Opinions of Monday, 28 February 2011

Columnist: Lamptey, Alfred

Unblushing Leaders

How can the leaders of
this country be so shameless in spreading horrible news that will maculate the
image of the country? The leaders of the country must learn how to
solve problems that arise in
the country. In recent time, a lot of issues have arise and these issues have
been taken as a political statements and the most worrisome thing is that
whiles political members try to comment about the issues, they end up creating
another issue for the mass media to disseminate.

In recent time, the
2012 NPP Presidential candidate, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, unleashed a
firestorm with remarks made to party faithful at Koforidua. He addressing the
party faithful, Nana, a little in the moment and frustrated by the plight of
NPP foot-soldiers, urged the party faithful to be courageous and to be prepared
to fight for victory. According to the “Daily Graphic”, Nana said “For the 2012
elections, “all die be die” and we are going to match the NDC boot for boot and
nothing will be left to chance.” Elsewhere, the NPP candidate said “They say we
Akans are feeble or afraid and that once violence breaks up, we ran away but I
want to disabuse the minds of such people that we are brave and courageous
people just like our forebears who founded our political tradition.” This
statement Nana made raised a lot of debate both on air and indoors, every
Ghanaian need to know that whoever makes a statement is having his or her own
interpretations and his meaning alone must be taken into consideration. Nana
should have known also that he talking to NPP faithful means addressing the
public and all Ghanaians through the party faithfulness and so he should have
known how to make his statements. Nana's statement should have been very clear
and less ambiguous for the common Ghanaians to even understand every single
detail. Nana also made a big mistake by talking in a tribalistic manner
thinking he was addressing only Akans.

As if that was not
enough for the country and its investors, the president of the country also in
an instance commented about the statement made by Nana on an august moment that
very single Ghanaian was alert for the address. During the state of the nations
address, the president of the country President Prof. John Evans Fiifi Atta Mills
said and I
quote "Madam Speaker, as Commander-in-Chief of the Ghana Armed Forces, and
having sworn to protect the integrity of Mother Ghana, I have put the security
agencies on red alert and they are under strict instructions to deal decisively
within the ambit of the law with anybody or group of persons who will attempt
to disturb the peace and stability of this dear nation of ours." He
continued, "We will not sit idly by and allow some persons to throw this
country into a state of chaos just to satisfy their self-centered and
inordinate political desires." This statement made by the president I hope
he really knows what he said, because the term "red alert" is a
military tem used to show the readiness of the military for war, it is the last
period in the life of the military before war, it is usually one hour or less
before war. So the president saying this I know he is not willing to scare the
investors of the country away, because the term is very alarming. The question
of the time is that if the president is ready to prevent any one from putting
fear into the country for his or her selfish interest, then why was he not able
to prevent the foot soldiers on that day? He said "Ghana will not die;
Ghana will live to proclaim the glory of God". Then what about the foot
soldiers Mr. President?

Another most
unimaginable thing is the statement made by Mr. Kennedy Agyapong, threatening
and raining insult on Alhaji Bature because of a statement the journalist made,
though the statement made by the journalist might be false, there is still the
need for the Honourable to keep the air free of those insults and threats. Oh
leaders of this country what are you
teaching the up- coming generations and leaders as well as the outside world, I
think it is time for our leaders to stop all these things and focus on more
important things that will aid development and unity and not those that will
bring retardation and instability.

Lamptey Alfred

Alfredlampey88@yahoo.com