Opinions of Sunday, 9 February 2020

Columnist: Rockson Adofo

Are Ghanaians blindly but knowingly walking into their doom?

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What a mind-boggling question to ask, " Are Ghanaians Blindly but Knowingly Walking into their Doom?" Has it not been said time and over again by our wise forebears that, "You don't knowingly walk into danger"? – in Akan parlance, "Wa ni tua tum a yentia mu"

Have the subsequent descendants of these forebears been making any sense of the proverb? To the best of my knowledge as concluded from empirical observations, thus, the study of the behaviours of my fellow Ghanaians, the answer is a big NO! We are very much aware of the dangers yet out of either stupidity emanating from nonchalance, greediness, lack of farsightedness or myopic selfishness, we do not only walk into the dangers but relish wallowing in them.

For how long will Ghanaians pretend that they don't know how unproductive or damaging their lackadaisical attitudes to government work are? They go to work late. They lazy about while they are at work. Some people spend hours working out lotto numbers while at work. They don't take good care of government property provided to facilitate their work. Are these deliberately ruinous attitudes by the Ghanaian not acts of sheer stupidity and wickedness? As their White contemporaries believe in "time is money", the Ghanaian in Ghana but not those residing in the Western Whiteman's land and working for the Whiteman, do not give a toss about proper timekeeping.

In the Western world, the Whiteman knows how important water is hence they take all the necessary steps to protect their water bodies. Water is life much as air and food are. However, in my country Ghana, the land of my birth, concluding from the ongoing devastations caused by the ramifying illegal surface mining called in the country as "galamsey" (gather and sell), they treat water bodies with utter disdain. How stupid can we be as a nation and a people to gleefully resort to an action that will sooner culminate in our total demise, when all our source of drinking water is spoiled beyond redemption?

When a farsighted president begins to take actions to redress the situation, some totally malicious politicians who think about themselves, how to acquire immense wealth and power, begin to play on the intelligence of most Ghanaians, sorry to say, the ignorant lot, to condemn the president as depriving the galamseyers and their families of their source of livelihood. They ask for their support to win the election in order to reverse the situation to allow the galamseyers continue to ravage the water bodies to earn themselves a living. What nonsense and complete self-infliction of danger can this be! Yet, as ignorant and educated-illiterates as most of us are, we support that band of mischievous persons agitating to re-instate galamsey without restrictions should they win political power in December 2020.

Do Ghanaians of all status - educated, illiterate, rich, poor, kings and subjects, not fall for the bigotry and deceit by the directionless but greedy NDC people and party who oppose everything that has long term benefit for the majority of Ghanaians? They think about what they stand to gain today but not tomorrow, the next day and the future. How can they then think about the future generation, as visionless, wicked and selfish as they are?

Do I blame them that much without blaming those Ghanaians who fall for their shenanigans like houseflies falling for rotting carcasses or human excrement (faeces) left in the open? No! Those Ghanaians knowingly or ignorantly falling into the clutches of the NDC stand equally blamable..

Our virgin lands and forests, the source of the country's food production and rainfall are being spoiled through uncontrollable illegal surface mining (galamsey) facilitated by our completely greedy and sorry to say, visionless, traditional chiefs yet, the NDC and some Ghanaians do not give a hoot but to go for it head over heels.

It is not as if Ghanaians do not know the potential dangers of their silly infatuation with galamsey but for what they wish to gain today, they wish to fall for the short term benefits as are the intentions of the NDC party to get rid of the farsighted president only to bite their fingers in regret in future. Whenever the president starts something better, the NDC will come out opposing it. They then turn round to claim that the policy being implemented by the president or the NPP is not their own but already enshrined in the constitution. Yes, sitting in the constitution gathering dust! It is only a fool that will accept that explanation as being credible.

Immense acquisition of knowledge makes one more confident, if not more powerful. How then are Ghanaians justified, and/or reasonable, when NDC tell them that giving all Ghanaians unfettered access to free Senior High School education is not good and they buy into it? Does acquisition of intelligence not mostly come with attending school? Why are those telling us today that free education to all is not good are themselves the beneficiaries of free education to have enabled them come to the level that has made it possible for them to be ruling us today? Wise up Ghanaians, especially those from the hinterlands whose sweat and toil have made John Dramani Mahama and Co who they are today, capable to, and ever desirous of, governing Ghana because they were born heads but not tails.

Should Ghanaians listen to these criminals who think about themselves and their families, to throw away the opportunity they have got to make themselves or their children and grand children great in future, then it is their own cup of tea. It will clearly be like walking into danger knowing very well that there is danger ahead of you.

Gladly drink from the overflowing fountain of wisdom bequeathed to me by the late Opayin (Ezekiel) Kwame Basoah and Awo Yaa Serwaah. I am neither selfish nor greedy hence always sharing what I have with others who need them most, be it my wisdom, food, money and you just name it, I do.

Please fellow Ghanaians, do not deceive yourselves so that you are not deceived by anyone. By falling for the deceit as spewed by the NDC and other crafty guys like Kwame A-Plus and Ekow Baidoo Kevin Taylor, is similar to knowingly walking into danger. And, he who deliberately walks into danger is a FOOL! Yes, I have to call a spade a spade.