..... AND POLITICAL FAVORS AND ENFORCE LAW AND ORDER

by Samuel Donkor

Since the overthrow of the first republic, successive military regimes and a few short-lived civilian regimes had often adopted very cheap and destructive strategies to win the hears and support of the masses.

The deliberate closing of eyes on many unlawful, unethical and indiscipline behaviors by officials and people with connections to authority, lead to the neglect of rule of law. This negative attitude and practice renders law and order ineffective, allowing care-free attitudes and abuse of power to prevail.

The canker of corruption and indiscipline in the Ghanian society today, is the legacy of such negative strategies for cheap popularity adopted by the twenty three(23)years of military rule, making it a practice today.

For the sake of cheap popularity and political advantage, hawkers and traders are left freely to sell on pavements built for pedestrians to walk on, unauthorised structures are left freely erected anywhere, anytime, to the extend that, there is not a single open space or spot in the vicinities of Accra and other cities and getting as far as blocking all possible emergency routes, exits and water- ways. Almost every open space in Accra is occupied by metal built shops or kiosks, squatter structures, taxi ranks or markets, causing congestion and sanitation problems and disorder all over the cities.

Metropolitan by-laws and regulations are rendered ineffective through deliberate neglect and corrupt attitude of officials and party faithfuls. Many public organizations and institutions affiliate to the ruling government, act many at times, unlawfully, unethically, with impunity and without caution to laid down regulation and laws. The system today has become a care-free society without rule of law, but on the basis of ''Whom you know and what connection one has with the ruling government. Buildings and other structures are put up anywhere, anyhow, without conformity to laid down regulations, hence the flooding problems of the cities.

For the sake of cheap popularity and political favors,the Ghanaian youth has been left to go their own ways, without any proper national youth policy and directions. The result being the present indiscipline, uncultured attitude, violence, crime and the moral decadence among them.

The buttom line is that , for the sake of cheap popularity and political points, wrong doers and corrupt officials of government and ruling party faithfuls go unpunished, giving bad leadership examples.

The nation is today plunged into the canker of corruption, cheatings, violence, high rate crime, indiscipline, selfishness, lawlessness, social vices, and moral decadence. This rot in the society with mismanagement is all the legacy of a 45year bad governance through cheap and false propaganda and political strategies to win the hearts and sympathies of the people, resulting in the neglect of law and order.

Today, Ghana is reaping what the people have gradually sown for the past 45 years as a nation, for it is written: ''Do not be deceived, God is not mocked, for whatever a man sows, that shall he also reap''. Galatians 6:7.

Leadership of this country has never lived up to expectation in the past 45 years and had been the major cause of of this rot and the worse state of affairs concerning the declining socio-economic and moral decadence confronting the nation today. Both political, social and traditional leaders in the past 45years have not lived a life worthy of emulation to the youth.

Leaders during this period, have been corrupt, exploitative, cheating, arrogant, unethical,indisciplined,immoral and have set not a very good exemplary life. For t said, '' Whatever action a great man or leader performs, common men follow in his foot steps. And whatever standards he sets by examplary act, all the World pursues.''said by Shri Phrabu Phrabupada.

The present present ruling government must therefore put its foot down and see to it that, laws and regulations, rules and orders of this land are strictly enforced , without fear or favor. The uncivilised and unwise notion that, 'we voted you to power, therefore we should be favored or allowed to do what we like is neither here nor there. It should not be a cheap way to win votes, for it retards development progress, law and order.It also creates division and partisanship and sentiments on national issues.

The government must do away with such cheap and unwise strategies and allow its policy of rule of law to manifest without any interference for the country to move forward.

Samuel Donkor Cell; 0242 809352

Yours faithfully,

Samuel Donkor.