In Capt. Traore's Gun We Do Not Fear; Ghana's President, Vice President, Speaker, and Chief Justice's Silent Prayer on January 7, 2025?

Many were shocked to learn that hands and ballot papers will transform into sticks, axes and guns in an exercise of the thumb, leaving all camera lenses frozen not to capture the virtual axes, sticks and guns, except for the sharp eye balls and retinal power of the Ghana Electoral Commissioner, Jean Mensah, her deputies and directors.

The press would later be blessed with a vivid description of how Presiding Officers of the Electoral Commission (EC) who swore an Oath to do their work without FEAR or FAVOR, ended up throwing the FEAR part of their Oath to the dogs, and subjected themselves to durest, only to embrace the FAVOR part of the Oath without durest.

They utilized the favor part to the latter as if the electoral process and the positions they held were ordained to make and unmake aspirants vying for the luxury of earning the right of shouting Yerh Yerh, and witnessing a 'micro-minority' in the 9th Parliament.

After the many controversies and power play, the 8th Parliament that was hanging and refusing to land even when some four legs at the tail end of its life span were within reach to be pulled down to make it land, found ways to continue hanging while landing in the minds of others.

Tempers calmed down, and fears may have evaporated into the air after some 7-day fasting prescription was given by the 'Pharmacy of the Clergy', and taken by many without sleeping until the morning of January 7, 2025.

One thing that refused to evaporate due to its weight, was the gun the EC had referenced in a presser to be the reason for some electoral officers being under duress. A gun that refused to be visible to the people and cameras at polling stations and collation centers but will easily be identified by the EC bosses. Ghana must immediately advance in the study of that retinal power gifted the EC bosses to save some tired eyes like mine, and to cash out from that invention globally. The proceeds may help Ghana to begin paying its debt to creditors before 2026, Nana Addo, Dr. Bawumia and the NPP government went cap in hand to postpone.

When we all thought the swearing in of his Excellency the president of Ghana, John Mahama would have put rest to the issue of guns because of many peacekeepers the ceremony was going to attract, including the 'E-COWARDS' who instead of amicably solving their differences, rather resorted to threats to make some of their family members outcasts. Many were proven wrong when the Burkina Faso president, Captain Ibrahim Traore' landed in Ghana.

The presence of the "E-COWARDS' members, whose current king happened to be the special guest, was refreshing and gave hope for the future where a road map seems to be in sight. To their dismay however, there will be another gun narrative, when a pistol was found quietly hooked to the body at waist level of the invited Burkinabe president. He will mount the platform just like other presidents and diplomats filing past the Vice president, the Speaker of Parliament, the President and the Chief Justice, did.

The Speaker of Parliament we all know is gifted with the best eagle eye to see from afar making him recognize all 276 Parliamentarians with ease in the chamber. He may have spotted the pistol of Captain Traore with that eye, and quickly remembered he was presiding over unique proceedings of Parliament outdoors where his Marshals cannot be reached to flex their parliamentary muscle on non MPs. The speaker swiftly changed gears to begin praising Burkina Faso by explaining what the name stood for, something he never did for Any country whose leader equally joined many on that platform. Not even his country Ghana.

Smart as the Speaker will be, upon hearing the applause that accompanied every step President Traore' took, he began exhibiting a rare youthful greeting class that was extended to many during COVID pandemic by stretching his fist first; an act I want to believe was in self defense to be sure the hands of the Burkinabe president are not in the mode to grab his pistol or hold him (the Speaker) by the palm to lift him up, in the event muscles begin to speak a different language.

The Vice President with her usual quick and nice smile was unperturbed because the main players were ahead of her to get the most greetings and attention. So, she shortened her welcome greetings with a smile.

Her Ladyship the Chief Justice, in whose bosom the interpretation of the constitution resides, was raised to her feet quickly grinning to respond to CaptainTraore's greeting, for when it comes to guns and military uniforms the her fraternity Justices are always miles away from them because of some dark history of Ghana at some point.

The President on the other hand who made sure he did lose sight on the side waist of the Burkina Faso president when he hugged him carefully spoke volumes. When Captain Traore's hands loosened down, the president was quick to shake that right hand and used the left hand to hold on tight to that same hand that received the hand shake for some time, for its proximity to the gun was scary.

The sight of the gun may have taught the three heads of the arms of government the importance of working together for the people to avoid the unfriendly spectacle of guns like they saw on January 7, 2025, that surprisingly elicited applause from the people. That applause may have quenched some nervousness around, and created an atmosphere that made all of them welcome their guest, the young military president with one eye, while the other eye was glued to his pistol. Did their belief in God soothe some nerves and made them silently recite, 'In Fear We do not Trust?

If there was anything some people saw as dangerous on January 7, 2025, it was the four hereditary governance pillars of Ghana assembled on one platform at the same time, and exposed to a gun that could load more than 4 live bullets. The President, the Vice President, The Speaker of Parliament and the Chief Justice, were all there. The whole of Ghana was there.

If that short gun had started talking, within 10 seconds, Ghanaians would have gone back to gear up for another election. The good thing was that the spirit of Africa and good neighborliness negated any such incident. It however remains a big lesson never to be repeated. Unless it was a unique strategy and well planned extra layer of security to protect the Ghanaian leaders on that platform that laymen cannot fathom.

The applause that welcomed the Thomas Sankara incarnate, may have probably qualified to be a memorandum of understanding between Ghana and Burkina Faso to swap presidents for a short time to enable the two countries taste unique leadership skills and learn from it, for in the past shadows of Ghana was another young charismatic leader wielding a gun that many Ghanaians sang and chanted his name. In fact, many still do, though he is late.

Rest In Peace, Flt Ltn J. J. Rawlings. Work in peace, HE. John Dramani Mahama.

Democracy Must Win and The Youth Must Be Employed, Not Destroyed.

I rest my PEN.
Mustapha Alhassan
Pennsylvania, USA.

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