The Pace-Setter Sophia Akuffo: Ghana’s Economic Crisis And The Reorientation Of Nationalism In The Ghanaian

“Politics is too partisan, and sometimes patriotism is cast aside. Patriotism is honor and love of your country and your brothers and sisters. With politics l get the impression that it’s all about what’s good for the party and not necessarily what’s good for the country.” Ricardo Montalban (Mexican and American film and television actor).

This is the true understanding of what politics is, for one to become a prisoner to it – or ‘zombie’ to it for that matter.

When one wants to see oneself otherwise, what the former Chief Justice, Justice Sophia Akuffo is facing currently is what becomes of one. Politics must ‘necessarily’ consume the patriotism in one – giving way for one’s imprisonment by one’s party – mentally.

Captive to this direction of thinking is almost 99% of politicians who must accept the status quo – or be considered partisan ‘political outcasts’ as now pertains. Therefore, it takes an individual, enormous political courage to have taken the stance of the now venerable former Chief Justice of the Republic of Ghana.

Unfortunately, the lady with the stature and pedigree of the ‘fearless fangs’, has come under undeserved criticism from people purportedly coming from her perceived party, the New Patriotic Party (NPP). Debatably however, due to her appointment as Chief Justice by the sitting President, it has cheaply been concluded she belongs to the President’s party.

However, she was appointed to the Supreme Court of Ghana by H.E, President John Jerry Rawlings of blessed memory. He founded the National Democratic Congress (NDC). Why did we not conclude she was NDC at the time of her appointment to the Supreme Court?

Wickedly – and unfortunately again, her statement to the effect that, “…my mouth is no longer gagged from speaking…” has poorly and illogically been comprehended as having been previously prevented from speaking her mind by the governing NPP.

This weird conclusion is coming from people who pride themselves as intellectuals (?), and sadly – coming from the NPP.

Supporters and sympathizers of the NDC are not left out in the melee of criticisms of the former Chief Justice’s nouvelle outspokenness.

What did the former Chief Justice say that was so confusing or hypocritical for a minute fraction of the citizenry to condemn her? That she is no “…longer gagged…”, warrants us to ask questions – ‘why now’?

Since when have we had members of the Judiciary talking ‘any how’ or ‘by heart’? Even though the judiciary convicts and jails offenders of the law, they themselves must be seen as willing and voluntary ‘captives’ in the Judicial Service of Ghana, for ‘no crime’ committed.

The gagging Justice Sophia Akuffo spoke of is not a dictatorial gagging, but moral and conservative gagging for as long as one remains in the Judicial Service. And it is not limited to Ghana alone.

But we should not be surprised at the little backlash she has suffered, because that is what the ‘democrats’ of this country have thought us to carry ourselves – per the ‘ugly’ orientation of party first; and it is coming from the mainstay political divide of Ghana – NPP/NDC.

They first broke the wings of the youth of Ghana from flying as they used to when they were given Nationalistic/Patriotic orientation from early post-independent Ghana.

That was the time students’ voice was heard via the National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS). They did not represent only the student body at the time, but to a larger extent the voice of the youth.

Ghana Trades Union Congress was the other that gave voice to the voiceless. And we first crawled, walked and ran along in progress as one people, and even though partisan politics abounded but truncated at the various intervals, we still saw ourselves as a homogeneous people in a proud independent Ghana. The youth had voice!

“He alone who owns the youth, gains the future.” Adolf Hitler. So, come the 1992 Constitution of Ghana – the Adolf Hitler theory of owning the youth was conjured by the mainstreams political divide of the NDC and NPP, made it an ambitious determination to own the youth of this country – but not from a United Front. Thus come the ‘BROKEN WINGS, FRONT and VOICE’ of the NUGS, culminating to the formation of the Tertiary Education Institutions Network (TEIN) of NDC, and the Tertiary Students Confederacy (TESCON) of the NPP.

They have effectively rendered the vibrant/firebrand NUGS of old – ‘useless’. This is what partisan politics has done to Ghana’s youth in our so-called democratic dispensation. No more PATRIOTISM to the service of country – it is dedication to one’s political party.

This is the concern for which the former Chief Justice Sophia Akuffo’s action ought be seen as a paradigm shift from the polluted orientation that the 1992 Constitution has brought us.

“To be locked into partisan politics doesn’t permit you to think clearly” Rudy Giuliani (107^th Mayor of New York City, 1994-2001).

Granted without admitting the former Chief Justice is a member of the NPP; she has refused “to be locked into partisan politics…”, because “it doesn’t permit her to think clearly”.

She has broken the mental chains of captivity to partisan politics, to show the way for the Ghanaian citizenry to follow a new and emerging NATIONALISTIC ORIENTATION.

KUDOS to her Ladyship, Sophia Akuffo, the former Chief Justice – Republic of Ghana. You are our heroin of the moment.

Camillus Maalneriba-Tia Sakzeesi
[email protected]
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