Political Parties Must Learn Lessons From TheAntd; The Consequences Of  Putting "Square Pegs In Round Hole" Are Dire

Politicking should be seen as a vehicle for development in Ghana. 

Therefore putting the right people in leadership position is non - negotiable. As political parties elect their leaders, it is critical square pegs are not put in round holes. 

More often than not the base of the political realms cry foul, neglect creating serious apathy among the grassroots. 

Truth is that the Political Parties do not lose elections but they hand over political power to the opponents every eight years. Their base become disgruntled and disappointed 

 The concern of the Gallant Cadres of the National Democratic Congress is that individuals wanting to lead NDC should go to the ant and learn lessons. 

Why must the trust of the grassroots be betrayed ? Must there be apathetic mood among the grassroots?

When wise King Solomon in the Bible wanted humanity to learn wisdom, he advised us to “Go to the Ant, consider its ways and be wise” (Proverbs 6:6).   

 The Bible continues further in (Proverbs 6:7-8 ) that “It has no commander, no overseer nor ruler but provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest”.

King Solomon was directing human beings to find diligence, discipline, responsibility and wisdom from the lifestyle of the ant. 

 Similarly, the Holy Qu’ran makes reference to ants in Surah An-Nami (Chapter 27), verses 18 -19 which reads:“Until, when they came upon the valley of the ants, an ant said, O ants, enter your dwellings that you not be crushed by Solomon and his soldiers while they are not aware. 

So Solomon smiled, amused at her speech, and said, My Lord, enable me to be grateful for Your favour which you have bestowed upon me …………..”. This verse shows the reaction of Prophet Sulayman (Solomon) after hearing the ant warning other ants to be alert and take cover for protection when it recognized danger approaching.Sulayman appreciated the wisdom in what the ant said, turned to God in gratitude and prayed to live righteously. 

This Ant parable teaches the political parties and organizations to be alert, wise, humble, proactive, selfless, united and caring for the safety of the whole group.

One wonders why the two most dominant religions in the world (Christianity and Islam) both give prominence to the very importance of Ants and their lifestyle in spite of their diminutive size.

 This is because ANTS have a structured life with each category performing specific roles and for the benefit of the whole colony.

In their colonies, there are the QUEENS (normally the leaders) that lay eggs and ensure the growth and survival of the colony.

There are the DRONES (male ants) and their main roles are mating with the queen. There are the SOLDIER ANTS that are stronger and defend their nest.

 They attack intruders and also protect the queen by stinging and biting opponents and making sure the vulnerable are not harmed unnecessarily.

We have the sterile females called the WORKER ANTS that search for food outside their nest, collect seeds, other insects, sugary substances and carry them back to the colony to be shared by ALL. 

Some of these worker ants stay to take care of eggs, larvae and pupae and are responsible for feeding and protecting the young until they mature.

They dig tunnels and chambers underground as they are responsible for repairing and expanding their nest while maintaining proper ventilation. 

Some maintain PROPER SANITATION by removing waste and dead ants from the nest to prevent diseaase within the colony and keep their living areas clean. 

Together and by playing different but significant roles, ants take charge of their own reproduction, food gathering, childcare, defense, building and cleaning.

This organized division of work makes them so successful.

 Will politicians take a cue from the life of an ant and work together for the advancement, development and progress of their communities and the nation as a whole?

Some politicians are driven by greed and selfishness who fight for positions they have no abilities and capabilities to occupy. 

This results in finding square pegs in round holes in both party and nation building with very negative consequences to society.

Mention can readily be made of a Finance Minister who controlled the national purse of a country with little or no knowledge in finance and eventually plunging the whole nation into an abyss. As the nation struggles to recover, the culprit is seriously working to be given asylum in another country. 

Equally devastating was once a Minister who could not define very basic fundamental concepts in a ministry one was being vetted to occupy.

  Political power and nepotism will always be used to put square pegs in round holes.

Even at the basic levels of politics, such tendencies are rife. Persons with little or no knowledge find themselves as party executives and eventually performing poorly to the detriment of the whole group.

The Gallant Cadres of the NDC would want to admonish all politicians jostling for various political positions right from the polling station, branch, constituency, regional, national as well as parliamentary levels to assess themselves critically before making their decisions to compete for various positions. 

The consequences of putting square pegs in round holes are dire..   

Ghana’s economic woes over the past eight years should be a big lesson to all.

Just like the ant colony, various positions in both party and government are well crafted and interwoven to ensure the eventual prosperity of a nation.

 The lack of such efficiency, wisdom and diligence in the performance of one executive member eventually leads to the total collapse of the whole unit.

 After all, we are a proud nation and would not want to go back to the IMF for the 18th time as a nation. We have really learned that the consequences are dire.