body-container-line-1
11.01.2017 Editorial

Ignore Them, President Akufo-Addo

By Daily Guide
President Akufo-AddoPresident Akufo-Addo
11.01.2017 LISTEN

Our chiefs, no, some of them, are reported to be pleading with President Nana Akufo-Addo to 'go slow' on corruption.

This, coming at a time when corruption is a major source of Ghana's woes, erodes their already low-rated deference in society.

They are known to have taken pittances from politicians so they would do their bidding, unfortunately times have changed and chiefs cannot direct their subjects about how to vote.

The level of humiliation some of them have inflicted upon themselves at the peak of the campaign season a few months ago is still fresh in our memories and we would prefer not to recall them.

Our chiefs, custodians of our heritage, should ordinarily be spared the kind of harsh references used on politicians and public officials because they represent our forebears and, therefore, heritage.

For holding such traditional positions in society, they should regard themselves as special and so avoid untoward predispositions.

To ask those who stole from the public kitty to return the loot is a duty President Nana Addo should discharge, regardless of cheap chiefs who want to mortgage Ghana. What precedence are we establishing by this crazy demand on the President?

We are disappointed in chiefs who have decided to tread on this trajectory and would rather they do not near such subjects because when they do there would be no reason not to descend upon them.

Anything which threatens the stability and economy of the country is fair game for attack by Ghanaians who have their country at heart, and would therefore want it to move away from the bad old ways which cost us our progress and national dignity.

We can appreciate it better why the constitution insulates them from active politics.

Although we are not against their counseling politicians, these should nonetheless border on shielding political crooks, whose actions have hemorrhaged the state and robbed citizens of their dignity.

Asking a President who won election on the promise of changing the status quo of corruption, not to deal a fatal blow to the cankerworm, is to ask him to drink poison.

We are in total disagreement with the manouvres of these chiefs who benefitted from the car and gifts largesse of the old political order, to have President Nana Akufo-Addo drop his sword against corruption.

To succumb to the demands of the bad chiefs is to disregard the wish of Ghanaians who outnumber the traditional authorities in this country.

We want our lethargic country to work again through the implementation of the programmes set out by the new government.

In the implementation of these, no interference should be brooked from chiefs who appear oblivious to the challenges of the country and would rather the business as usual model is allowed to flourish even if it is detrimental to the country.

The challenges of Ghana, many of them self-inflicted, are too complex to be toyed with by irresponsible and unpatriotic chiefs.

body-container-line