Editorial - The Need For Us To Preserve Our Peace

For sometime now, the Ghanaian political scene has been characterized by a perceived animosity between the two major political parties in the country – the NDC and the NPP. Anything concerning the development of the nation has been politicized, with one group blaming the other for maladministration. It seems to be a blame game all over.

It is worth mentioning that in the sub region, Ghana is considered as one of the most peaceful and serene countries and this is substantiated by the investor- confidence reposed in the nation and evidenced by the huge quantum of loans we have been able to secure so far for development.

However, if care is not taken, the peace we enjoy today will become an illusion. This is because; the opposition NPP almost always sees nothing good about the NDC administration. This is inherent in some of the inflammatory and repulsive tribal and ethnocentric comments often coming from their members, which as some say could plunge the country into chaos and anarchy if care is not taken.

There are clear enough evidences in speeches coming from the likes of the National Youth Organizer of the NPP, Anthony Kaboo, who threatened the Afghanistan type of war in Ghana if the Electoral Commission does not declare the election in their favor coming December 2012.

He was reported to have incited the party's youth wing in the Northern region to be militants and fight to ensure victory for the party, the National Chairman of the Party, Jake Obetsebi Lamptey was reported to have said that, guns are cheap as 'kose' literally referring to beancake, so they could acquire as many guns as possible to start a war should they lose the elections to the NDC.

The most recent comment which seem to have jarred the minds of Ghanaians is the one from the MP for Assin North, Kennedy Ohene Agyapong, who on his own Accra based FM station, usurped the powers of the sitting president to unconstitutional declare war on Ewes and Gas in the Ashanti region, that “Today I declare war in this country, Gbewlo Lartey and his people, IGP should know this Voltarians in the Ashanti Region will not be spared. If anyone touches you, butcher them with a cutlass.” A statement described by the civil society grups and Ghanaians as most disgusting, shameful, disgraceful and horrendous to say the least. He has been arrested, detained and subsequently granted bail. The matter is before court.

What we should be asking ourselves is – Is Ghana for any particular group of people? Who gets elected if the nation becomes ungovernable? Is anyone above the law? Should we lose the peace that we enjoy today, what becomes of us?

We on The True Statesman believe that the posturing of the NPP towards peace and their actions in numerous instances indicates that, they are not prepared to give peace a chance. The interesting thing about these comments is that, none of the party executives appear to have seen anything wrong with them.

Both ex-president J.A Kuffuor and the present presidential candidate of the NPP, Nana Akuffo Addo appear to have endorsed the genocidal comments of the MP.

Interestingly, the Ghana Journalist Association appears to have been diplomatic in their stance calling for a National broadcasting law, the National Media Commission made no statement about the comment and the Ghana Independent Broadcasting Association all appear to be silent over it.

Of crucial importance is the peace we are enjoying today and if any individual or group of individuals thinks they can take the country for granted for their own parochial interest, they must know Ghana is bigger than them.

As Ghanaians we must know that if as a result of the action or inaction of a group of people, the democratic process gets derailed, we have nowhere to go but, suffer the bitter consequences of chaos and anarchy. We must put Ghana first and above everything else.

The True Statesman
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