Opinions of Monday, 7 October 2013

Columnist: Adofo, Rockson

Would Mahama Avail Himself Free of my Admonitions?

Would President Mahama Avail Himself Free of my Admonitions?

? Nothing in this world is said to be free, that is, obtained free. They always come at a price, whether seen or unseen. However, my admonitions to President John Mahama come free of charge. I will advise on, or against, certain policy initiatives his government and party may be neck-deep involved in.

? I have irritatingly been observing the Mills/Mahama and Mahama/Arthur-Amissah-led NDC governments either intentionally spearheading, or inadvertently keeping a blind eye to, the dominance of the practice of "selective justice" in Ghana. This practice by certain personalities and members of the ruling party- NDC, committing crimes with impunity while their compatriots from the opposition political parties are held strictly punishable for same offences is not right. It is injurious to the continual harmonious co-existence of, the various tribes, members of the various parties and all those of different political backgrounds, persuasions and affiliations.

? Should the President and his members of government be behind the near-institutionalised practice of "selective justice", then I would strongly advise them to pull back. Such a policy, direct or indirect, has made a mockery of the Ghana security services, especially, the police and the Bureau of National Investigation. They arrest individuals not belonging in the NDC party and government on laughable charges of, "causing fear, panic and alarm to the public". When an NDC faithful causes same offence that his opponent would be charged with as stated, he/she gets away with it without even a police caution. When an NPP faithful causes a civil law offence, say, defaming somebody who happens to be a family member of the NDC, the National security bundles him/her and charges him with crime, evoking criminal law. Such intimidating tactics by either the government or the politicised National Security Service to coerce the citizenries of Ghana to kowtow to any absurd policy by the government is not healthy for the socio-politico-economic advancement of Ghana.

? The practice of "selective justice" erodes the trust the maltreated persons and the public in general, except the favoured few, have in the government and the institutions wielding such a heavy one-sided-sharpened weapon that cuts on one side only.

? Mr President, you can never unite Ghanaians under you, develop Ghana according as discerning Ghanaians would expect of you, should you directly or indirectly implement "divide and rule, divide and conquer" policies as it is obviously the case in Ghana now. The revenue of the country is not generated by only a section of the population from a particular region or tribe. Therefore, any probable idea or policy of your government and party not to let some people or some specific regions benefit from the national cake is as wrong as it is very dangerous and truly hideous.

? I personally bear witness to how a group of people in Ghana are being tribally segregated against at work. Some of their members had been sacked, refused employment during recruitment into say, the security forces or the civil service in general. I have on two or three occasions published my findings and views on this type of utter discrimination against the Akans, especially the Ashantis, on the internet. For how long will this continue to be a policy of the government? No government wishing to advance the country socially and economically will pursue such a policy unless in truth, it is her desire to fail woefully?

? Mr President, be wary of certain people around you who are there only for their selfish interests. Whoever advises you to strengthen your policy of "positive discrimination", appointing only Northerners and a few Voltarians to fill all major positions in the country are your enemies. You can never govern successfully by pursuing the supremacy agenda of the minority tribe(s) over the majority. Such a policy is bound to fail or suffer aberration mid-way through implementation regardless of whatever the tyrannical force driving it is. All Ghanaians must be treated fairly without discrimination, harassment or victimisation for the reason of tribal background, education, religion or age.

? My free advice to the President will come in drops, be monitored and assessed to confirm if really he has been listening and acting upon them. Have you, my reader, forgotten that it is said, "you can force the horse to the riverside but you cannot compel it to drink?". I can only advise the President as I feel it appropriate but I cannot oblige him to do as admonished.

? Finally, I love to see people engaged in the views I present and are ready to publish rebuttals where they find me a bit weird or way off their expectations. Little by little, we shall meet at a point where all will agree on particular issues. That will surely be the way forward to building a cohesive society of Ghanaians that see themselves as one people of one nation with a common destiny.

? Until Ghanaians do agree with me that the President has to pursue selfless policies in the interest of all but not in appeasement of a few privileged NDC members, Ghana will witness terrible socio-economic woes. Ghanaians are said to be moral hazards onto themselves – lying, always supporting the wrong side of issues where the few insatiable greedy ones would always want to lord it over the majority. Such a situation always creates chaos.

? The above stated admonition, is all that I have for President Mahama today, Saturday, 5 October 2013. I shall be back with many more if and only if, the Mr President, will listen and act accordingly. ? ? Rockson ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?