ON FRIDAY July 13, 2007, The Chronicle cried aloud over the sentiments raised by the flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the ex- Vice President of the Republic of Ghana, Professor Evan John Atta Mills over what he termed contract killings.


In as much as this paper does not want the public to describe this paper as an institution of a prophet of doom, we asked those who matters to listen to the legal guru on this serious phenomenon that is creeping into our society.


The former Vice President catalogued the situation, giving references to incidences, which he thought were executed by professionals, hence his term contract killings. Barely before the ink could dry on our newspaper, a Minister of State lambasted the former Veep for daring to echo a sentiment, which he thought, was non-existence. Some private newspapers also turned the former Vice President upside down for telling us Ghanaians the truth.


But as usual, what should have been a national issue became political. It is just very unfortunate that this country is driving on a road to disaster for whenever serious issues that should be debated and worked upon to the interest of the populace is made by any member of the opposition, an immediate counter statement is made just to square up a political point to the detriment of the people who will be the victim of the issue being discussed.


While this paper waits to see if the authorities would listen to what the Professor said and how best the country could contain this new trend of killings, we the assumed prophets of doom, were vindicated when Tema experienced its second mysterious murder in a US wild-west fashion. For whatever the reason, Nii Kwatey Quartey was gunned down in a Hollywood fashion devoid of any attempt of robbery.


And this is where this paper is sometimes baffled whether the authorities have their ears on the ground to listen to serious issues, which need immediate solutions. We recalled in our earlier editorial, the serial killings, which engulfed this nation some years back and how the nation and even the Police had no answer to solving them.


The Tema Police Command and the Municipal and District Security Council has seen it wise to put in motion steps to curb this diabolic killings in the Municipality. That is the very right step being taken by an authority to curb this new phenomenon, which is not part of our culture.


But what this paper is annoyed with is that while precious lives were being wasted, wide okro mouths are propounding incoherent theorems to shame the other side of the political divide, thinking they have the myopic belief that they would be handsomely rewarded by their political masters for a very good job well done. These politicians should bow their heads in shame for the current Tema killings should make all of us sit up to see how best to nip in the bud this new norm engulfing our nation.


As we said in our earlier editorial, please do listen to Professor Mills in his wisdom of free advice and let us forget about politics in this trying moment of ours.