Celebrating Independence Day In Crisis?

SURELY, TOMORROW 6TH March, 2013, would be celebrated in Ghanaas the country's 56TH independence anniversary.

It is just going to be the usual lining up of students from various schools in the national capital with their teachers, officers and men from the security services at the Independence Square Osu, taking their calculated steps pass the dais.

President John Dramani Mahamah, will be taking the salute and deliver anniversary speech and that will be over, the 56TH anniversary has been celebrated.

The anniversary in the years past has recorded many casualties as often students and individuals who turn up in their numbers collapse due to the high temperature of the sun normally experienced on such special day.

But do not be surprise to hear the explanation from the health personnel of the Red Cross for the eventualities if they happen that participants are too eager to be present at the parade so they go out of food which eventually causes the collapse.

Do not forget about the scorching sun these innocent young patriotic students line up in all because for the love of their country, they have to march pass the dais only for them to collapse due to high temperatures of the sun.

But apart from such eventualities which have been scaring some people from attending such events for some time now, there is also doubt in people's minds that this year's independence anniversary celebration will pull much crowd to observe it both at national and even regional and district levels.

Whether the New Patriotic Party NPP parliamentary members, party executives and ordinary members will again shock Ghanaians by absenting themselves from the anniversary parade where the president will take the salute is something no one can bet on now.

No but the party's 2012 presidential candidate Nana Akuffo Addo, his running mate Dr. Mahamadu Bawumiah and the party chairman Mr. Jake Otanka Obestebi Lamptey are already in court praying it to reverse the 2012 general election results.

A couple of weeks ago, the NPP members of parliament staged a walk out from the house when the president was to deliver a state of the nation address without earlier notice they were going to walk out so whether they will be present at the parade or not no one can say for sure.

In ordinary circles, there are too many complains of economic hardship in peoples lives that are making them to point accusing fingers at the president for their bad living conditions.

What are the teachers, students, officers and men from the security services, workers, and parents are going to march for on 6TH March, 2013 at the independence square?

Are they going to march for the fuel price increases, shortage of aviation fuel, lack of pipe borne water, high prices slapped on goods and services, higher transportation fares, shortage of gas, intermittent and frustrating hydro-electric power cuts?

Or they are going to march for the unbearable rent hikes, school fees, road accidents due to bad roads, loose tongue lashing politicians in the NDC, majority MPs fighting their minority MPs over apology to the president for walk outs or the filth that has engulf the country resulting in outbreaks of diseases such as cholera.

It will interest readers to know that among the chunk of Ghanaians who are complaining in the country currently about economic hardship are those who are civil servants and not the unemployed.

Under normal circumstance those without jobs were those who were suppose to complain but no, the civil servants are rather the ones who are complaining of economic hardship shouting, ”EKOM DEYEN OO TOM”.

Yes they are complaining because they are basing their living budgets on what they earn as salaries every month where feeding, clothing, rent, utilities, transportation, prescription, school fees and other expenses all go into it therefore if imposition of taxes, undue delays of payment of salaries or any form of cheating is realized they have every right to complain or demonstrate or strike.

As the president and contingents prepares to celebrate yet another milestone in ruling our own country, managing our own natural resources without the supervision of the “OYIBO MAN” from anywhere, there are a number of civil servants who have worked to satisfaction in helping build Ghana but have not been paid for several months now.

If not so, doctors and pharmacists in the recent past will not threaten to take to the streets and demonstrate or withdraw their services because of cheating in their salaries they claim.

Independence anniversaries are celebrated with joy where the citizenry are happily employed, able to pay their utility bills, cater for their families and in all fields happy about standard of living.

The president must be made aware that until the structures are laid properly to ensure acceptable payment of salaries of civil servants, [ALLAH] he will not get his peace of mind as the people are going to complain more and louder than before.