2012: THE YEAR OF JOB’S PRAYER FOR SELF AND COUNTRY

It has been an activity packed year for many individuals, organisations and institutions and nations across the world. It is that time of the year when all these persons and groups have either completed or are about to finish analysing how the year – 2012 – has been for them. For me and my country, Ghana, it has been moments when we could not hold it but offer the proverbial Job's prayers of all time.

I remember very vividly the 01.01.12 and how I looked forward to have a glorious 2012. I remember the highly admirable look I conceived about 2012 on that fateful day. I am not a believer of numerology but I admired some figures or numbers and letters of the alphabets. I guess apart from the interpretations that are given to some of these numbers which sometimes when I hear may tend to sway me to love them, I think my admiration, to especially numbers, might be the stylish pattern in which some of them are written. 2012 is one of such figures put together.

After that highly enviable thought on 2012, the journey began sooner than I thought. I had my first disappointment from a prospective supervisor in school in just the first week of the year. hmmmm! Later, the glorious moments I wished for started unfolding and I thought this might be my year. Going back home to meet my twin sister and other siblings, parents, family and friends took me to another level of what I thought will be the unforgotten year due to its positive happenings. Unfortunately, the tide turned!

2012 started to unfold another stretch of itself and continued in like manner far more than I could ever imagine until now that I have experienced it all. Oh! yeah, on this day, the moments of almost the last quarter of the year is still fresh on my mind as if it just happened in the last 1 second. During the time of coming out with most of these decisions, I trust not only my thoughts but the suggestions of many who spoke to me. However, I cannot forget about the extremely negative aftermath of those decisions but will suffice to state, at least for now, that there is much truth inherent in that cliché that says not all that glitters is gold. It was in the 'heat' of that cold winter that I have to learn that excellent lesson of my identity.

Ghana, indeed, had her own share of the agonised moments of 2012. Until 2012, the death of a sitting president was alien to us in Ghana. Anytime we hear this, it is a somewhat imagined news to us. Even when the foulmouthed political opponents talk about it, most people just consider it as one of their low blows. It was in the afternoon of 24.07.12, some minutes after 1415 hrs GMT while I was chatting me some colleagues in the EM department of the NMIMR, Legon, that that unprecedented news hit us – the death of Ghana's then seating president, Prof. JEA Mills. It did not end there for my dear country. In the midst of the rising political tensions in the country, almost every cool headed lover of this country will wish that the peaceful, calm and wise statesmen will be around to soothe others should any untoward occurrence happen. Unfortunately, as a country, we had to lose that gem of a calm character, Alhadji Aliu Mahama (who until then was the only surviving vice president of Ghana) on 16.11.12 @ 0945 hrs GMT. As if these were not tragic enough for Ghana, that peace-loving, unifier, intelligent and forthright man, Mr. Henry Ford Karmel, the then Volta Regional Minister, left us on 25.12.12. What a tragedy we had to face as a country! It is gratifying that despite the acrimony and the few excesses that characterised the 2012 Presidential and Parliamentary elections, which I must say is still not over yet, we have manage to still being considered the beacon of African's democracy.

It has been tough and rough, moments when we felt it is about to be over but we have managed to go through 2012 till the last day of the year. It has been by God's providence and abundant mercies that has pulled us through. 2013 does not look like one of such nice numbers on my mind. Again, interpretations been given it has been one of mixed feelings. However, the God of Daniel is still alive and I trust He will make you, I, Ghana and of course, your country, greater and stronger in 2013.

Folk, remember, your thought today can make the world better tomorrow. Think about it!

Laweregbenya
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