Is this Nkrumah Ghana? A Political Activist Bemoan!

A great man was born, he led the struggle and a nation was liberated. He laboured to develop the country of Ghana. What a great philosopher and freedom fighter. Osagifo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah the nation you have founded and set to the path of prosperity is now in bondage.

A lot of people have become voiceless because the regime oppressed them into dead silence. Security is guaranteed for few. The roads are gone. One man that abused power and destroyed your nation is the custodian.

This is our story....

The road to president Nana Addo to the Jubilee House was in 2008 when he first contested and loss. Many were those who had the conviction that, should he per chance become the president one day, no matter how poor his performance would be, at least the expectation was that he would do better and even excel in certain aspects of general leadership and governance.

Many were those who would solemnly promise and bet their last *cobo* and for the extremists, their lives to vouch for his better performance in certain aspects as a lawyer and human rights activist in the following areas as in;

1. Media freedom

2. Freedom of expression

3. Fight against corruption

4. Independence of the judiciary and rule of law.

Contrary to the above assertion, Ghanaians are highly disappointed with Nana Addo's governance in general and more importantly the seeming endangered democracy he is painstakingly straining himself to establish.

In the media front, senior and prominent journalists some of whom like Manasseh Awuni who trumpeted fabricated ills of past governments like the erstwhile John Manama led government to the admiration of then candidate Nana Addo have to run for cover in carrying out their regular duties for protection from the tyrant rule of Nana Akufo-Addo just less than two years in the life of his(Nana's) government. The likes of investigative journalists like Anas Arymiyaw Anas, who worked in helping unearth corrupt practices of both public and civil servants beyond the shores or Ghana and his work was cited by Akufo as an exemplary yardstick for conquering corruption during his campaign have to be dragged to court by senior and key members of his government.

Sadly enough, a principal architect of Anas's team had to loss his life almost in front of his wife and children in his line of duty as Ahmed Suale finally couldn't escape his untimely death.

There are infinite number of reported cases in almost all the 16 regions of Ghana where media practitioners are gagged to either in their work. Cameras have being ceased and broken, assaulted and bartered and in some cases put behind bars with the help of unprofessional and *political security* officers. The culture of silence is back.

Is it not ironical under a lawyer President his party gangbangers attacked a court harassing judges and freeing criminals, and all that could happen to these hoodlums is for them to be sent to court and fined an amount of 1,800 Ghana cedis only for each person? Can you imagine that?

It will be toutology to say that the Nana Addo government is found, to me, the most corrupt per all indicators ranging from World Bank to Transparency International reports and credible local CSOs like CDD, IMANI Ghana and ASEPA.

One cannot track the trajectory of demonstrations and strike actions by individuals, CSOs and labour organisations in the former regimes before Nana Addo's reign, in fact Nana Akufo-Addo then, led arguably the most deadliest demonstration in the history of this country in 1995 over a tax regime he heavily opposed to and tend to increase the rate of that same tax component as a President. I mean the famous Value Added Tax.

Today, the youth of Akyem can stage the most wired, illogical and baseless illegal demonstration over an ignorant and tribalistic allegation thrown at the former president but ASPA as a CSO can't demonstrate against the fraudulent Agyapa deal due to supposed COVID-19 protocols.

Workers are no longer free to go on strike? Just as the interlocitry injunction secured against the impending Nurses strike. Really!

What a country we leave in.

The legal walls of this country have indeed caved in.

Keep in touch for my next episode which will feature Nana Akufo-Addo's account on his fight against corruption, judiciary independence and rule of law.

*I remain your humble servant, Hon. Ababaasa Olinaa, DCO of NDC in the Wa West Constituency.*

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