Point of correction: UN petitioned to award Nana Akufo-Addo the Nobel Peace Prize
I wish to, categorically, emphasise that Ban Ki Moon of the UN and Barack Obama of the USA are being petitioned to “Nominate Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for the Nobel Peace prize”, not ”TO AWARD IT”, for the fantastic job that this honourable and fine gentleman has done for Mother Ghana. It is known that the Nobel Peace prize is not awarded by the UN, hence the petition “TO NOMINATE”. Thus, all those exhibiting their ludicrous ignorance by posting desultory, derogatory and profane comments on the article by radioxyzonline captioned “UN petitioned to award Nana Akufo-Addo the Nobel Peace prize” speak ill of a Ghanaian society looking to forge ahead. I dare say, though, that radioxyzonline made a genuine error in applying the word “AWARD” instead of “NOMINATE” and that was well as it has exposed the tattered nature of our social fabric.
Why were people scurrying off across borders and traveling to foreign destinations prior to the 2012 general elections and, especially, before the erroneous verdict? Was it not the fear of civil strife that they so dreaded? Was it not for dear life that they were running? Was it not the possible disturbance of the peace that they saw looming over Ghana? Peace that they believed would turn into anarchy given the violent nature of the NDC, taking into cognisance the fact that same is embedded in their long history of violence from 1979 to date?
Have Ghanaians forgotten that Nana Akufo-Addo could have violently rejected the December 2012 election results and caused mayhem in the process? Other African Leaders have callously set their countries ablaze rejecting poll declarations and such would, definitely, have been the case with the leadership of the NDC had the declaration not been in their favour for it was Asiedu Nketia of the NDC who led a mob of thugs to the electoral commission in 2008 with red banderas around their heads, totally drunk and shouting chooboi chooboi, threatening to turn the peace into raging war if the NPP were declared winners of the elections, afterall.
Folks, ours is a country ravaged by poverty; not poverty because we are naturally poor but because we are morally corrupt; not poverty because we are illiterates but because we are “educated illiterates”; poverty not because we lack but because we disburse our resources inefficiently; poverty not because we don’t have wealth but because our laws don’t work; poverty not because we do not have a constitution but because our constitution is powerful over the commoner and lame over the elite. That is why we suffer poverty.
Not until we are able to unveil our objectivity and sensible understanding of issues we will remain in this quandary. Not until we are able to unite as a Nation and rebuke our leaders for malpractices that bear directly on our dignity and right to survive in prosperity, we shall remain down-trodden. Not until we are able to come to terms with our existence as one people with different affiliations and views living in unison and harmony we will never know peace, for peace is not only the silence of the guns but the turmoil of the souls. War is not only the rampage of the mad; it is also the silent execution of the spirits.