspection, urging Ghanaians to reject the corrosive mindset that perpetuates corruption and demand accountability from those in power.
“Looters have become too comfortable, too noisy, and far too arrogant—so much so that they now parade their plunder with impunity, as if daring the nation to care,” he said.
“Their audacity insults our collective intelligence, creating the false impression that we are all either complicit or too dazed to resist.”
Prof. Asare emphasized that the future of Ghana’s republic hinges on the prevailing posture of its citizens.
“We must reject this corrosive mindset. Those who defend it must be opposed by those who believe in a different posture—one grounded in probity, accountability, and public service,” he said.
Prof Asare, who is a fellow in public law and justice at the Center for Democratic Development, Ghana (CDD-Ghana) called on Ghanaians to act to halt the decay and restore the principles upon which the country’s democracy was founded.
“It’s time to hold accountable those who exploit public trust and resources. By rejecting looting and demanding justice, we can restore the principles upon which our democracy was founded,” he said.
“Party politics is not inherently bad; we have simply allowed it to be corrupted and weaponized. It’s not too late to reset. But the time for action is now. Not as partisans. As patriots.”
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