From Manhyia with words of wisdom

They say if you have an elderly person in your house, you never get short of good counsel. It does not necessarily mean that every person matures with greater wisdom. However, it is generally anticipated that with age and years of accumulated experience, a person is better predisposed to offer good advice on matters. It is for the same reason that when there is a stalemate in any arbitration process, the panelists will withdraw to consult the ‘Old Lady’, and very often their verdicts rests very well with all the litigants. Last week, Ghanaians were fortunate to drink deep from the fountains of wisdom when the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, delivered a lecture on the theme: “Advancing Together”, to mark the Constitution Week of the National Centre for Civic Education (NCCE). It was a rare choice of the key speaker for such a topic and for the occasion. At first, many would have expected the NCCE to fall on a seasoned academician well-vexed in our political history or a matured politician who has retired from active service and, therefore, could draw on his/her experiences and advise his compatriots on the way forward. The Asantehene has proven through his delivery that the organisers after all, made the right choice when they settled on someone who stands in the middle of a political landscape that has become so antagonistic that nobody cares to reason with anybody from the other side. His mature observation and sense of judgement from where he sits in his palace, cannot but exude confidence and fairness to all. Even before he could proceed, the Asantehene told his audience of the advice from his elders to be wary in order not to be caught in the whirlwind of political mischief which is the order of the day. But like a true leader and father, he accepted the challenge, determined not to stir but to calm turbulent waters. Our fourth attempt at democratic rule is being marred by a culture of intolerance, insensitivity to the plight of the majority of the people, arrogance, impunity and naked dissipation of state funds. The signs are clear and only those who cannot read the consequences of the gathering clouds will continue to believe that this country is on course. The spirit of national unity planted in Ghanaians by the first President, Dr Kwame Nkrumah at independence is still working magic for this country but we cannot continue to survive on the scanty reserve of this national resource if we do not make conscious effort to consolidate our unity and use it as a leverage to develop this country. The Asantehene spoke on all the issues bordering on the peace, unity and development of this country such that it would not require a lesser mortal like this writer to repeat them. He spoke about our politics of intolerance, vindictiveness, arrogance of power and what has become known as winner-takes-all syndrome which have all conspired to tear this nation apart. He addressed our politicians whether they are in government or in opposition whose focus have shifted from the national interest to personal and narrow sectional and party interests. He has addressed the issue of a media that has abused the freedom guaranteed it by the 1992 Constitution and in the main has become extensions of political parties to the extent that it has lost its legitimacy as the watchdog of society and the voice of the people. Media platform to encourage freedom of speech has become platform to freely abuse, defame and vilify people perceived to be political opponents. It is increasingly becoming clear that the best place to attract the attention of the political leadership for a possible appointment into high office is the media platform, where radio and television discussions could be used to launch verbal assaults on political opponents. It seems to be working because most of the young men and women who have found themselves in the political limelight, crowning it with ministerial and other high-profiled appointments did so not through any personal achievements or any other attributes but via media violence. Many Ghanaians have decided to be silent on important national issues because they have come to realise that no one would be interested in their views. More dangerous is the fact that one risks becoming a victim of verbal assault from a new breed of youthful politicians called members of government or party communication teams. They possess so much venom that you better keep away from them if you want to retain your dignity and sanity. As the Asantehene rightly observed, the press was the instrument that galvanised the people to rise against colonialism. We think this is the time for the media to put state officials and institutions on their toes and the instrument that will consolidate our democracy. But what do we see? We need to take the advice of Asantehene. “Please, let the media lift itself from mediocrity and beacon of light, of enlightenment and of hope for our people. I appeal to the electronic media in particular to release the nation from the hot air balloon and save us from the din of party propaganda”. He went on: “We should not remain captives to a cabal of party communicators and politically charged commentators and their serial callers to continue ramming their propaganda down our throats”. What better advice can media professionals and media owners expect to make themselves relevant in our political dispensation. Ghana has so far escaped and forever shall escape civil conflicts that have torn other countries in the sub-region apart. The pace of our development is, however, so slow that we seem not to have benefited significantly from our peace and national unity due mainly to poor leadership and the new brand of politics we are practising. Our constitutional experts must come out quickly to effect the necessary amendments to our Constitution that would enhance the check-and-balance mechanism to reduce the near-autocratic power of the presidency which is the source of most of the political frictions we are experiencing in the system. We are lucky like a house, Ghana is endowed with a huge stock of elderly men and women whose advice we can thrive on. The Asantehene has played his part. He can only offer good counsel and he has done that. Many others will follow if they believe they will get receptive ears. It is up to us as responsible and listening children to tap into the wisdom of his advice and mend our ways. It is only then that we can proudly declare that we are advancing together with a common and noble objective of making our nation stronger and better. * fokofi@yahoo.co.uk kofiakordor.blogspot.com

A world of superstition, frustration and disillusionment

Many years ago, the story was told of how one of Ghana’s top football teams participating in a continental tournament went to consult a soothsayer for the outcome of a crucial match. According to the story, the team was told that they would win the match except that the first player to score a goal would die. As should be expected, no player would want to die in such a foolish manner, so all the top marksmen of the Ghanaian team were firing wildly while their opponents kept hitting the target. In the end, the Ghanaian team lost. Common sense should have informed the team officials that without scoring goals, a team could not win a match and if scoring will result in the death of a player, definitely there would not be any goals. So the big question is, why should they rely on such a prediction? Ghanaians are generally superstitious. It is embedded in our cultural and religious set-up. Football is the passion of the nation and it is one area that our superstitious nature is most evident. Things are changing because of the rigid application of the rules. In the past, teams refused to use the main entrance to the stadium because of the belief that a charm that would cause their defeat had been planted there. Others have refused to change jerseys because the Ekpelekpedzi or Magani man has assured them that their jerseys would make their players invincible to their opponents. There was a time a match was delayed for almost one hour at the then Accra Sports Stadium because none of the two teams wanted to step onto the pitch first. In all these things, football never made any progress but made a few team officials and the con men who styled themselves as fortune-tellers and soothsayers richer. If Lionel Messi of Barcelona Football Club were a Ghanaian, it would not be surprising if he was described as a wizard because in our part of the world, we do not believe that people are endowed with exceptional talents that are enhanced by training and personal efforts. At the peak of his career, Osei Kofi, one of the nation’s greatest football talents, was popular as the ‘Wizard Dribbler’. Opoku Afriyie, another marksman who played for Asante Kotoko, was called ‘Beyie’ because of his goal-scoring abilities. Maybe we are now beginning to realise that football matches are won more through hard training and good strategy rather than anything else, least of all, superstition. Without ruling out luck and what could be described as divine intervention, life is generally about careful planning, hard work, commitment and determination. But ours is in the main put in one bundle of superstition and its offshoots – curse and miracles. So it came to pass that about two weeks ago, business in about half of Accra, the capital city, came to a halt because one major artery into the city, the Spintex Road was jammed following information that a Nigerian evangelist named T.B. Joshua was coming to perform miracles. In attendance were all manner of people, from those at the lowest end of the social ladder to the mightiest in business and politics, each of them expecting his or her miracle. There were the poor and down-trodden who want the bare necessities of life; there were those who want marriage partners and those who want children. There were those already in business who want their businesses to flourish. There were the politicians who want God’s miracle for them to hold on to power or to win power. There were even so-called men of God who were there to seek superior guidance and blessing so that they can win more flock for their churches, which are now sources of wealth in the country. If the situation was riotous two weeks ago, the situation last Sunday turned tragic when four people were reported dead in a stampede that followed the sharing of ‘Holy Water’ sent by Prophet Joshua in his Synagogue Church of All Nations on the Spintex Road, the place of the first miracle crusade. As started earlier, we cannot do away with certain cultural and religious beliefs because certain things simply defy human interpretation or explanation. Nobody can also question people’s personal beliefs and I will be the last person to attempt such a futile exercise. But the truth must be told. We are gradually descending into a nation of superstition and questionable religious beliefs. We have elevated it to the point where we have national prayer and thanksgiving sessions. Life is what you make it and we must begin to take full responsibility for our actions and inaction. We must stop blaming our failures on superstition and religion. If we fail to harness the abundant resources God has generously given us, we should not turn round and with noise-making claim we are seeking God’s divine intervention in our national affairs. When we elect people into political office to change our lives for the better but they fail to exhibit vision and direction and rather use that mandate to enrich themselves, we should not expect any prayer and fasting to do any miracle. As a country, we must begin to confront the truth. We have ignored certain basic principles of life – truth, honesty, modesty, hard work and dedication – which are the pillars of success. In the process, we have rendered ourselves so miserable that we seek salvation from all sorts of people who parade rightly or wrongly as men of God. Those countries that are advancing cannot be said to be more religious than ours. That means the difference between development and stagnation lies not in the God we worship, which is universal, but in the determination of the people to pursue a national agenda to break the cycle of poverty, disease, ignorance and illiteracy, using all the resources available to them. If we fail in that regard, we cannot blame anybody but ourselves. We do not need to do any academic work to realise that some of the well-known men of God are among the most affluent members of our society today. That tells its own story. Events on the Spintex Road two weeks ago and last Sunday should send a strong signal to our leadership that our people are getting desperate and frustrated. They are losing hope. This frustration and desperation is driving them to see religion as a safety valve. It will not take long for them to realise that it takes more than prayers and miracles to make a successful living. When they finally realise that the solution to their physical problems is not in the chapels, synagogues, mosques or shrines, they will naturally look elsewhere and the consequences or the spillover can well be imagined. fokofi@yahoo.co.uk kofiakordor.blogspot.com

The police and demonstrations

The police and demonstrations Some of the benefits of the 1992 Republican Constitution are the individual freedoms and liberties it offers citizens. Article 21 is quite clear and explicit. It says in (1) All persons shall have the right to: (a) Freedom of speech and expression, which shall include freedom of the press and other media; (b) Freedom of thought, conscience and belief, which shall include academic freedom; (c) Freedom to practise any religion and to manifest such practice; (d) Freedom to assembly including freedom to take part in processions and demonstrations; (e) Freedom of association, which shall include freedom to form or join trade unions other associations, national and international, for the protection of their interest; (f) Freedom of information, subject to such qualifications and laws as are necessary in a democratic society; (g) Freedom of movement, which means the right to move freely in Ghana, the right to leave and to enter Ghana and immunity from expulsion from Ghana. There is nothing like absolute freedom and it did not take long for the political leadership to realise this. That was how the Public Order Act came into being. Otherwise, it is possible to wake up one morning to see demonstrations going on all over the place by different people. The police, under the Public Order Act, Act 491 of 1994 are to act as impartial referees to ensure that the freedom to demonstrate is not abused. The act was also framed in such a manner that it does not give the police absolute power such as to take away from the individual, the right to demonstrate. Section 1 – Notification of Police of Special Event (1) Any person who desires to hold any special event within the meaning of this Act in any public place shall notify the police of his intention not less than 5 days before the date of the special event. (2) The notification shall be in writing and signed by or on behalf of the organisers of the special event and shall specify: (a) The place and hour of the special event; (b) The nature of the special event; (c) The time of commencement; (d) The proposed route and destination, if any; and (e) The proposed time of closure of the event. (3) The notification shall be submitted to a police officer not below the rank of Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) or other police officer responsible for the nearest police station to the location of the proposed special event. (4) Where a police officer notified of a special event under subsection (1) has reasonable grounds to believe that the special event if held may lead to violence or endanger the public defence, public order, public safety, public health or the running of essential services or violate the rights and freedoms of other persons, he may request the organisers to postpone the special event to any other date or to relocate the special event. There are good intentions behind the Public Order Act (Act 491) to ensure that in the application of freedom to demonstrate, society does not suffer because of the abuse of those freedoms. And whether we agree or not, demonstrations can turn hostile and violent depending on the issues at stake and the nature of those embarking on the demonstration, so it is necessary that the police are kept in the picture to protect the public good. Even though the Public Order Act confers a lot of powers on the police, it never gave the police the power to stop demonstrations. Where organisers of special events, in this case demonstrations, fail to take the advice of the police and insist on going ahead with their programme, the police can apply section (6) of the Act which says; “Where the organisers refuse to comply with the request under subsection (4) or fail to notify the police officer in accordance with subsection (5), the police officer may apply to any judge or a chairman of a tribunal for an order to prohibit the holding of the special event on the proposed date or at the proposed location.” Section (7) says; “The judge or chairman may make such order as he considers to be reasonably required in the interest of defence, public order, public safety, public health, the running of essential services or to prevent violation of the rights and freedoms of other persons”. Whatever the good intentions behind the Public Order Act, it is becoming increasingly clear that it has become a dangerous weapon that could be easily abused to curtail the freedoms of citizens. About two weeks ago, students of the Commonwealth Hall of the University of Ghana, Legon decided to embark upon a Hepatitis B awareness float as part of their Hall Week celebrations. The police went into action invoking the powers conferred upon them by the Public Order Act to stop the students and went further to arrest some of them. Even under military dictatorship, students had never been stopped from celebrating their hall week. Apparently, the police got wind that the students were going to demonstrate in support of the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) who were on strike for their grievances in respect of the single spine salary pay policy. The police are on the warpath. Their posture may seem to be in the public interest but unknown to them they are denying Ghanaians some of their fundamental rights and freedoms – rights that even dictators could not take away from them. For the police to come out with a public statement that demonstrations have been suspended with the flimsy excuse that they are constrained by the Supreme Court hearing of the election petition is an insult to our democracy. The Supreme Court is not a battleground. If it is, the military would be the best institution to take care of things and providing security at the Supreme Court does not amount to a state of emergency, the only time the rights and freedoms of the citizens could be curtailed as prescribed by the 1992 Constitution. There is only one country in the world where public demonstrations are prohibited. That is North Korea. We do not believe that our democracy, which is being touted as the best or among the best on the continent, has reached a point where the citizens cannot express themselves freely on matters they feel strongly about. The political leadership may pretend that it is not aware of the statement from the police banning public demonstrations, a power that resides only in the President of the Republic when he declares a state of emergency. Article 31 (1) of the 1992 Constitution says; The President may, acting in accordance with the advice of the Council of State, by proclamations published in the Gazette, declare that a state of emergency exists in Ghana or in any part of Ghana for the purposes of the provisions of this Constitution”. When it becomes reasonably necessary for the President to declare a state of emergency all over the country or parts of the country, it will amount to the curtailment of personal freedoms and liberties including the right to hold demonstrations as the case may be. In the absence of such emergency powers, no individual, group or organ of state can unilaterally trample upon the rights of the citizens of this country, hiding under any excuses. In any case, there is only one Supreme Court sitting in Accra. The police are not telling Ghanaians that because of the election petition, armed robbers and other criminals can have their way. Emotions are like water. They will definitely find their way. It is better to direct and control them than to allow them to find their own level which can be disastrous. When Margaret Thatcher died, there were those who jubilated. That is something abominable in our part of the world. On the day of her funeral, there were others who demonstrated in another part of London, against the state funeral being accorded her. Nobody tried to stop them. That is democracy. Let the people express themselves openly on matters that concern them. Nobody will suffer for that. It will not make any difference. But there will be a big difference when you try to suppress their feelings. Find out what happens when a dam collapses. The huge volume of water that was trapped behind it will come with a force that would wash everything on its path. If there should be a choice, I will prefer the trickles. fokofi@yahoo.co.uk

Corruption poses danger to national stability

There was a time when Ghanaians were walking long distances to work without complaining. That was when there was a nationwide shortage of fuel and vehicles had to queue for days for a few gallons of fuel because the product was being rationed. In those days, students decided to abandon the classrooms and lecture halls for a whole a year to cart cocoa which had piled up in the remotest parts of the producing regions to the ports of Takoradi and Tema for no fee. There were food shortages as result of drought and bush fires and food imports were limited because of the country’s precarious foreign exchange position. Even though people were hungry, very few blamed the government of the day for what, by all indications, was a national calamity. Everybody, or at least the majority of the people, felt there was a price to pay for nation-building, if even it meant enduring some form of hardship today for a better tomorrow. In those days, Ghanaians proved that they were prepared to make sacrifices as their contribution towards a better future. Time has the magic power of eroding sad episodes from our memories. At best, they seem so remote and insignificant as they recede deeper into history. Those old enough would remember that those were the days following the June 4, 1979 uprising which toppled the government of the Generals led by Lt Gen. F.W.K Akuffo. Things were not easy in those days, but Ghanaians survived in the belief that it was a necessary sacrifice for happier times in the future. The situation was repeated after the December 31, 1981 coup which overthrew the government of Dr Hilla Limann. Conditions in the days following the coup which was declared a revolution were very harsh as a result of international isolation and natural disasters such as drought and bush fires. The nation survived because of the trust majority of the people had in the political leadership of Flt Lt J.J. Rawlings. Once people came to believe that the political leadership was not taking undue advantage of them and that members of government were practising what they were asking the people to do, there was very little room for complaints. The perceived incorruptibility of the leadership was the strength of the government and served as an inspiration for the generality of the population. If Ghanaians were ready to make sacrifices yesterday, it means they can make sacrifices today, but on condition that the leadership is leading the way in making those sacrifices. Once there is a credibility gap, any appeal to the citizens to make sacrifices will not yield positive responses. The crisis we are in today has a lot to do with perceived corruption in high places. The lifestyles of many people in political leadership do not offer any inspiration for others to make sacrifices for a better tomorrow. The best form of leadership is by example. If the government is complaining that the country has not got enough money with which to do legitimate business but can afford to buy expensive vehicles for the use of a few people, it will naturally find itself in a tight corner trying to impress upon agitating professionals that there is not enough to pay them their due entitlements. For a country that is always on the move begging for support from countries that yesterday were its classmates, it is strange to see in its presidential fleet and that of ministers vehicles that the Presidents of China, South Korea and India, countries that have become our benefactors, hardly use. Under the circumstance, it is a tall proposition trying to convince people that this is a country in which money is scarce. Apart from the excessive expenditure for the comfort of a few, there is massive leakage of resources through various forms of malpractice. The public institutions tasked with the responsibility of checking corruption in public places lack the strength and capacity to execute their mandate. All of them, to the letter, at the end of the day derive their authority from the President of the Republic and, therefore, are functionally impotent to make any impact. The former Serious Fraud Office (SFO) (now the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO)) and the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), in their current form, can at best do the barking but cannot bite. Until the law establishing EOCO in particular is amended to give it full autonomy like that enjoyed by the Electoral Commission, there is very little that body can do, especially when it comes to matters involving members of government. As it is now, any pretence that the country has powerful anti-graft laws should be discarded. Once there is very little public confidence in these institutions, the perception that there is corruption in high places will create very little room for nationalism and patriotism, two basic ingredients that can hold a country together and set it on a path towards development. fokofi@yahoo.co.uk kofiakordor.blogspot.com