Opinions of Thursday, 10 August 2017

Columnist: Isaac Newton Tetteh

Gold Coast come and see Ghana

Ghana is one if not the most peaceful country in the West African Sub Region Ghana is one if not the most peaceful country in the West African Sub Region

If my people who belong to me will humbly pray and seek my face and turn away from their wicked ways and call on me, I the Lord will come and heal their land again (2Chronicles 7:14).If our leaders will denounce their evil deeds and consecrate themselves to strengthen our institution and protect the principles of rule of law, then its subjects will definitely be law abiding and I trust, respect, sanity and dignity shall be restored once again into our social fiber.

Ghanaians over the years has accorded themselves as a Christian Nation, a nation where love for humanity is paramount a nation where peace is not scarce to found, a nation where the Jargon ‘’chale’’ means friendship, in fact, it is widely accepted that Ghana is one if not the most peaceful country in the West African Sub Region and the African Continent at large. But I sit on the fence now and ask these questions; what has happened to the love that we once shared on this beautiful land as citizens with one common destiny and not as spectators with varied interest?

If we so hated ourselves that much, why do we pretend to the global world that we love ourselves and are peace loving people, why do we say we are peace loving people yet we despise the principles of rule of law? Why are there so many religions yet we haven’t seen the needed peace we wanted, husbands rise against wives, families against families, friends against friends, residents against public officials and there seems to be no remedy to cure this unfortunate and increasingly act of lawlessness?

Not too long ago the country went through some tough time with the incessant rate of suicidal cases, and not forgetting the 18 victims believed to be students of the Wenchi Methodist Senior High School who were crushed to death by a tumbling tree during a rainstorm at the popular Kintampo waterfalls But the funny sides of these whole episodes are, churches are always filled to capacity during Sunday services and also the mosques on Fridays as well, one would legitimately ask what really goes on in the churches and in the mosques.

The prophets and men of God who can predict or prophesy electoral results why ain't they seeing this things in other to put the nation on alert mode Mahatma Ghandi once said, ‘’where there are no laws there are chaos’’ the present rate of crimes in the country is indeed a litmus test of our laws and institutions, and the results clearly show that the laws of our land are made to protect some group of people most especially those in tune with the government of the day.

Mr. Johnson Asiedu Nketia who once said ’’laws without sanctions are like piece of advice’ either you accept or reject. This in actual sense must not be so. The law is supreme over all institution and individuals and must be respected by all and sundry irrespective of one’s social status. The level of lawlessness in the country recently has reached its crescendo, and if our leaders which included the traditional, Religious and political players fail to uphold the principle of rule of law and to teach the youth to be law abiding, then we are definitely not far from the formation or emergence of clone Boko Haram, ISIS and other terror groups that we always hear off from neighbouring countries across the Globe.

The evidence is clear for everyone to see, one does not need a scientific explanation to appreciate where the country is heading towards, Public installations are been attacked, Public Officers are Chased out of Office, our Court rooms are invaded to free colleges standing trials for breaking the law, Residents are also attacking police Officers, vandalizing vehicles and setting prisoners free from lawful custody.

And the one which seems to gain global attention which brought the whole nation in a state of shock and pains is where some residents of Diaso-Obuasi in the Upper Denkyira West District of the Central Region shamefully and gruesomely lynched and killed a Captain of the Ghana Armed Forces from the 5th Battalion of Infantry in Burma Camp. Cpt Maxwell Adam Mahama. Who was on an official duty to protect lives and properties in the above-mentioned community.Lucky Dube said in one of his songs ‘’crazy world” let people die for the wrong that they do but captain Maxwell Mahama rather met his untimely death doing the right thing thus serving his country. Humans are supposed to live in harmony with each other regardless of their religious beliefs, Body color, culture, sex et al.

There may be times where we may decide to agree or disagree on a certain subject matter, such as Politics, lifestyle, Religion, sports and even our quest to choose our life partners and this is a normal social phenomenon which runs through all facets of our social lives. The death of captain Mahama though painful but should also be a lesson to all of us.

Let go back to our fundamentals, respect for humanity, let use legal means to get our grievances addressed, after all, that is what we have accommodated as captured in the preamble of our 1992 Constitution, which states that ’In the exercise of our natural and inalienable right to establish a frame work of government, which shall secure for ourselves posterity, the blessing of liberty, equality of opportunity and prosperity. IN a spirit of friendship and peace with all people of the world’ ’ I have only one Ghana and so do you also, life is too short but it’s also enjoyable. Never again should this barbaric act befall us!! Long live Ghana.