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11.12.2011 Editorial

Recourse To The Law Is The Way Forward

By Daily Graphic
Recourse To The Law Is The Way Forward
11.12.2011 LISTEN

It is not for nothing that Ghana is touted among the comity of nations as a haven of peace and Ghanaians a people who exude a profound level of hospitality for all. These virtues have been products of decades of exemplary exhibition of goodwill and fellow-feeling that has culminated in the creation of a climate of peaceful co-existence among various groupings in the country.

Far from being an accident, this has been the outcome of a consciously crafted vision of Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah, the first President of our Republic. The Osagyefo had envisioned from the onset of Ghana’s statehood a united, stable, cohesive and prosperous Ghana which, as the bulwark of the anti-colonial, anti- imperialist struggle, was accessible to all African people.

He, therefore, envisioned a united, strong Ghana standing tall in defence of the unity and progress of Africa as it shaped its destiny in the midst of hostile powers.

That Ghana today is united and stable and is also serving as a melting pot of tribes, races, various religious beliefs, etc is eloquent testimony to this great and progressive vision of its founder.

It is, therefore, a matter of grave concern when actions are embarked upon by one group of people, whether as members of identifiable ethnic, religious or other social groups, that threaten the rights and fundamental freedoms of others as citizens with equal rights. Such actions, without doubt, constitute a veritable threat to the progressive policy that engenders such admirable levels of unity, peace and stability our nation has enjoyed for decades.

In the Thursday, December 8, 2011 edition of the Daily Graphic, we carried a report about a group of irate youth at Zamanshiku in the Gushiegu District of the Northern Region running amok and leaving in their tracks 12 Fulanis dead and many others wounded.

So far, no reason has been forthcoming to attempt to explain the reason for the occurrence of that dastardly crime.

We are particularly disheartened that under a democratic dispensation in which the rights and fundamental freedoms of every citizen are guaranteed and protected by the Constitution, individuals or groups, irrespective of their grievances, could take the law into their hands and inflict such colossal damage and harm on their fellow human beings.

In any civilised state or community, it does not lie in the hands or power of any individual or group to arrogate to itself the power to terminate the lives of any people.

We shudder to contemplate what would become of this great country of ours if anyone who felt aggrieved, rightly or wrongly, by the actions or inaction of others simply took up arms and went on an extermination mission. We think this is a classic case of collective targeting and unjustifiable punishment meted out to Fulanis without proof of the crimes committed.

We urge the security forces to expedite action to track down the perpetrators and bring them to book. This will not only ensure that the victims of the dastardly acts get the justice they deserve but also that all will be protected and that no one who engages in such blatant misconduct will get away with it.

We urge all to co-operate with the law to stop such impunity to protect our hard-won peace and stability.

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