Once upon a time, Ghana was recognized as the beacon of Africa and the most peaceful country in the world. With this in mind, Ghana was a top spot for holidays and tourism worldwide. This also increased investor confidence which translated into numerous economic growths experienced especially under the twin Mills-Mahama government. It is indeed clear that this was one of the greatest economic periods in the life of Ghana.
Here we are today. Ghana has metamorphosed within the space of 4 years into a crime-prone zone, only a little short of Nigeria and Iraq where terrorism is on the high. One is forced to question what has resulted in this exigent taste for crime and terrorism in the Ghanaian space.
The issues of terrorism and high crime rates was born in 2015 when the then major Opposition party (NPP) took to acid-baths and butchering their own members over local elections. This was quickly followed by many other politically- sanctioned murders and brutalities which involved even journalists and the ordinary Ghanaian.
Eventually, the NPP party succeeded in wresting power from the NDC government in the 2016 polls. Despite the fear of war generated in the country within the period, following how violent the NPP has been in the build-up to the election, Ghana and the world saw the most peaceful election ever under the watch of Charlotte Osei’s Electoral Commission. This election earned our then Electoral Commissioner scores of international recognition and accolades.
After the success of this election, one would have thought the NPP would wind down on their violence, is it that they had already gotten what they so much desired (Power).
Well, our thoughts and beliefs were wrong. The NPP government shocked us all by not only continuing their violence but also training special vigilante forces including invincible forces among others to terrorise Ghanaians in their own motherland. Recent among such attacks is the one that took place during the by-election at the Ayawaso West Wuogon Constituency. While we are yet to find the perpetrators of such heinous crimes against humanity and God, my concern is more about the negligence of our leaders. Let’s be frank. If you call yourself the father of the nation yet you do not bother to speak when your citizens are brutalised in their own homes because they went out to cast their votes for an election you obviously stood a chance of winning, then what sort of a father are you? Father of the nation or father of family and friends? This action only goes to tell us that the speech read on 7th January 2017 is not just a plagiarised speech but also an indictment on the intelligence of the over 30 million citizens of Ghana.
What is more annoying about this issue is the loud silence and show of “I don’t care” displayed by the Electoral Commission. This act in itself is ‘absurd’ and raises questions about the credibility of the EC and its readiness for the 2020 elections. If you ask me, I’ll tell you that the Electoral Commission per current situations is in no capacity to handle a national election even if just for some Senior High School Students. We as a nation have been failed largely by this NPP government under the watch of the ‘down-to-earth’ plagiarist and his all-knowing assistant.
If the current spate of crimes in the country isn’t an issue of leadership, then I probably may understand rocket science easier than any explanation given by anyone under this post.
Peace!!
By: OBENG AGYENIM BOATENG
(NDC YOUTH ACTIVIST & COMMUNICATIONS TEAM MEMBER)
0555790101