The Association of Concerned Ghanaians in Europe notes with disappointment and apprehension the rather reckless and irresponsible statements by Brigadier General (Rtd) Nunno- Mensah on Adom FM in which he asked the striking Ghanaian workers to immigrate to other countries if they cannot accept their present situation.
Like most other Ghanaians, ACGIE finds such unguided statements very appalling and unacceptable especially coming from someone whose role and duty is to advice government on important policy issues including worker-agitation and industrial unrest. Unfortunately, the ‘ADVICE’ coming from the retired army officer is not just provocative but counter-productive and dangerous. The danger with this type of logic is that people who disagree with government on policy should either disappear or be made to do so as happened during the PNDC regime of which Brigadier was a member.
ACGIE believes that nation building is the collective responsibility of all citizens including government advisors, ministers, farmers and taxi drivers. Indeed, every Ghanaian irrespective of profession or vocation has role and a stake in our national development efforts. That is why we find General Nunno-Mensah’s ‘deportation orders’ rather strange, absurd and infantile to say the least. Perhaps the retired General needs to be reminded that it is the taxes of the Ghanaian worker that has made it possible for him to have all the privileges and luxurious lifestyle that he is currently enjoying. The least he can do is to show appreciation and gratitude to workers of Ghana and not embark on a mission of vilification and threats.
Listening to General Nunno- Mensah on the said tape, one readily recognises the frustration, hatred and anger in his voice. Clearly, if anybody has cause to be angry, it should be the Ghanaian worker whose life has been made miserable as a result of the hikes in utility prices, increased in petroleum prices, a crumbling health system, deteriorating infrastructure coupled with massive corruption, ineptitude and mismanagement. The industrial unrest currently sweeping across the country is as a result of the reckless spending by government in the last quarter of 2012 and the inability to meet its commitment to workers. In effect, the workers’ strikes are mere symptoms of a self-inflicted economic crisis created by the NDC government.
ACGIE is aware that Brigadier Nunno- Mensah is not the most astute politician but common sense dictates that in times of worker-agitation the most reasonable course of action is to adopt a reconciliatory tone. This hostile, antagonistic and extremist posture adopted by the Retired General is counter-productive and does not help anybody in anyway. If the best advice he can offer in the midst of crisis of this magnitude is to tell Ghanaian workers to leave the country, then Ghana is in deep trouble to put it mildly. No wonder the government seem to have lost focus and has no sense of direction
Brigadier Nunno-Mensah has per his threatening conduct and irresponsible pronouncements made his position untenable and cannot continue to be an advisor to the government. He is not just an embarrassment to the government but a disgrace to himself. The most honourable thing to do (that is if he has any honour) is to apologise to the people of Ghana, and resign or be forced by whoever appointed him to do so with immediate effect.
Sign
Kwaku Anane-Gyinde
Secretary