Ghana, our beloved country can be deemed to be one of the most democratic Nations in recent times. Ghana could be ranked among the top 5 countries in Africa in terms of modern day’s democracy despite our previous political history. It is said that, before anything can become good, better or best, there must be a revolution, which hysterically will come along with destructions, tension, terror and eventually get to a stable position to grow from there. That is exactly what the country Ghana has under gone.

Our Nation Ghana has seen it all, the good, the bad and the ugly. It is now time to prove to the world that, it is not by accident that Ghana has earned international recognition in conducting elections. Ghana had it on record to conducting five successive elections, ranging from opaque ballot boxes to transparent ones. From black and white voter ID cards to colour, went back to black and white and finally settled on colour voter ID card. Now, the Nation has added another milestone by moving from not only colour voter ID card but also biometric voter ID card with the ultimate being its verification on voting day. This is a long travel which has added more credential to Ghana’s democracy for international acclamation. Indeed, there is more room for improvement.

Ghana once again will be going to the polls on Friday. Some call it a battle, others call it a cross road but I simple term it a routine exercise Ghanaians have become so much acquainted with in every four year cycle. We did it, we have done it and we are going to do it again without any qualms. All we need is to remind ourselves of the fact that, we are in to choose a leader as always and not a show of heavy muscles.

The 2012 election is not a battle for supremacy, neither is it a contest to show the best muscular individuals, nor it is a matter of life and death. This election is no different from our previous experience, the difference may be the years and candidates which still do not take its content out of place. Let us implement restraint in our conduct on this day to avoid any unplanned and unwarranted eventuality. This is a job that can be done without equipments or instruments. Ghanaians do not need pens and books to cast their ballot. We do not need any material on us to exercise our franchise. All we need to do is to go join the queue and vote. It will be very insane on our part to carry along with us any form of arm, ammunition or anything injurious as though we are going to fight our foe.

The time and era of invasion to acquire territories are far gone. We live in a modern society where bows and arrows, guns and gunpowder, cutlasses and machetes are replaced by the thumb. The world is not a place of survival of the fittest. The weak, the strong, the poor and the rich all have access to equal opportunity to become what they want to become. The hegemony of a sect is no more, the balkanization of Nations have ceased and the relegation of other race to the earth is over. This is what egalitarianism stands for and all credit must go to Democracy.

Ghana is a peaceful country as touted all over the world. We cannot afford to maim this fame to the international community by our continual unnecessary tension we are building up prior to this election. It may not be possible to do away with some pockets of skirmishes but we must endeavor to comport ourselves before the world, come Friday. The spotlight all over will be on Ghana on the 7th of Dec. Our neibghours are much more volatile than us and therefore cannot seek refuge in the UNLIKELY situation of anarchy. We must consider the vulnerable ones including children and women who would be suffering an event they no nothing about by judiciously and fairly applying our gumption on the 7th.

We are at the liberty to utter divergent opinions and views but must not consider those as insults to attack each other. Neighboring Cote D’ivoire, Liberia, Sieraleone, Kenya, Zimbabwe and others are yet to recover from such plight. These countries are yet to be discharged from the hospital just for electoral violence. We in Ghana must know the limit of our freedom and respect where the other’s freedom starts from. We have nowhere to go, Ghana is all that we have and nothing more. It will interest you to know that, those we think we are fighting for or inciting us to fight have their wards outside the country for protection. Why must we the masses unwisely engage in gratuitous scuffles?

Let no one provoke you to engage in any kind of unwarranted move for just a peanut. Our lives are more precious than the scoundrel thinks and must not implore you to die for him to win power. Let us eschew hate speech, admonish our loyalists from being under the influence of the affluent to skew their plans at our expense. We can also become who the leaders are today. Never allow anyone to jeopardize your chance of fulfilling God’s purpose in this world. If they are leaders today, we are leaders tomorrow. They were the youth when others were leaders years past. The youth of today are the future leaders.

Finally, I remind readers that, Ghana needs peace before, during and after election 2012 and the onus lies on us to behoove the pledge. We have done it five times and are going to do it for the sixth time without any rancorous, spitefulness and acrimonious tendencies to cement our name before the outside world. We all have the mandate to hold mother-Ghana with all the firmness she needs like an egg in the palm of an adult.

I am going in to cast my ballot on Friday in an extremely sober manner devoid of exhibiting recklessness and intimidation to a brother. What about you? God bless our homeland Ghana. PEACE IS WHAT I CRAVE FOR MOTHER-GHANA !!!

Kashaa Nuhu babnuh11@yahoo.com