Opinions of Tuesday, 26 February 2013

Columnist: Wuni, Ras Iddi

What are the MCE and the MP For Bawku Central doing as Leaders?

What Is The MCE And The MP For Bawku Central Doing As Leaders?

Ras Iddi Wuni Jnr

Bawku can be peaceful.

We can peacefully coexist, understand each other, trust one another, share
love and avoid tribal coloration and discrimination between the Mamprusis and
the Kusasis. Bawku can be a Municipality in which the people prefer to put
their energy and talent into enhancing their individual socio-economic
advancement and that of their communities as a whole than engaging in tribal
conflicts. Bawku can bounds back as one of the Municipalities where all kinds
of law abiding people from all over the country including Togo, with business
minds will like to come and engage in trade and so business especially between
Ghana and Togo. It used to be so and it still can be so if only we understand that
we need creative leadership; political leaders who will do all that is
necessary to help the people forge together in unity and create a conducive environment
for investors to show interest in bringing business ventures there.

I think that the
dynamics and somehow complexity of the current backwardness we have found
ourselves as a people, to me is primarily due to the lack of leaders who
understand that Bawku is not that vibrant as it used to be and therefore there is
something wrong somewhere, and that it can be fix and must be fix because Bawku must
not
continue to sink like a vessel without a captain to navigate it to the right
cause. The kind of leaders who understands that serving the people means
working to solve problems that hinders the progress of the Municipality, and
not just sitting on a comfortable swivel chair in an office. Personally and
sincerely, I think that this is the missing factor in our quest to move away
from the current situation where the youth embrace hopelessness because no one
is doing anything to bring hopefulness in their minds about a prosperous and
peaceful Bawku. We need leaders who understands that the situation the fall in
revenue generation must give way to an
increase, and an increase in spending on peace keeping must give way to using
those resources for the socio-economic advancement of the Municipality. To
achieve this, we need leaders with creative minds that think outside the box
for solutions. With no prejudices, i don't think we are getting that from our MCE
and or MP.

Let me give a brief summary of my candid view as to what i think are the problems
facing us as a people and destroying our Municipality.

(1) Arms proliferation. And my question is, what initiatives are our leaders taken
to disarm civilians in possession
of illegal arms?
(2) Miscreants igniting
ethnic violence. What is being done to bring them to book anytime they shoot
and killed someone, or engages in sporadic shootings in the Municipality for
whatever reason(s) just like what happened a month ago.
(3) Abortive enter-ethnic
peace talks. What are our leaders doing to get the concerns and grievances of all
parties in the IEPC addressed, so as to get them back to work for peace?
(4) Lack of confidence
in the people to trust, and love one another. What are they doing to forge
unity and understanding between the Mamprusis and Kusasis?
(5) Providing the
necessary environment for all individuals and tribes to enjoy their freedom and
right to conduct their lawful activities be it religious, traditional, or
cultural. These to me are some of the fundamental
problems that if carefully handled, can bring about a great positive change in
the Municipality, and get the people willing to accommodate and understand each
other. These fundamental problems therefore, I believe, need the kind of
leader(s) who can work to address them in order to achieve the unity,
togetherness and progress we need as a people to move forward. For me to be
understood, I guessed I should humbly ask that let’s paused for a minute and
asked ourselves this question, What is the ‘traditional’ role of our Municipal Chief
Executive or our Member of Parliament? How are those roles which they have confined
themselves to, is helping in overcoming the challenges facing us a people as
indicated above? Can’t they think outside the box, be imaginative and creative
in ideas in order to surmount the problems? Our leaders must sit up and get
things done through their leadership and not leave the very people they are
leading to their own fate. It is in situation like this that extra-ordinary leadership
is put to test. I must say that this is not a criticism but a wake up call to our
leaders.
Thank you and May God
bless Bawku.

Ras Iddi Wuni Jnr