Your Excellency, this is my solemn request. You might want to know what has precipitated this. To start with, since you assumed office, I have written to you to share my thoughts in response to your charge to all Ghanaians not to be spectators but citizens. I have touched on wide range of issues including Free SHS, galamsey, vigilantism, corruption, national development and many more.
I propose you declare 6th March 2020 a day for national mourning in consonance with the situation Ghanaians find themselves in under your watch. I am making this request because I voted for you and I trusted you before 2016 elections. I trusted you on the basis of your sterling legal laurels, unparalleled human rights activism, firm belief in the principles of rule of law and your long years of public service. In fact, you claimed that you have never been corrupt, you are not corrupt and you would not be corrupt.
Prior to 2016 elections I had completely lost confidence, faith and hope in Mr John Dramani Mahama. I vowed to myself that irrespective of the candidate who contested then president of Ghana, I would have voted for that candidate. Choosing you over Mr John Dramani Mahama was therefore the easiest of all tasks.
Fortunately for me and many like-minded Ghanaians, you won the 2016 elections overwhelmingly. There was so much euphoria around your election. A new day had dawned. You started with the implementation of your programmes for Ghana. You constituted your team in record time, however, the size. We adopted, let us wait and see attitude.
You “arrested the cedi”, you announced and actually implemented the Free SHS program, appointed the Special Prosecutor and reduced utility bills, much to the delight of Ghanaians. As if these were not enough, you were bold and daring enough to put your presidency on the line and declared fearless and unflinching war against the dreaded galamsey menace. The galamsey war resonated with all Ghanaians and almost everyone came on board because galamsey was a monstrous threat to our very existence. Our forest cover, farmlands, water bodies and communities were fast depleting.
Inter- ministerial committee on mining was inaugurated, Operation Vanguard was born and that was followed by Galamstop. Ghanaians could now sleep knowing that the very menace that threatened our lives together was held in firm check.
Today, just before Ghana’s 63rd Anniversary, Ghana has disappointingly lost the fight against galamsey. Mr President, the life of every Ghanaian is on the line since you have conveniently taken your presidency off the line in the fight against galamsey. We are told Operation Vanguard is pulling out and the Ghana Police Service would take over the battle against galamsey. Interestingly enough, we are back to where we began from in 2017.
The level of corruption in Ghana has worsened, the size of your government remains plump, the cedi has not fared any better, fuel prices are still choking Ghanaians, cost of living is biting our lungs, Ghana’s public debt is soaring by the day and unemployment has not eased. Opulence and profligacy in public office are intolerably high.
Please declare a day for national mourning on Independence Day to mourn our losses and only lift our heads to reflect on the way forward for mother Ghana.
(Clement ADJEI SARFO, the CRUSADING COLUMNIST)