Prof. Kobby Mensah, a Political Marketing Strategist, has highlighted that the NPP’s loss at the recent elections was primarily due to their failure to fulfill their promises to the Ghanaian people.
He pointed out that the fundamental question is why the party could not deliver on its commitments.
In an interview with Vaultz News, he questioned whether voters perceived the party’s failure to deliver on its promises as the reason for their defeat.
Another critical consideration, according to Prof. Mensah, is whether the promises themselves were realistic and achievable, or if their unrealistic nature contributed to the party’s inability to fulfill them.
“Also, consider whether voters truly understood the promises made by the NPP. If the promises were fulfilled, did the voters recognize their fulfillment, or did they fail to notice? If voters didn’t notice, why is it that, despite the party’s claim of delivery, the public remained unaware? Conversely, if the promises weren’t delivered, what obstacles prevented their fulfillment?
“If we accept the theory that successful delivery of promises leads to retaining power, then the answer becomes straightforward.”
Prof. Kobby Mensah
Accordingly, Prof. Mensah emphasized that the newly formed NDC/Mahama-led government must focus on delivering their promises and effectively communicating that delivery to the public.
He stressed that the goal is for voters to recognize that the NDC has fulfilled its mandate, which would encourage them to support the party in future elections.
According to the Political Marketing Strategist, the key is not only delivering on promises but also ensuring that voters understand and appreciate the accomplishments.
Effective communication of achievements, he maintained, should not be difficult if the promises have been fulfilled because successful delivery inherently communicates itself. “And so I think that it’s a question of NPP having to deliver as opposed to having to communicate delivery”.
Prof. Mensah Calls for Clear Policy Timelines and Media Scrutiny
Furthermore, Prof. Kobby Mensah emphasized that the NDC-Mahama government should clearly communicate the timeframes for certain policies to enhance public understanding.
He indicated that clarity in communication is a crucial political strategy pointing out that for instance, if a policy like ORAL (Operation Recover All Loots) is introduced, the government should specify its duration.
He suggested that at the start of implementing a policy, they could provide a timeline, indicating whether the policy has a sunset clause, meaning it will end at a specific time, or if it is intended to continue indefinitely or be carried on by future administrations.
“Maybe it should be the work of the media interrogating the details of each policy so that we could be clear in our minds of policy implications. I mean, timeline implications, cost implications, maybe people requirement implications, etcetera.
“[For example], was ORAL to be delivered by the existing state structure, which is the attorney general, or was supposed to be delivered by a completely new administrative structure, like the one that was set up?”
Prof. Kobby Mensah
Addressing the perceived inconsistency in the NDC government’s communication regarding ORAL, Prof. Mensah stated that he would not necessarily label it as inconsistency.
He pointed out that during the campaign, there was no specific timeline mentioned for ORAL, whether it would be permanent or last for a few months.
According to him, the focus was on ORAL as a tool to combat corruption, but the duration of its operation—be it six, three, or four months—was not clearly communicated.
Instead of calling it inconsistency, he suggested it should be seen as a lack of clarity. “The key question is whether the lifespan of ORAL was clearly defined”.
He further argued that the potential removal of ORAL by the appointment of the Attorney General does not undermine its primary objective of fighting corruption.
Accordingly, Prof. Mensah emphasized that the fight against corruption should continue regardless of ORAL’s status.
He maintained that this does not reflect inconsistency but rather a need for clearer communication of policy details. “I think these are the clarities we might need whenever we are talking about certain policy pronouncements”.
Information Asymmetry in Political Communication Highlighted
Regarding communication challenges in politics, Prof. Kobby Mensah emphasized that politicians must recognize the gap in understanding between themselves and the public, known as information asymmetry.
According to him, this disparity, resulting from uneven access to information, is a common issue in political communication.
“And so they [politicians] must find ways to limit information asymmetry or reduce information asymmetry. That would also reduce perceived inconsistencies or perceived clarity, lack of clarity that we are talking about”.
Prof. Kobby Mensah
Prof. Mensah further stressed the importance of clear communication, considering the varying levels of public comprehension of policy issues and politics.
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