Big Sabotage

March 6 is just around the corner – only 19 days. Some preparations are ready, some clearly not, nor would they be before the great day, but one thing would be ready, and that is the readiness of the majority of Ghanaians to celebrate and enjoy the special day. But there is disquiet on the horizon. ADM has picked up information from intelligence and political sources that some groups are bent on disturbing the cohesion the day is expected to foster and perhaps even lead to clashes.

One of the groups, called the Committee for Joint Action (CJA) a.k.a. Committee for Jerry's Ambition, on Tuesday went public that it would be organising a "People's Jubilee Procession" in Accra on March 6, the day of the Golden Jubilee of Ghana's independence, as a counter to the national celebration, which is expected to attract many world leaders and other internationally influential people. By going public the way it has, the group intends to give the impression that its proposed actions are all that noble and above board, but security analysts disagree.

According to the group, their march would be “a procession for the ordinary people, who have been excluded from the official celebrations and who wish to commemorate independence as the popular revolutionary event that it really was." It was articulated by Mr. Kyeretwie Opoku, described as a spokesman. This already betrays the confrontational nature of the group's intended march. A security expert told ADM, “This is a recipe for chaos”. He explained that on a day on which the eyes of the world would be on Ghana, an action like the one being planned by the group would be dangerous, for things could easily get out of hand.”

He explained that on March 6 2007, the major streets of Ghana's cities and towns, including those being “commandeered” by the group, belong to the state, to utilize for whatever purpose planners of national celebrations think fit. For that reason, any other group intending to ply those same routes is out for nothing but looking a fight and so must be stopped.

Calling on Ghanaians from all walks of life to join the march in addition to so-called true Nkrumaist and Pan-Africanists, the spokesman for the group said the march would start at 0900 hours from the Kwame Nkrumah Circle and end at the Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum where tributes and the laying of wreaths in honour of Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah and other fallen heroes of independence would be held.

Betraying the true political intention of the group, the spokesman was in the company of the likes of Mrs. Ama Benyiwa-Doe, Mr. Ato Ahwoi both of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and Alhaji Ahmed Ramada, Vice-Chairman of the People's National Congress (PNC), the same persons and groups who have been at the forefront of other anti-government marches notably concerning the so-called wahala and ROPAB marches. With words like “distressed at the narrowness, emptiness and clumsiness of the unfolding official programme” Mr. Kyeretwie Opoku of the short-lived Reform Party, and his rather strange bedfellows (or rather original bedfellows from the NDC) seem intent on confronting and sabotaging the national celebrations on March 6 2007. Would they succeed? The coming days would be trying days for Ghana's intelligence and security agencies.