Features
Steve Ntim: The irresistible choice (Final Part)
- /home/u249204778/domains/spectator.com.gh/public_html/wp-content/plugins/mvp-social-buttons/mvp-social-buttons.php on line 27
https://spectator.com.gh/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Steve-Ntim-Pix.jpg&description=Steve Ntim: The irresistible choice (Final Part)', 'pinterestShare', 'width=750,height=350'); return false;" title="Pin This Post">
- Share
- Tweet /home/u249204778/domains/spectator.com.gh/public_html/wp-content/plugins/mvp-social-buttons/mvp-social-buttons.php on line 72
https://spectator.com.gh/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Steve-Ntim-Pix.jpg&description=Steve Ntim: The irresistible choice (Final Part)', 'pinterestShare', 'width=750,height=350'); return false;" title="Pin This Post">
In the previous piece presented in this column, the columnist extolled the virtues of Mr. Steve Ntim as a worthy candidate for the National Chairman position of the New Patriotic Party(NPP) since he is the irresistible and obvious choice for that noble position.
Indeed, anyone coming in as National Chairman should stand for the principles that characterises a great party such as the NPP. The NPP is a centre-right and liberal political party that seeks to promote freedom among the people of Ghana. Its theme is: “Development in Freedom.”
Any person or candidate who, therefore, seeks to occupy the chairmanship position at the national level must be a person who is qualified by all standards. In the case of Chairman Stephen Ntim, he qualifies for the position because his traits as a heavyweight champion truly reflect the ideals of the NPP.
ROLE AS PRESIDING MEMBER
As National Chairman, he will be expected to act as a presiding member over the affairs of the party. In this capacity, he will be expected to preside over every member and bring them together for the common good of the party. There is no doubt that he will be able to play this role effectively.
Again, as National Chairman, he will act as a coordinator of all events within and outside the party. He has made it clear to some of the people who know him very well that, all issues affecting the party ought to be well coordinated in collaboration with other national executives within the party as well as all others operating from the regions.
SYMPATHY FOR HARDWORKING MEMBERS
One good thing about this incoming Chairman is that he is very sympathetic to the plight of every Ghanaian. His exceptional sympathy will no doubt influence and encourage him to show appreciation to all hardworking members within the party. He believes in ensuring the establishment of a scheme which will be used to attract and support the grassroot members of the party whether within the rural or urban areas.
This shows that he is the type of person who will provide positive direction to the party. His leadership qualities are unparalleled but without giving him the chance to become National Chairman, all these good things cannot be displayed extensively in an effective manner. He continues to support the party in various ways but he can perform better, if we give him the opportunity to lead the party in the position of Chairmanship.
Mr. Ntim is very humble by all standards. He is not the proud type who will trample upon the respect that must be accorded to other members of the party.
MAXIMUM MUTUAL RESPECT
There is no doubt that his role as National Chairman will generate, to the maximum mutual respect, for every person within the party. In line with his vision of breaking the eight, he is very purposeful in what he does and when voted into the position he is seeking, he will help to bring everybody together and give hope to all followers of the party. It is this hope that will encourage every person to work hard for victory in 2024. He is not the boastful type but very humble, acknowledging the unique importance of every person he comes in contact with.
There is no doubt that Mr. Steve Ayesu Ntim is the figure that must be encouraged to seek the position he is seeking, so that the NPP can be rekindled and strengthened further to achieve the ultimate, that is, to win the 2024 elections, difficult as it is, in grand style.
One admirable thing about this man is his readiness to accept every person who comes his way. In the course of the internal elections which began from the lowest level, he extended congratulatory messages to all the candidates who were vying for various positions at various levels. This is marvellous of him and goes to portray him as the all-embracing type of person who is not selfish by nature but very open and friendly to all contestants within the political family.
TRUE DEMOCRAT
He is a true democrat who understands what internal elections is about and would, therefore, want to embrace every person in that political family. This is the kind of person we need to occupy the important seat of National Chairman in order to bring honour, respect, unique integrity and progress to the party.
Such a bundle of good characteristics should not be made to go to waste but accepted to drive the party to greater heights. All delegates should, therefore, vote for him so as to bring his dreams into reality.
To say the least, Mr. Steve Ayesu Ntim, if given the opportunity to serve the party, will seek to reignite it and thereby energise it to perform far better and win the expected votes, in collaboration with other executive members and supporters of the party, to bring in the needed victory, so let each and everyone vote for him to bring in the desired results for the country in line with national interest.
BY DR. KOFI AMPONSAH-BEDIAKO
There is a culture that permeates all aspects of leadership in the advanced countries which I believe has contributed to the success in all aspects of their national lives. Citizens strive to excel so that they will not find themselves in a situation where they would have failed, to necessitate a decision to resign.
Countries where failure is frowned upon, it pushes the citizens to strive for success. In our part of the world, failure and mediocrity has become an accepted norm and therefore, there is no shame in failing in a particular position of leadership.
A head of an organisation mismanages the place and he does not see the need for him to resign. The appointing authority does not also see the need to sack him and so the merry go round continues.
It becomes friends and family as usual and if care is not taken, the rest of the world will leave us far, far behind.
The practice of resignation in parts of the world for failure in some parts of the world has to be institutionalised in our country too. It encourages the principle of accountability which is good for any organisation, sector of an economy or a country.
It promotes good governance, a necessary ingredient in the growth of the economy of any country.
When this practice becomes a culture, every individual, privileged to hold a position of trust, gives his or her full attention to the job assigned him or her, to ensure that objectives are achieved.
This trickles down to every individual down the chain of command and there are no rooms for errors.
That is how efficient systems are built over time and this is the difference between advanced nations and third world countries.
Where systems are designed such that people take responsibility for things that go wrong under their supervision or ultimate responsibility, there is evidence of development.
There are a few people that I admire in Ghana as far as this culture of resignation based on principled stance. One of them is the late Mrs Emma Mitchell. She was a cabinet member but chose to resign after the confrontation between late President Jerry Rawlings and late Vice President Kow Akaah.
She was not prepared to be part of a cabinet which was lying to the general public that Rawlings did not assault Akaah.
She was of the conviction that telling the truth is more honourable than telling lies and that if she was bound by confidentiality oaths to tell a lie, then she would resign and she did exactly that.
That is how we build a culture of truth and accountability. We have people in positions who have not lived up to expectation but are still holding on to their positions not prepared to let go of it.
This is a clear case of display of selfishness, trying to be a Boss instead of a Servant to serve the people, which leadership is all about.
The ineffectiveness of some leaders, often result in waste of resources which could have been channeled to other sectors of the economy which could have been more productive. A culture of voluntary resignation must be advocated for by all stakeholders, especially the CSOs, traditional leaders and the clergy.
This is the only way the needed growth in every sector of our national life would manifest.
Presidents, Prime Ministers, heads of reputable organisations have voluntarily resigned by taking ultimate responsibility and it is about time, we started seeing it manifest in our country.
The people in charge of our sports especially our soccer, can initiate this long desired culture and resign in view of the embarrassment witnessed from the defeat of the Black Stars by Gambia. God bless.
BY LAUD KISS-MENSAH
SKIP THE QUEUE, TAP THE NEWS
You can now read the Ghanaian Times and The Spectator newspapers from the comfort of your device via TimesNewsPlus.
Join our WhatsApp Channel: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbBElzjInlqHhl1aTU27
THE QUR’AN FORBIDS RELIGIOUS PROVOCATION
There is a remarkable verse in the Qur’an which every Muslim preacher should memorise.
Allah says:
“And do not insult those they invoke besides Allah, lest they insult Allah in hostility without knowledge.” (Qur’an 6:108).
Think about this carefully.
Allah knows that the unbelievers worship false gods.
Yet Allah tells Muslims: Do not insult their objects of worship.
Why?
Because your speech may provoke an even greater offence.
This establishes a profound principle:
A Muslim must not fight religious provocation with religious provocation.
If someone insults what we hold sacred, we do not respond by insulting what they hold sacred.
If someone attacks Islam, we defend Islam with knowledge.
If someone misrepresents Muhammad (pbuh), we explain who is Muhammad to him.
If someone lies about Islam, we answer with truth and knowledge.
We do not allow another person’s bad behaviour to dictate our own morality.
LOOK AT MUHAMMAD (PBUH) — HE WAS INSULTED BEFORE WE WERE
Servant of Allah,
Sometimes we speak as though the Prophet (pbuh) lived in a world where everyone respected him.
No.
He was mocked and insulted. Quran 37:36, Quran 15:6
He was called a liar, magician, and a mad man. Quran 51:52, Quran 17:47
He was ridiculed. Quran 6:10
His followers were tortured, and some were killed. Quran 85:8-10
He himself was persecuted, leading to his migration to Madina.
Yet he remained the Messenger of Allah.
Allah said:
“Indeed, we know that your heart is distressed by what they say.” (Qur’an 15:97)
Allah acknowledged the Prophet’s pain.
Islam does not say that insults do not hurt. They hurt.
But the question is: What do you do with the pain?
THE DAY OF TA’IF: WHEN THE PROPHET (PBUH) COULD HAVE CHOSEN
REVENGE
One of the most powerful examples is the journey of the Prophet (pbuh) to Ta’if.
He went seeking support for his message.
Instead, the people rejected him and incited their children and others against him.
He was chased.
He was insulted.
He was struck with stones until his feet bled.
He was physically and emotionally exhausted.
Then the Angel of the Mountains came to him.
The two angels offered to crush the people of Ta’if between the mountains.
The Prophet (pbuh) could have said: “Do it.”
But he did not.
Instead, he hoped that Allah would bring from their descendants people who would worship Him.
This account is recorded in the authentic hadith literature, including Sahih Muslim (Muslim, 1795).
What a lesson!
The Prophet (pbuh) had suffered injustice.
But he did not turn his pain into indiscriminate revenge.
He saw beyond the offender.
He saw the possibility of tomorrow.
And this is one of the greatest characteristics of prophetic leadership:
The Prophet (pbuh) did not merely ask, “What punishment does this person deserve?”
He also asked, in effect: “What can this person become?”
THE PROPHET IN MADINAH: LEADER OF A DIVERSE SOCIETY
When Muhammad (pbuh) migrated to Madinah, he did not enter an empty city.
Madinah contained different communities, including Muslims and Jews, and there were also Christians who interacted with the Muslim community.
The Prophet became the political and communal leader of Madinah.
The Sahifah (A Covenant) of Madinah, preserved in the early sīrah (Prophet’s biography) tradition, established arrangements concerning mutual obligations, security, justice and relations among the communities of the city.
This is important:
The Prophet did not build Madinah by teaching Muslims to hate everyone who was not Muslim.
He built a society governed by covenant, responsibility and justice.
Allah says:
“Allah does not forbid you from being kind and just to those who have neither fought you because of your religion nor driven you from your homes. Indeed, Allah loves those who act justly.” (Qur’an 60:8)
This is not weakness.
This is Islam.
THE PROPHET DEALT WITH JEWS IN MADINAH
‘A’ishah (Wife of the Prophet) narrated that the Prophet (pbuh) bought food from a Jewish man on credit and gave him his iron armour as collateral.
“The Prophet purchased food from a Jew on credit and mortgaged his iron armour to him.” (Sahih al-Bukhari, 2068)
Think about it.
This was Muhammad.
The Messenger of Allah.
Yet he conducted lawful commercial dealings with a Jewish citizen.
He did not say: “He is not a Muslim, therefore I cannot deal with him.”
No.
Islam gave him a relationship governed by justice and trust.
Jabir رضيهللاعنه narrated:
“A funeral procession passed before us and the Prophet (pbuh) stood up, and we stood with him. We said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, it is the funeral of a Jew.’ He said: ‘When you see a funeral procession, stand.’” (Sahih al-Bukhari, 1311)
Another narration records his response: “Is it not a soul?” (Sahih al-Bukhari, 1312–1313)
What kind of heart did Muhammad (pbuh) possess?
A heart that recognised human dignity even in death.
THE PROPHET AND THE CHRISTIANS OF NAJRAN
The Prophet also received the Christian delegation of Najran.
They disagreed with him theologically.
Yet when they requested a trustworthy person, he did not choose someone because of hatred.
He selected Abu ‘Ubaydah ibn al-Jarrah.
The Prophet said:
“I shall send with you a man who is truly trustworthy.”
He then appointed Abu ‘Ubaydah.
This is authentically reported in Sahih al-Bukhari 4380–4381.
Notice something profound:
The Prophet could disagree with people without becoming dishonest toward them.
That is the standard we need today.
The author is the chief Imam of Katamanso Municipal and Certified Counsellor and Governance Expert.
