An Old Man Muses

What is wrong with so many of our people - who refuse to see national issues free from the prism of party politics? Haaba. In an age of global terrorism what is wrong with removing a potential safe haven from which Ghana's leader could easily be assassinated right in front of his family's principal private residence? Ebeeii. In any case, whatever the president's own personal feelings are - and knowing him one is pretty sure that he wouldn't be pleased by this development at all - this is one matter he cannot possibly contest and demand its revocation by officialdom.

Alas, like elected democratic leaders elsewhere in the world, the president of Ghana cannot possibly overide the advice of those in charge of his personal security. Full stop. Case closed. And what is it about the parliamentary leadership of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) that at every turn, they fail to recognise that ignoring the common good and siding instead with the vested interests that profit mightily from destroying the natural environment, which by right ought to be preserved to anchor the quality of life and well-being of future generations of our people, is shortsighted and politically foolish in the exteme? Haaba.

Instead of opting to take the military to court for burning the equipment and vehicles used by the wealthy criminals winning sand illegally in a part of the north apparently bordering the White Volta, why do they not rather introduce a private member's bill indemnifying those tasked with protecting what is left of our nation's natural heritage, when they are forced by circumstamces to make on-the-spot decisions to burn vehicles and equipment, used by those engaged in illegal activities leading to the destruction of the remainder of our nation's natural capital? Why make it so obvious to the nation that most of them were on the off-ledger-payrolls of the super-wealthy crooks engaged in illegal gold mining, illegal logging and illegal sand-winning across Ghana, during the Mahama era? Shame on them. Clueless. Greedy. Shortsighted. And, inept. No wonder they lost power. And is it not curious that some question former President Rawlings' statement that he hopes there isn't a political twist to the recent spike in armed robberies. Hmmm, Rawlings was not born yesterday, oooo, hmmm.

The question there is: Is it beyond the realms of possibility that extremist elements amongst the small-scale gold miners, and the private militias of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) - incidentally, a political party I loathe with a passion - and their allies in Ghana's criminal underworld, have struck an alliance to create instability in the country, in hope of getting public opinion to demand an end to the ban on small-scale gold mining - because it is denying the poor people (whose health it is destroying) the prospect of doing the dirty and health-damaging work at open cast gold mining sites, which enriches only a powerful few with greedy ambitions, whiles poisoning soils, streams, rivers and groundwater sources across vast swathes of the Ghanaian countryside? Never rule anything in or out is the operating principle here, Amanfuo. Ebeeii. Curious that the brilliant Hon. Dan Kweku Botwe is now saying that the creation of yet more regions is not the government's own idea - but that of the general public's. Ahaa, the pesewa finally drops. Good.

That sodden idea is a retrograde step we must avoid taking at all costs. What Ghana needs, if it is ever to bcome a meritocracy, is to elect local leaders to become chief executives of metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies. Ditto elect all Assemblymen and women - and pay them well to develop our nation from the bottom up as it were. That is the only way we can make sly politicians responsive to the needs of local people nationwide.

This is not rocket science, ooooo, toum. We definitely do not need yet more regions to be added to the corrupt superstructure that empowers sundry white collar criminals in the upper echelons of the public-sector to steal zillions of old cedis on a regular basis. Simple. And is it not instructive that it is solidly backed by Chiefs across Ghana - whose palaces (all of them veritable nests of vipers, incidentally) are the last bastions of egregious tribalism in our country? Bad idea.

Let's ditch it. Period. Finally, when, o when, in a land dominated by misogynists, will Ghanaian women koraaa, get the full picture - and refuse to allow their ranks to be divided by partisan politics - and unite to demand gender parity now: not some distant tomorrow? Ebeeii. Do they not carry the burden of keeping millions of families across the nation fed and kept in fine fettle regularly - whiles irresponsible men drink, make merry and lie their way into the hearts of vulnerable women: to add to their long lists of women whose hearts they have conquered and slept with? We rest our case.