The director of research of Anchoring Democracy Advocacy Movement Ghana (ADAM-GH) and Senior lecturer at Kaaf University college, Mr. John Adu Jack has said, Ghana is treading on very dangerous grounds in trying to legitimate Mrs Bill Gates’ prophesy.
According to him, many people and organizations such as World Health Organization (WHO) have said that if care is not taking, they foresee overwhelming death toll on the [dropcap][/dropcap]continent of Africa.
Agreeably, they are not far from the reality. It is refreshing to note that, covid-19 did not walk by itself to Ghana, neither did it fly on its own to our dear country. This disease was deliberately imported into the country as officials refused to heed good counsel from good, right thinking and level headed groups and or persons. In lieu of the “yemmfi obiaa, which literally means we won’t mind anybody” and we are in charge mantra, Ghana recorded her first case from somebody who but for the president would not have travelled to countries that had recorded positive cases of the pandemic.
However, upon realizing the impending danger, the very good heads again advised to quickly shut our doors to outsiders which also fell into deaf ears until it aggravated.
This reminds me of what K.B. Quantson, a former BNI Director, wrote in his book titled “National Security……..the Dilemma” which said “National tragedy is as the result of a situation that has been compounded by our very chronic short memories and our stubborn refusal to be guided by the wise lessons of history.”
When I juxtapose what this man said years ago with the decisions that we are taking on covid-19 pandemic today without recourse to the immediate past importation of the disease amidst the advice by the Ghana Medical Association (GMA), the front liners, just a day or two ago asking the president to extend the lockdown and if possible, rope in other places that look fast spreading but end up lifting the lockdown, then we are tempted to ‘smell a rat’ in the decisions of the president.
Indeed, if our leaders ignore the past, how can they evaluate the present and cope with the future?
Is it that the President and his government knew that when the situation aggravates, there are some political advantages, personal financial benefits, arrogating of excessive power through a controversial E.I. or what? Will it be right to say that, there was a reason National Identification Authority (NIA) had to fight and win their case in court and subsequently decided to suspend their registration in the Eastern Region at their own will and so can begin same uninterrupted? Is it to pave way for EC to test the waters? Is it to allow H.E. Nana Addo’s party primaries to take place? Can it also be said that getting $1Billion and taking huge amounts left, right, center all in the name of covid-19 was the game plan? Or was it that, the government wanted to use the vulnerables as a shield to take monies they could not have taken from individuals, corporate entities and some statutory funds? These questions are asked in good faith.
You know what; the root of our problems in Ghana now is hypocrisy.
In Ghana, anybody who ‘thinks long’ is seen to be a doom prophet. Casting our minds back in those euphoric days of Ghana’s Independence, as stated by K.B. Quantson, if any discerning person had dropped the slightest hint of possible national security problems that would confront the nation, he would have been dismissed as a lunatic or a rabid alarmist.
But the signs were there even if blurred and indistinct. Albeit we can see vividly the life threatening situation Ghanaians are going to face in this high community and or lateral spread of the deadly novel corona virus after the lifting of the restriction of movement.
What is the scientific reasoning to lockdown Greater Accra which includes Tema, Kasoa and Greater Kumasi when Ghana had recorded about 87 positive cases of the corona virus for 3 weeks and lifting the restrictions at the time Ghana has recorded 1042 positive cases even as the lateral infection is on the ascendancy and still counting?
The tendency on the part of some of our leaders to cling to power by all means can become a dangerous obsession that threatens good governance and the democratic system.
Especially when leaders hide behind political expediency and the ‘yemmfi obiaa’ mantra, after all ‘the end justifies the means’ principles to endanger the lives of the very people they intend to govern or lead.
The citizenry must also ‘shine their eyes’ because K.B.Quantson says that, “an irresponsible citizenry is as much a threat to national security as an irresponsible leadership”.
He went on to lament that where the people do not know their basic rights, or do not care to know, there is a problem. We all have a right to live and so we need to safeguard that fundamental human right. Hence, we must protest vehemently against anybody who will ask us to exchange our lives for any of their parochial interest.
JOHN ADU JACK
Director of Research ADAM-GH.
0208397003 / 0544526676
Source: Muhammed Faisal Mustapha