No man is an island, Entire of itself. Every man is a piece of the continent, A part of the main… Any man’s death diminishes me, Because I am involved in mankind. And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; It tolls for thee. – John Donne
The frequently asked question (FAQ) “when will Ghanaians learn to tolerate one another” may not be sufficiently answered by party loyalists and apparatchiks; save people consumed by national patriotism.
The National Peace Council last month set up a committee for Code of Conduct on Vigilantism and Election-based Violence. The committee met on Tuesday, August 20, 2024 and earnestly prayed for the political parties to commit themselves to a “Peace Pact”.
All the parties, save the NDC have not expressed demur, indicating their readiness to sign the said pact; they include the NPP, Alan’s Movement for Change, …… Kofi Akpaloo’s Liberal Party of Ghana (LPG) Kwame Bediako’s (Cheddar) New Force Movement, Christian Kwabena Andrews’s Ghana Union Movement (GUM). Their silence is loud enough, for as Thomas More said in 1530; “Qui facet ConsentireVidetur (he who is silent seems to consent).
The NDC led by its loquacious Chairman, Johnson Asiedu Nketia gave six pre-signing conditions prior to committing itself to any peace engagement. The NDC preempts any plea; they will not “let bygones be bygones; We will not be part of any engagement unless you bring together all the parties”.
The conditions set by “General Mosquito” include the following: Government to fully implement the recommendations of the Ayawaso West Wuogon Election Commission of Enquiry; prosecute persons involved in the illegal printing of about one million extra ballot papers during the 2020 elections; the President to declare on a state platform that he will respect the outcome of the 2024 elections; to fully disclose the missing equipment from the Electoral Commission; the President, the Inspector-General of Police, the Chief Justice the National Security Coordinator, the Attorney-General to all sign the pact.
Who can force anyone to “let bygones be bygones” (that is, let the unpleasant things that happened in the past be forgotten. In Shakespeare’s “The Winter’s Tale” Paulina chastises “repentant” Leontes in a monologue: “thy bygone fooleries were but spices of it”. In a letter by 15th century Scottish churchman, Samuel Rutherford, acknowledging his youthful follies stated: “pray that bygones betwixt me and my Lord may be bygones”.
The Ghanaian critical observer asks: “what would you do if the murdered young men at Ayawaso were your sons.” Or “if you were in the shoes” of Honorable Sam George who was slapped openly how would you react?” There are very good reasons for asking “what provoked the troubles at the Ayawaso West Wuogon Constituency by-election? What was the “casus belli”. Fortunately, the government set up a committee/commission to probe the despicable episode.
The Commission of Enquiry was composed of eminent and prominent personalities like experienced Emile Short, knowledgeable Professor Henrietta Mensah-Bonsu, hard-working ex-Inspector General of Police, Patrick K. Acheampong with ex-Dean of the Faculty of Law of the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration, Kofi Abotsi as Secretary. Do policemen go into action hooded? What about the murders at Techiman South? Obiaransono y3 n’ade (everyone cherishes his/her ‘begotten’ son or daughter). Do we expect the souls of the “departed” to rest in peace?
But who said you make a good politician only when you deliver incendiary speeches or you spew invectives? So that when the opportunity offered itself, all politicians had resorted to the use of “fiery” words, to the point that when the President is alleged to have failed to act, Sam George says on TV3 (24/08/24) he thinks the President has a “deluded” mind!
An otherwise affable personality, Stephen Ntim, NPP Chairman reminds his audience: “If you want peace, prepare for war”, and quickly adds: “it does not mean we have brought cutlasses to kill and maim,” only to spoil the broth by the recidivist speech: “wo de si a, yebetwa” (if you put it there we shall cut it).
The National Peace Council established by Act 818 of the Parliament, the National Peace Council Act 2011 has Rev. Dr. Ernest Adu Gyamfi as Board Chairman, George Amoh as Executive Secretary, Most Rev. Emmanuel Kofi Fianu, Nana AgyakomaDifie II Mampong Queen, Mrs. Joana Adzoa Opare, Rt. Rev Col. John Kwamina Otoo, Prof. Nana SusubiribiKrobea Asante, Mrs. Magdalene Kamnae, Rev. Prof. Paul Frimpong-Manso, Sheikh Salman Mohammed Alhassan, Numo Blafo Akotia Omaetu II, Maulvi Mohammed Bin Salih, Sheikh Aremeyaw Shaibu and Archbishop Nicholas Duncan-Williams.
Among its functions are: to harmonise and coordinate conflict prevention, management, resolution and build sustainable peace through net-working and coordination… To promote understanding of the values of diversity, trust, tolerance, confidence building, negotiation, mediation dialogue and reconciliation.
What other type of persons would anyone wish to constitute the council; and what other functions would anyone require the Peace Council to perform? The name of the game is ‘trust’ so one would ask why Sam George calls for its disbandment. Do we need to be reminded that the very existence of the Council is itself a discouragement for “evil thoughts”?
Now that the two major political parties (NPP, NDC) have launched their manifestoes, it is left for political analysts to scrutinise the documents and educate the public on the contents. Two things stand out tall in the documents: digitization/digitalization” (NPP) “24-hour economy” (NDC).
For all of our problems, “digitization” will be the panacea according to Bawumia who appears to have had a full day at the encounter with the Press and Mahama thinks “24-hour” will be a great boost to the economy, especially when a farmer goes to his farm at 6pm for a thief to go there at 2 am, and we eat fufu at 2 am.
Nana Addo must have got the opportunity to fulfill his childhood ambition-to be Ghana’s head of State. He must have done well to have been the First President of Ghana to have maintained his ministers (young, energetic, straight-from-school… the clamour by other aspirants (including ardent supporters of 2008, 2012) notwithstanding.
His insistence that chiefs should get up to greet him was simply to put into action Article 57 (2) of the 1992 Constitution:” The President shall take precedence over all other persons in Ghana…” do not be Sanballath and Tobiah and criticise the President for saying “I am determined to build the Cathedral, come what may”.
Or the payment of $22 million to the respected Ghanaian British architect David Adjaye, for the beautiful design of the National Cathedral, Do we have to ask actor Yvonne Nelson: “… I don’t think any Ghanaian is complaining about where to worship…?” or Professor Gyampo “… Putting religion ahead of development”. What about Rev. Kusi Boateng’s GH¢2.6m refund… or the resignation of Rev. Mensah-Otabil, Rev. Dag Heward-Mills. Houphouet Boigny built the 18,000-seater Yamoussoukro ‘Our Lady of Peace ‘Cathedral with $200 million, only 1,000 attend and Ivorians are not complaining.
The President may have used the Anas’s Principle in secrecy, just as Anas used to do, Who is crooning; “Won a adepaba wo kye di no, eka ba a won arana wo kye tua (those benefiting from a windfall alone, suffer the repayment thereof alone). Does anybody expect that NDC members like some NPP members and other like-minded Ghanaians will behave like robots?
