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06.02.2006 Feature Article

NPP: The Worse Govt In Ghana’s History (IV)

NPP: The Worse Govt In Ghanas History IV
06.02.2006 LISTEN

Abraham Lincoln is quoted as having said: “I see in the near future a crisis approaching that unnerves me and causes me to tremble for safety of my country… Corporations have been enthroned, an era of corruption in high places will follow, and the money-power of the country will endeavour to prolong its reign by working upon the prejudices of the people until the wealth is aggregated in few hands and the republic is destroyed”. This saying by this man of foresight epitomises what is happening today in Ghana.

There is a dead and rotten phenomenon which is fast engulfing the Ghanaian psyche like a plague and the earlier we fight it the better it will be for Ghana and posterity. And what phenomenon is that? Today when one makes a contribution on the airwaves, in the newspapers or on the web, instead of readers looking and judging the subject matter we are rather comfortable reading politics or tribal affiliations into it. For god's sake can't I express my candid opinion about a topical issue? Are we that parochial and naïve in our perception about issues?

Now let's get this straight: when I speak I speak not for the NDC, CPP, or whatever. I don't belong to any political party and political parties will not undo the woes of our great nation. When I speak, I speak not for KWAME NKRUMAH, BUSIAH, HILLA LIMANN or RAWLINGS. As far as I am concerned all these people are dead and gone and in their own small ways they have helped to shape the course of the Ghanaian people. They made their own mistakes and it is only human in that as human as we are, we are fallible. I cannot do anything about the past. But I can do something about the present and that, if well done will inadvertently help to shape the future. That is my mission.

When I speak, I speak not for the Ashantis, Ewes, Gas, Gonjas, Hausas or any other tribe in Ghana. I am a Ghanaian first and any other inclinations second. My tribe will not put a meal on the table for me. It is the collective will and spirit, the acts of omissions or commissions of the individuals from the different ethnic groups who constitute the machinery of government that will make it possible for me to work and put some food on the table. I know not a tribe, a religion or any other grouping which serve nothing but get its members indoctrinated and prejudiced against the collective will and liberties of the masses. I know not!

When I speak, I speak the voice of the children of Ghana who die from tuberculosis, malaria, diarrhoea, and AIDS. I speak the voice of the children of Ghana who at a tender age of 7 are laden with responsibilities commensurate with that of 40 year olds. When I speak, I speak the voice of the little boy who sells dog chains on the streets of our capital. I speak the voice of the little girls called “kayayos” who through no fault of theirs have had to sleep on the streets of Accra and Kumasi.

When I speak, I speak the voice of the industrious farmers in the rainforest and the desolate savannah regions who till the land to get us fed and yet have no access to proper medical care. I speak the voice of the "makola" women who work themselves out to pay the exorbitant school fees of their sons and daughters. I speak the voice of the hard working teachers, nurses and doctors whose salaries are not commensurate with the efforts they are putting in.

When I speak, I speak the voice of the silent academia whose brains are being wasted away in the streets of Europe and America. I speak the voice of the Bsc holders who are working as cleaners in hospitals, hotels, restaurants, offices and the streets of London and New York. I speak the voice of that industrious student who toiled to pay a fee of £10,000 to see himself through his postgraduate studies only to end up working in a warehouse because he cannot guarantee himself a job when he returns to Ghana. I speak the voice of the engineers, accountants, planners, pharmacists, land economists and administrators whose brains are being wasted away. Now when I speak, I speak the voice of the “hustlers” who have left the shores of Ghana in order to seek greener pastures only to find their dream ship wrecking on the hard rocks of reality. I speak the voice of those hard working brothers and sisters who have to do three full time jobs in Europe and America in order to pay their rent, pay for their bills and remit home. How many of our brothers have lost their lives here in Europe for the fact they've had to do more than two jobs. The average Londoner has to pay his rent, council tax, gas bills, electricity bills and water bills. If you drive, you have to pay road tax, insurance on your car, and fuel it. And unlike in Ghana, these are not evadable. On top of all these bills, we have to remit home. We live no life here. So I speak the voice of the masses of us who have to walk through a temperature -30 degrees to go to work so that we can feed our starving families. Now I will continue to speak as long as long Dr Anane has the impudence to squander $90,000 on a woman who HE has nefariously impregnated while children are dying from disease and starvation. I will speak as long Eric Amoateng (MP for Nkoranza) has the audacity and gut to drag the name of Ghana into disrepute. I will speak as long as Kuffuor doesn't see the need to rid his government of these people. I will continue to speak as long as the World Bank country director will continue to live to throw light into the lack of grounds for excuses for this government. I will speak whenever I hear Mr Mats Karlsson say and I quote "I think we are at a stage where there are no excuses for Ghana. You've got your debt relief, you've got HIPC and you've got a double of development partner inflows over the past three years". I will continue to speak the voice of the weeping children of Ghana as long as the sun rises in the east and sets in the west. I will continue to speak the voices of our professionals and non professionals in the Diaspora whose brains are being wasted away through the sheer negligence of our leaders. I will continue to speak even with the last drop of blood in my veins. And let no man associate me with any tribe, religion, or political party for it will only be construed as a deliberate but futile effort orchestrated to silence me and my mum who voted for NPP for a “change”. So let in the replies to my inbox but do not associate me with any party for that will only be construed by me as a vicious lie and a malicious propaganda to silence the weeping child. But weep not child!!

Now that is my crusade; I know not a tribe or political party. I know not!!! K W ISAAC LONDON

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