Six months into the crucial December 7 presidential and parliamentary elections, it is becoming imperative that the prayer and responsibility of every Ghanaian across the length and breadth of the country is peace and positive action that secures the nation for the next administration to carry out its mandate effectively.
We can look back at 2000, 2008, 2016 and forward into 2024 in appreciating that every eight years births turbulence that should inspire collective vigilance, instead of sporadic violence brewed and executed by political goons and mercenaries who have not conscience.
Especially when we are witnessing a culture of youth in the countryside thinking that they can fight and beat soldiers, policemen and national security operators, the imperative on the part of the religious and traditional leaders to be vocal needs to be highlighted.
Credit
Of course, we must credit them first, because but for them, Ghana would have long gone to the dogs and wolves propagating progress but conceiving pillage.
We must again commend our traditional rulers and religious leaders because they are more credible in thought and action than the typical and loony, greedy bastard politician.
But that credibility is also hinged on the fact that they have been veritable partners in national development, not only in terms of mending hearts and souls and spirits, but also augmenting infrastructure in health, education and social protection programmes.
I recall that in the heady days of the PNDC, before we saw wisdom in engaging with the global community after a kick in the teeth by unwilling USSR, it was the Christian Council and the Catholic Bishops Conference that were the nation and civil society’s voice of conscience into 1992, when Ghana and the Provisional National Defence Council administration was pressured to democratise or lose support in aid and grants from bilateral and multilateral sources.
Thank God, today, that credibility and influence have been sustained in minimising the poison of propaganda and wicked politics that breed corruption and bad, bad, irresponsible governance.
Turbulent North
If we also admit the North constitutes the nation’s bogey territory and flashpoint, it becomes refreshing to hear that a coalition of regional executives of the leading New Patriotic Party and National Democratic Congress in the Savannah are working together to prevent a repeat of the instances where supporters from both sides hoot at their presidential candidates whenever they attend public functions in the region.
The motivation for engineering that coalition was the incidence of presidential candidates of the two parties, Dr Mahamud Bawumia and John Mahama being humiliated by supporters of the NDC and the NPP when they attended social events in the region.
Media reports that I have seen and heard indicate that while supporters of the NPP hooted at Mr Mahama at the Yagbonwura’s outdooring and the funeral rites of the late Queen mother of Busunu, the NDC supporters also retaliated with Dr Bawumia at the Yagbonwura’s outdooring ceremony in Damongo.
So that there is a stop to the nonsense, the leaders of the two major political parties have initiated a gala competition to foster unity ahead of the December elections. An engagement to that effect is a consensus building programme that began last Friday night, April, 26 between the regional executives of the two political parties.
The move, among others, is to bring supporters of the NDC and the NPP to the table of peace and also show to the world that they are one people living as descendants of Ndewura Jakpa. The friendly competition, which is to be patronised by prominent sons and daughters of the region, is also aimed at creating a peaceful environment ahead of the celebration of the first Anniversary of Yagbonwura Bii-Kunuto Jewu Soale I, the 48th Annual Congress of Gonja Land Youth Association and the Guan Conference that is to be hosted in Damongo from April 25 to 28, 2024.
Speaking to the Savannah Regional NPP Chairman, Alhaji Iddrisu Sulemana on behalf of his counterpart from the NDC, Seidu Imoro told journalists that the two political parties have no option but to work in peace and whip their followers patriotically into line before the anniversary.
He also cautioned supporters against exhibiting any political malice or gangster activities during the activities and sustain that.
“I think the biggest gift the Nana Addo, Bawumia-led government gave to us is, no doubt, the creation of the Savannah Region. And if we cannot protect or develop ours like the others but to always engage in NPP, NDC tug of war at every political or public function to disgrace each other, then we don’t mean well for ourselves as a region, people and communities as well as the government,” Professor Kalamonia indicated.
He disclosed that saboteurs of the region are always working and monitoring to ignite tensions among the people.
“The saboteurs are always around and monitoring us but this around they will be ashamed and disappointed for not seeing the usual chaos at our functions.”
The peace football gala will be graced by the King of Gonja, Yagbonwura Bii-Kunuto Jewu Soale (I) his paramount Chiefs, and other dignitaries in and outside the region.
Captains from the two teams will be made Peace Ambassadors moving into the 2024 elections and beyond.
Emulating a shining example
This development is a credit to the elite in the North. It comes at a time the Inter-Party Committee IPAC and the leadership of the NDC are sabre-rattling over useless, needless propaganda about appointment to the office which both parties know emanates from the Executive until they agree to review the Constitution.
Annoyingly, both the NDC as a political party and the EC also know that the one to change the Constitution is not Abena Baawuah or Papavi Yaovi or Yao Yevu, but the political parties working through Parliament. Now, these are the distractions calculated at causing disruptions into the campaigns and then ultimately the December 7 presidential and parliamentary.
The lesson should excite youth in Bawku and its outlying communities as well as the fringes of Techiman to act civilly and sensibly, instead of stupidly and violently. More importantly, I believe it is the responsibility of the traditional communities in the northern regions to partner the police in ensuring stability of the communities, instead of leaning on the support of criminal youth gangs whose only assets are traits that breed extremism, in politically securing their skins.
Military-Police collabo for 2024
We have too many examples in youth and lowly-placed, tin soldier politicians daring the policeman and woman and the soldier in uniform these days that the Police and Ghana Armed Forces need to go into a secret pact to knock some sense into the heads of youth who take democracy for unfettered freedoms only, instead of law and order that respects the rights of others and the security of the state.
I am not talking of the February 1966 coup d’état that toppled Dr Kwame Nkrumah and the Convention People’s Party administration. Fiifi Kweteyhad notbeen born; nor had Sam Ablakwa Okudzeto and carbon copy of Sam Okudzeto original, who flew back to Ghana in the heat of one of the coups by Jerry Rawlings because he had nothing to hide.
Am referring to an abiding programme that neutralises the excesses of politicians and their lunatic fingerlings. That is critical in making Ghana a culturally law-abiding nation, with the politician himself sanitised and the bite of the law effectively restraining the political class. It appears that to be above the law, one has to be a party boy and girl or has connections with a party chief and larger political animal in any of the two political classes.
Between now and December 7, civil society has an obligation to ensure that all of us as stakeholders play to the rules of the game – chiefs, religious leaders, EC, security agencies and state actors acting Ghana and neutral, while we all respect the processes and look at the larger picture of picking a government that we think will truly represent us in the next four or eight years. If we go into the campaign and general elections thinking and acting like the regional executives of the two leading parties in the Savannah, that mission of peace after the elections is a done deal.
However, if the police believe breaking a few naughty heads as deterrent, restraining and in the national interest, why not, if such animals must be contained so that we can all go to bed and sleep in peace?
PS: So, Dadekotopon did run its parliamentary primaries, with the MCE winning to affirm my research. Waste of time and resources. But cash for delegates…That’s how the constituency and national wanted it, and that’s how they got it. “Heads, we win; tails we win.” Lost and won, as Shakespeare would put it.
By: Abena Baawuah
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