Ghana: The Cry of the Ghost in You

Prince Baah-Duodu

Accra, Ghana. July 2, 2012 by Prince Baah-Duodu. Ghana is undoubtedly one of the most peaceful countries to live in the world; notwithstanding the recent peace index that ranked Ghana at the 50th Position in the world.

Whilst other West African nations are experiencing some form of civil wars where ethnic or religious groups are brutally fighting each other, Ghana's civil war is largely not as a result of clashes among groups.

I have lost track of the number of accidents and the many people who have died because it gets me sick- hence my reason for writing this story.

Fear is now a “being” living in the body of a lot of Ghanaians. It has become a great achievement to successful complete a journey on a bus.

The least unexpected sharp break applied by the driver calls for a shout… “Jesus” and I sometimes wonder whether they say that for fun or believe in the name as am unable to differentiate whether the person is a Muslim, Christian, Witness or traditionalist.

The Civil war within Ghana is not as a result of ethnic or religious misunderstandings but a serious battle between man and vehicles on Ghana's major roads.

Road Accidents are occurring each day; whether rainy or sunny days and the casualties are bad. People are burnt and/or are badly deformed beyond recognition. Yet no major steps have been taken to curb this menace.

Even if they do, it remains on paper as records for the future or as recordings used by radio and TV station presenters as sound bites.

These accidents happen and the police definitely go there. What findings do they make out of those measurement and investigations made at the accident scene? How do they use that information? How do their findings help policy makers and even the drivers? Does the leadership of the drivers groups get to know how the accidents happen and key learning points?

Policy makers, Politicians and Majority of Ghanaians are largely wasting their time and resources talking about the routine medical checkup of the President of Ghana. It is important but can't you for once talk about this civil war within Ghana?

The fear is real among most travelers in Ghana. I witness it each day as I travel on a trotro (bus). Passengers have every reason to raise an alarm; because one cannot predict what might be happening in the next moment on roads where most drivers try to “beat” the traffic signals unexpectedly.

A country where police officers are gradually replacing traffic signals on some major roads; a country where 207 Benz buses, which are the most patronized buses easily get involved in car accidents on roads and the recent one “in air”.

I can't stop talking about this issue because I am at risk; so do you!

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