By Dr. Michael J.K. Bokor
Friday, July 11, 2014
Folks, I haven't made any secret of my vitriolic reaction to the orchestrations by the Mahama-loathing politicians and their unwitting followers, especially in criticizing those taking to the street in the name of freedom of association and speech to condemn President Mahama as the cause of the country's woes in our time.
As I continue to unpack their agitations and motivations for such rabble-rousing, I won't hesitate at all in repeating my often-stated viewpoint that President Mahama is not Ghana's problem. Ghanaians are the cause of Ghana's problems and the earlier they recognize this fact and turn a new leaf to contribute their quota toward solving problems, the better chances are that we can take the country (and ourselves) out of the woods.
Many people reacting to my high-sounding claim that President Mahama is not Ghana's problem were quick to write me off as a shameless bootlicker, using my opinion pieces to attract attention and be given an appointment in government. I have never ceased laughing off such vile opinions.
The truth is that until Ghanaians know how to position themselves to re-see clearly what the country's systemic problems are and how to solve them, all this wind that they are sowing will mature into a whirlwind that they will have no option but reap painstakingly.
In any case, those anti-Mahama elements in the NPP particularly have been vocal in condemning the government, especially President Mahama as incompetent and must, therefore, resign. They have narrowed down nation-building to the level of the President as the fount of authority and won't blame anybody but him as the situation continues to worsen in the country.
Meantime, they are busily manipulating their lackeys in all sectors of national life to intensify their negative deeds to create more problems. Don't ask me for any explanation. If you have eyes you should see; and if you have good ears, you should hear everything to know how the negative politics is being done in preparation for Election 2016.
Out of nowhere comes Dr. Samuel Adjei Sarfo, a die-hard buff of the Danquah-Busia political culture, in an opinion piece published on Ghanaweb today under the heading "Learning to become a patriotic Ghanaian". Of course, he is a severe critic of the Mahama-led administration too. But in explaining issues related to Ghana's problems of under-development, he did say what caught my eyes to confirm my own stance. I reproduce it below for pondering:
"But building the nation is not the singular responsibility of its government, although the buck may stop at the highest apparatus of its political leadership which must collectively act as the inspiration of the people. Building the nation is also a matter of individual conduct, for it is individuals that make up communities, for communities to make up societies before societies will come together to make up a nation. If individuals are bad, the overall effect on the nation will be bad."
(See:http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/artikel.php?ID=316413&comment=10647853#com)
Are you surprised? You shouldn't be at all. If so, why all these street demonstrations by elements known to belong to the NPP or fighting its cause and seeking to incite the military and the citizenry against President Mahama and his government instead of doing what will add value to governance?
Even though Dr. Sarfo has blamed Ghanaian intellectuals for not doing enough to move the country forward, his main point is clear that nation-building is a collective effort. Additionally, Ghana cannot be built when people who should know better skew issues and narrow everything down to vile ethnocentricism and mindless political mischief. Do you see it now?
I shall return…
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