Dear John Dumelo,

You have been in the news all week due to a comment questioning the point of celebrating our Independence in spite of the many disappointments we have suffered as a nation.

Have you given a thought to how people might react if they focus on the problems and overlook the good things of the past 61 years?

As recently as 1979, when people had enough with exploitation by persons close to the corridors of power like yourself, they were killed, shot in broad daylight to make a point that we abhor stealing and looting of the national kitty.

Some died for taking loans from the bank.

But you John, you stole a V8 without working for it. For your information, V8 can buy a 3 bedroom house in Accra. If you doubt it: check Koans Estate.

Your stolen V8 could have provided over 1500 desks for the students who study with their chest on the floor, your stolen V8 could have provided about 400 computers for the students whose teacher have to draw a whole computer desktop to teach students and see it deleted in the next lesson.

You see, you are an example of some of the wrongs we will right if we focus on the ills of the past and lose sight of our few gains.

But you walk around a free man because as a people, we have decided to look to the future and celebrate the few gains made over the past 61 years. You could have been the ninth person at the Teshie Shooting Range somewhere in 79.

We know that Ghana has many problems, we know that compared to some countries, we have failed. We also know that compared to some countries, we are miles ahead. But more importantly, we know that without the likes of you, we’d have been better off.

If we want to deal with the problems, we won't celebrate our gains but guess what: you have been one of our problems.

Should we have directed our anger at you but chose to celebrate our gains even if it is mediocre?

Someone like you should be super happy that we find reasons to submerge our sense of rage and look to the future. If we want to focus on the problems: your likes will have to run from this country or even be the 9th person on the Teshie Hills. In view of this, we choose the former, we choose to be positive, dance through the hard times with the knowledge that eventually, the rain will fall.

This is why we have opted to leave your likes to our not so just justice system or even walk free without a night at cells.

As we do this, don't try so hard to remind us of what we should have done because it is in your interest that we forget the wrong of the past, console ourselves with the few successes and focus on the future.

You politicians only enrich yourself when given power and act all patriotic when in opposition. Ghanaians are getting fed up with the hypocrisy and will one day rise up against you guys. Until then, don’t stop us from celebrating our forefathers who only freed us to make you and your cohorts our slave masters.

John, if you have nothing to say to encourage this drive, remain in your hole: don't remind us of what we should rather have done.

You are the number one beneficiary of our decision to dance a smile through the problems in wait for whatever is at the end of the tunnel.

A word to the wise should be enough but I doubt it’d be to you.

From,

Isaac Kyei Andoh

Cc Special Prosecutor
All State Looters