Prominent citizens under pressure …To own up too

Public confession by Managing Editor of New Crusading Guide newspaper, Abdul Malik Kweku BaakoJr, that he had smoked Indian hemp for 26 years, has turned heat on prominent people in the Ghanaian society who are thought to have either engaged or are engaged in similar acts and or, other vices to be candid to join the ‘confession train’.

Minutes after Mr Baako’s confession on Joy Fm/MultiTV’s weekend political talk show Newsfile last Saturday, scores of Ghanaians took to social media to commend the New Crusading Guide’s Managing Editor, and demanded other public figures, particularly politicians and the clergy to emulate him by declaring their ‘status’ regarding the use of drugs and other unacceptable vices to serve as true role models of society.

Sharing his thoughts on a proposal by Executive Secretary of the Narcotics Control Board, Mr Akrasi Sarpong that it was high time Ghana debated the subject considering the wide-spread use of marijuana; the astute social commentator frowned on a possible legalization of wee.

Revealing that he started smoking wee at age 13, and had done it for 26 years, Mr Baako, to the surprise of viewers and listeners of the programme stated “It shouldn’t be thrown into the market place for everybody to talk some. We need the experts. The pharmaceutical industries, those who will need it for those things, the psychiatric profession ought to be brought on board. Al these things must be done before it even gets to Parliament if there’s any need for any legislation or amendment of any legislation. So it should focused things [which is] expert-driven…when it comes to the area of smoking and its negative effects, some of us could be contracted to give our experiences.”

This ignited a heated discussion on social media, particularly Facebook and Whatsapp, with many of the contributors calling on public figures to also go public with the skeleton in the cardboard. Many said, now that a veteran journalist like Mr Baako, who had been rumored to have abused the herb with some notable politicians, has confirmed his use of Indian hemp, it is an opportune time for persons who had once indulge in the act or are still doing so to own up too.

Some commentators noted that it is not proper for notable public figures striving to lead the country in any capacity and who know they did drugs or are doing so, and other unacceptable things to maintain their silence when the opportunity has presented itself for them to let the cat out of the bag in order to discourage the younger generation from doing same.

Some prominent citizens in the country including religious leaders, chiefs and other notable individuals in all facet of the Ghanaian society in recent past have opened up to some immoral acts they once engaged in, and have been commended since.