The spoils system (also known as a patronage system) is a practice in which a political party, after winning an election, gives government jobs to its supporters, friends and relatives as a reward for working toward victory, and as an incentive to keep working for the party—as opposed to a merit system, where offices are awarded on the basis of some measure of merit, independent of political activity.
The term was derived from the phrase “to the victor belong the spoils” by New York Senator, William L. Marcy, referring to the victory of the Jackson Democrats in the election of 1828, with the term spoils meaning goods or benefits taken from the loser in a competition, election or military victory”—Wikipedia.
When it became clear that the spoils system was detrimental to American society, they took steps through the development and enforcement of a series of legislation to surgically remove it, even when it had birthed and sustained two political parties – like we have in Ghana today.
As a developing nation, the impact of our own spoils system has been equally devastating, denying the nation, much needed human and financial resources for socio-economic development, mainly through corruption and wastage that are well covered. Justifications given for instability in our democracy in earlier years before the coming of the fourth republic were attributed to some of the negative effects of the spoils system.
Unfortunately, the fourth republican dispensation too seems to have developed various shades of the spoils system. Earlier in the year, members of the Delta Force, an informal vigilante group within the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) forcibly removed the Ashanti Region Security Coordinator, Mr. George Adjei, from office because they did not consider him to have contributed enough to winning the elections, for him to deserve the position in the new administration.
When the suspects were put before court for their crimes, other members of the Delta Force stormed the court, abused the Magistrate and freed their compatriots. Their conduct was widely condemned, compelling the government to assure Ghanaians that due process of law would be followed and the perpetrators would be brought to book.
Contrary to government position, some party stalwarts threatened dire consequences if government went ahead to allow the due process of law to operate in the matter. They recounted the key roles the vigilante group members played in their winning the December 2016 elections.
Thankfully, government did not discontinue the process. But developments leading to the verdict of “a fine GH¢1,800 on each of the accused, or in default, serve a 12-month jail term”, is widely believed to be an orchestrated slap on the wrist judgement”.
It is still not clear why the Attorney General withdrew the original charges and replaced them with “softer” ones that would lead to such a “slap on the wrist” verdict. Is this watered down punishment the price we have to pay for crimes as dangerous as storming a court room to free suspects? What really is the value of the Delta Force’s contribution to the NPP winning elections that we must sacrifice the principles of constitutionalism and the rule of law to live with their crimes?
Given the increasingly violent activities, groups such as the Delta Force are engaged in, for which such verdicts would go a long way to encourage, I am compelled to ask; is this the true cost of political power? Who is in charge!
The Last Uprising
…with William Doworkpor
