Political campaigns constitute important adjuncts of democracy or elections because they enable the electorate to know the programmes or manifestoes of the contesting political parties.
Political parties rely on their leaders and activists to propagate such programmes to convince the electorate to vote for them.
Such engagements should be decent and devoid of foul plays. Unfortunately, in our political ambience, that has not been the case. Tracing their roots to the Verandah Boys concept of the pre-independence politics of the country foot soldiers have added to the features of the main political parties.
Within this group are the serial callers who call into radio stations in their efforts to attract support for their parties under the Communications team arrangement.
It is a full time occupation with players making monies from their paymasters, usually the party bigwigs.
Party communications team members in the NDC are often toxic in their presentations, their ways not in tune with decency.
They are fit only for campaign purposes and kept away from the day to day running of governments, and the reason is not far-fetched.
After elections campaigns are over and the country must heal and allow for the normal running of governments because after all the President so elected and the team he constitutes are given the mandate to serve the people of the country, assignment not restricted to their party folks.
There are instances where members of the opposing political parties are drafted into government because of their expertise in certain fields.
Today, however, we are beginning to witness a trend where die-hard harsh tongued NDC communications team members are being recruited into the Public Service as head of corporate affairs or corporate communications.
Some of them are facing resistance of the agencies they have been deployed to because they are bereft of the needed qualifications for the public service.
These compatriots because of their previous engagements on the campaign trail as typical foot soldiers are so politically exposed that they would be unable to discharge their duties devoid of party colours something which is unacceptable.
Is that the reason people perceived not to be NDC card bearing persons are being dismissed from their places of work? To create rooms for NDC Communications team members to come and take over?
This is yet another dangerous trend which does not augur well for the progress of the country.
Even more dangerous is the fact that these persons are being drafted to perform PR roles previously handled by seasoned personnel sometimes from the Information Services Department of the Ministry of Information.
Being persons noted for spreading misinformation and disinformation it would not be long before any word coming from government is considered government propaganda.
Something is wrong and the President and those in charge of such matters should rethink this packing of the Public Service with party foot soldiers whose special qualification is that they have mastered the art of lashing out political opponents sometimes with unprintable language.
That should not be the only way of rewarding these NDC hatchet men.
Ghana requires political harmony and such aggravation of an already polarized Ghana can only add to our woes.
