(posted on Ghana Web on Wednesday Sept 6, 2006)

The writer who claimed to be a soldier wanted his readers to believe that the Ghana Armed Forces was being so mismanaged by the government and the military high command that, if nothing were done quickly to correct it, the nation stood in danger of being destroyed. It could be very well that some things are going wrong with the military, and that everything he and his gang maybe saying could be right. But which institution or institutions in Ghana are without difficulties and shortcomings?

The reason why Ghana and other nations are classified 'Third World' is because of our nascent economies, weak social infrastructure, poor educational institutions, lower life expectancies, etc. etc. This does not mean that those in the Developed nations do not have their fair share of these problems. America has her ghettos, her poor, her uneducated, etc. Most of these nations have over the years learnt that, it takes patriotism, planning, law and order (rule of law- rather than gangsterism) patience, hard work, sacrifice, humility, moral and spiritual purity, time, etc, etc; to pull a nation from the ranks of the 'Third World' to the ranks of the 'First World'

Unfortunately throughout the histories of developing nations like ours, there are more often than not; empty-headed, short-sighted, ill-educated, ill-bred, mentally-retarded, wee-smoking and drug-addicted, vagabonds who assume the posture of messiahs, liberators, revolutionaries, redeemers, etc. Usually they feel that those who may be richer, more-educated, better-positioned in life than them; are the causes of their nation?s woes. They proffer simplistic solutions, usually beginning with a bloody coup de tat, an ethnic cleansing, a holy war, an uprising, a revolution, etc. In the final analyses, their real intentions are exposed, when their opulent lifestyles and voluptuous appetites are manifested sooner or later.

They finally drown their countries in worse conditions than they met them. The unfortunate thing is that when even their follies have been exposed after their usually long and unproductive reigns, whether dead or alive, they and their devotees labor tirelessly for the re-establishment of their inglorious days.

• They make cacophonic noises about the denial of their rights and liberties- the very things they had denied others during their reign;
• They will not want to be called to account for their deeds and actions in office;
• Wherever they find themselves under a new regime, they do everything to undermine the system;
• They will not want to submit themselves to the laws and institutions they had crafted and established whiles in power;
• They constitute themselves into criminal gangs, war and rumor mongers and work both covertly and overtly to weaken social cohesiveness and bring their nations into disrepute;
• Because they are given to lawlessness, they are uncomfortable within a society of law. They will threaten, they will rave, they will rant, they will want to constitute rebel armies, terrorist gangs, 'shit-bombing' troops etc; My dear soldier friend claims the military is a 'potentially volatile institution'

This is an interesting classification of the military. I hope my friend was in the country and heard the proceedings at the Reconciliation Commission. It seems the military has had its fair share of ?victims of the military dictatorships?. Remember sir, that volatile elements don?t survive their own volatility. They burn themselves together with their victims. If your classification was meant to threaten us, then you are better off telling your wife and children that you are going to burn together with them. If after all your experiences in Luanda, Liberia, Congo, the Middle-East and others, you speak in such intemperate terms, I don?t know what other experience will help tamper the world view of you and your friends. It is unfortunate that sometimes we all sound so selfish. We think of ourselves only. Are you saying that military men are the most deprived people in Ghana? Have you cared to find out about the living conditions of the cocoa farmers, the miners, the teachers, the nurses, the taxi drivers, the civil servants, the university professors, the doctors, the fishermen, etc. Are military men the most deprived in Ghana?

You complain about some of your dollars being taken from you- how many civil servants, whiles working for the state of Ghana get the opportunity to earn even a dollar abroad? You are talking about your uniform- how many workers in Ghana are provided with uniforms? You are talking about the state of your bungalows- how many Ghanaians have access to even such dilapidated bungalows? Except you are as short-sighted as some of the ?messiahs? I mentioned earlier on- was Rome built in a day? You have some development taking place in your institution, and just because the whole place has not been fully developed at the same time- you are this angry and issuing threats? Lord have mercy upon us!!

You claim: "The truth of the matter, is that, if things are not handled properly, the mismanagement, poor leadership and insensitivity on the part our political and military leaders may collapse the GAF".

My questions to you:

• When did these begin?
• Did they only begin with President Kufour, Dr. Addo Kufour and the present military hierarchy?
• Can you tell us what prevailed previously?
• What did Afrifa, Kutu Acheampong, J.J Rawlings- all previous military leaders- do for the military?
• How were Peace keepers treated under Rawlings?

You claim that some Air Force officers are leaving? Well this is sad. But teachers, doctors, taxi drivers, etc. are all living for greener pastures. Air Force officers can very easily become commercial pilots. To some people all what matters is money.

They have no scruples. They will use the military for free training, and then commercialize their training. The same applies to some unpatriotic doctors. They will acquire their profession through the 'poor' Ghanaian's sacrifices, but decide to ply their trade overseas because the 'poor' Ghanaian cannot pay them enough. People join the military for all kinds of reasons, including prosecuting their devilish tribal and sectional agenda; and even as a short-cut to attaining political power. Such people will obviously not be comfortable with a nation under law- or will they?

To quote you once again: 'It is an open secret in the GAF today that nobody want to sacrifice life for anything because of the notion that it is a curse to die in service' Why? Nobody cares about your family after a soldier dies. The nation only pays lip service. We have seen it all. No amount of political talk will change our mind set-up. Nobody takes us for a ride anymore?.

Sometimes short-sighted people like you think that it is only military men who are called upon to 'die' for the nation. Everyday Ghanaians in their various fields of endeavor die for their country: Teachers, policemen, farmers, nurses, footballers, sports coaches, miners, etc. I think people like you are not only bad soldiers, but also bad citizens. The slogan for many patriots and for those who have built great nations is: 'Do not think of what your nation can do for you; but rather what you can do for your nation'

All the problems you enumerated are problems faced by many Ghanaians at their work places. Most people who want Ghana to move forward find more patriotic means of resolving these issues than resorting to the lawless coup-mentality posturing of yours.

• Are you telling us that it's all gloom within the military?
• That the military was such a great institution till the President and his brother assumed office?
• That until Kufour and his brother, you were prepared to die for the nation?

Your complaints seem to suggest that, you do not have the capacity for any serious analysis of the issues confronting you. You do not have the capacity to solve the problems. Although you seem to rule out coups, your whole article seems to be canvassing for one. Permit me to quote you again: ?Instead of identifying and solving the problems of people trained with taxpayer?s money abandoning their career prematurely, the leadership of the GAF is rather planning to introduce a 20-year compulsory service for even those officers who enlisted years ago. Well, if this is a new labor or human resource law/principle, we shall see if it will see the light of day. That day heaven will break loose. The question we should ask ourselves is; why are the men deserting having served so many years?

You seem to have a misconception that the military is some omnipotent institution that must not be touched by anybody. You are completely wrong. Military men are just like any regular Ghanaian. We are all subject to the Constitution of Ghana. Parliament is th voice of the people. It makes laws for Ghana. President Kufour carries home the wishes of Parliament. You the military people have Parliamentarians. Lobby them to carry your concerns to Parliament. Use the established channels within the military to redress nagging issues. But to threaten the rulers of Ghana that 'heaven will break loose' makes you and your colleagues lawless men. You lack understanding. Nobody should be afraid of you, because a man without understanding cannot fight and win. You a an eternal looser, except you change your ways. By all means if your problems are genuine, they must be resolved through the appropriate channels. But your threats are infantile and quixotic. You then turn around to ask Ghanaians to pray- this is hypocrisy. If you believed in prayer, you will not resort to empty threats. Your thoughts are very dangerously close to that of Jerry John Rawlings. He has not hidden his desire to see another coup de tat. What did his twenty years do for the military and the nation? In 1979 he questioned the divide between the rich and the poor. Is there still a Nima and the Airport Residential Area; a Sukula and East Legon; a Chorkor and Lashibi? Papa soldier, we have heard such threats before. We are tired of them. But remember, the skulls of the Luandans? have among them lots of soldiers?- maybe like yours. Let us burry this hatchet of hate and foolishness, and strive to build a better country for our own children. I believe you love your daughters? breasts as much as Rawlings does- we all love our children. Let us labor to build a safer country for them.

I truly believe that it is not too late for you and your friends to consider your ways, and map out a new strategy. This one does not befit an officer and a gentleman- that is if you and your friends are one. God is on our side: We cannot Fail!