Solving Post Election Violence; New President(S) Must Be Quick With His Appointments

Ghana, unlike some African countries (Gambia, Cote d'Ivory, Kenya, etc), post election violence are not associated with the results declared by the Electoral Commission rather, sympathizers of the winning party taking over offices and state owned property. In some instances, tangible reasons are given to justify the takeover while in other instances, intangible reasons are given.

The slow pace of the Transition process and the delay by government appointees to handover both the formal and non-formal governmental institutions are the major factors that push party sympathizers to go gaga by snatching and ceasing State property as well as taking over or locking some offices. The Transition period is the most deadly period in Ghana's democratic dispensation.

It is this period that the outgoing administration and its members use to amass state property and position the State specifically to sabotage the incoming administration. For instance, between December 8, 2016 to January 6, 2017, it is said that the outgoing Mahama's government employed over 11,000 people (junior and senior staff) without due procedures.

It is good for a government to employ but it is rational to ask why the government didn't employ before the election if the capacity was there? Within this same Transition period, the Mahama's government decided to increase workers salary and the National service allowance as well as signing the scary €18 million waste management contract. There were reports (alleged) of burning of documents in some offices alongside looting display by some government appointees especially those at NADMO, GHPA just to mention few.

It was within the transition period that President Mahama unpatriotically requested to be given the official residence of the Vice President as his "take home package". Similarly, the erstwhile Kuffour's administration is said to have signed last hour contracts and the Single Spine Salary policy which to the then incoming Mills administration, it was a blow in a suit.

The diabolic attitude of the outgoing administration(s) is what triggers consciousness therefore gingering the sympathizers of the incoming administration to go on rampage to cease and prevent some people (especially appointees of the outgoing government) from entering some offices.

Some people (sympathizers of the incoming administration) believe that by taking over some offices and among others, they are protecting State property. It is a constitutional duty of every citizen to protect State property hence must be commended. However, there are others who engage in the act having in mind "our party is in power".

That reason is intangible and must be condemned. It is a good idea to advise politicians and partisan appointees to desist from their usual last-minute attitude of squandering and diverting State property to their private ownerships. However, no matter how descent a group is, there will still be some recalcitrants among.

For this reason, no matter how the State educates the citizens, no matter the political education given to party sympathizers, no matter how strict the security agencies may be and no matter the "order and calm calling" by party leaders, the effort to eliminate post elections takeover will be in vain.

The ramification of this inner bleakness looks monotonous and dejected. Ghana considers itself as the most matured democratic nation in the African continent. However, the post election takeover comes with much discomfiture.

The proliferation of post election takeover has become albatross on the State. Smoking the peace pipe on this canker goes with much alacrity rather than vaunting. To actualize the quest of obliterating post election takeover out of our democratic system, the ruling party (government) must conjoin with the opposition parties to agree on idyllic transition process preferable to the usual one month grace period given by the constitution. The constitution is said to be subjected to vicissitudes.

Nana Ofori Kissi Ratina
Anti-Corruption Crusader