Mr President, I resign as a Ghanaian

A Ghanaian I have been very proud to be, I have been proud to be counted everywhere around the world as coming from Nkrumah’s Ghana, the Gold Coast.

From the times of Nkrumah to now I still kept my hopes up, believing that one day things are going to change; that another breed of leadership and a new Ghanaian will emerge from somewhere among us.

I resign today because I am tired of hoping for the best when nothing is being done.

I am tired of seeing children knocked down on the streets by irresponsible drivers because their desperate mother is somewhere struggling to make ends meet.

I am tired of going to the hospital and being told that there are no drugs or my health insurance is not working because government has not paid previous claims. I am tired of being stopped by the police every night to pay fifty pesewas for just passing their way; even if I were an armed robber.

I refuse to talk about the witches’ camp and the ‘trokosi’ camps still in operation, the increasing rape and defilement reports.

After 56 years, there is nothing happening in Ghana to be proud or hopeful of but a lot to be ashamed of.

More kids are homeless today than 50 years ago, people still die of malaria, hunger is everywhere and a growing state of hopelessness is pushing more and more people into crime.

The institutions of state have been hit by corruption and scandals, not to talk of the irresponsibility, waste and the erratic supply of water and electricity.

Bad policies have led to the formation of the Association of Unemployed Graduates.

At 56 we can only boast of changing government through the ballot box which, to a large extent, is not an achievement considering the issues surrounding it and the fact that Ghanaians are genetically preachers of “leave everything to God”- even when injustices are being done to them.

At 56, Ghana still has not found a way to utilise the energy of the youth whilst their dreams hang on political activism, party politics and computer fraud.

Leadership in Ghana is nothing to write home about. The educated ones trapped in party idiocy would gladly do anything to satisfy their chosen groups.

Parliament has become a shadow of its self and completely brainless; members will vote for everything on party lines whether good or bad and drag any tax payer who dares question such acts before the privileges committee to be bullied.

The media, the fourth estate of the realm, has become a punch bag of politicians who determine what will be discussed by owning most media houses or manipulating the news trends behind the scenes. The media has let itself to be used to destroy a lot of careers and people who probably had good intentions for this country with its tomfoolery.

Mr. President, my nightmares have doubled and my fear of dying still broke drives me to this decision with a heavy heart. In your three addresses of the nation you have failed to connect with me, you have allowed yourself be led by dubious speech writers who know what the people want to hear (but not what they want to see) even if it is not actionable.

Maybe things might change, maybe there might be something to hope for in the pipeline; but Mr. President, I don’t see it happening if people will not simply change and be accountable not to you, but to the poor people of Ghana whose strength is the only thing that keeps this country afloat - not you, not your politicians but us.

Mr President, I resign.

By: ESA

Ghana: 56 and crying

The Akans have a saying that literally translates: “A man doesn’t cry”. What this implies is that, an adult must not cry no matter what. It will therefore be deemed shameful for an old man, and for that matter, a man with only 4 years into his retirement to be crying every other day for lack of amenities as basic as potable water. That man is Ghana.

Wonder why I refer to the country as “man”? Tell me which woman has ever ruled it before? Forget the consolation adage that “Behind every successful man is a woman”.

The lights were out when I left the house at dawn yesterday and when I returned at night, they were still off. My colleague who lives in Dansoman said they went without electricity for 2 days. The one living around Parakou Estates has bought five different smocks that he wears for each of the five working days of the week because that is the only clothing he can step out with un-ironed and without anyone noticing. All of these are happening in Accra, the capital of 56 year old, grey headed and bearded Ghana.

It’s not as though he has saved or invested enough to cushion him when he strikes 60 next four years. No! His president still says: “We WILL do this and we WILL do that.” “We HAVE DONE” rarely gets mentioned, if at all.

On Independence Day, thousands of school children, alongside personnel from some security agencies converged on the Independence Square to march their sweat off under a scorching sun. That has been the ritual since I first saw the event on our rich neighbour’s Black & White TV back in the village.

The number of unemployed graduates increases by the year while the various Senior High Schools churn out a lot of people who would only go back home and continue to eat from their parents’ kitchen because they cannot not go to the university, which would only go to adding up to the numbers that are roaming the streets with BIG certificates that mean nothing anymore.

As the electricity continues to behave like disco lights in the country, the Ghana Urban Water stuns all by announcing that it is going to ration water. “As if they are not already doing that!” my colleague in the office exclaimed. You are 56 years old, you have no electricity and no water, yet, you pride yourself in having the biggest man-made lake in the world. Like seriously? Sell it and buy candles!”

When Dr. Kwame Nkrumah told us and the rest of the world on Independence Day that when “given the chance, the black man can prove to the world that he can manage his own affairs,” we were inspired and energized to do just that. And indeed, we started doing that. Down the road however, we derailed and fell into an abyss and even though there is a rope dangling just above our heads that we can hold unto and climb back up, we have failed. Either because the rope is shielded by our leaders or we are just not making any effort as a people to find that rope ourselves or both.

The only thing we can boast of at 56 is a robust democracy. Na democracy we go chop? Even that one is challenged every election year. In 2004, it got a challenge and in 2012, it is currently facing the strongest challenge yet.

Someone remarked that if Ghana were a man, (which I believe it is), no one would marry him and I agree. Which kind of irresponsible man is this? The people you kicked out, the whites, had a brilliant rail system working here, albeit for their own selfish interest. You take over with high hopes and today, the only train that is seen in Accra should be an apology to every Ghanaian. Accidents that occur as a result of poor roads are uncountable. People’s negligence has led to the loss of lives many a time, while we clasp our hands and watch in despair.

The filth engulfing us is enough to have given the president SLEEPLESS NIGHTS but I think his recent announcement that he can’t sleep is more to do with the lack of air conditioning in his room rather than the nationwide ‘dumsor, ‘dumsor’ that he wants us to believe.

Lee Kuan Yu’s Singapore became independent around the same period as Ghana but when you put their respective successes on a scale, the least you can do as a Ghanaian is bury your head in shame. Politicians, meanwhile, are on a daily rat race to lead the country as though they had any better plan of “taking us there”. We have tried them and failed, leaving us wondering if we will ever get there.

The lavish birthday party we threw in 2007 when we turned 50 is still fresh in my mind. That money could have provided decent accommodation in Accra for small salary earners to rent, so they can also have peace of mind, or provide potable water for the people of Nkwanta so they will not have to dig deep in search of water- a thing that has further dashed their hope after being told the substance they found in the ground during their digging is not crude as they hoped but rather, dirty oil.

And talking about oil and dashed hopes! Is there anything to show that we have also started digging some here on our blessed land? I haven’t seen any oil-related difference in my life nor in my neighbours’ since the president turned the tap for it to flow a few years back.

The annual polishing of the few land marks in the capital has been done ahead of today’s celebration. As I write this in the office though, the generator outside is roaring because the Electricity Company of Ghana has done it again.

I guess the maxim, “Ghana Must Work Again” ought to be re-enforced otherwise, there might be no tears left to cry should we want to cry @57. 

By Umaru Sanda Amadu

Suspected Thief Lynched

The culture of instant justice seems to be gradually creeping into the system these days.

A typical example of instant justice was what happened to a young man at the Techiman Methodist Park on Tuesday October 16, 2012.

An eyewitness to the gruesome display told Daily Guide that the victim who was yet to be identified was chased by a group of young men who suspected him to be an armed robber to the park where they beat him into coma.

Nsiah Kwadwo who spoke to DAILY GUIDE said the young men used stones and other sharp implements to hit the victim and attempted to burn him.

According to eyewitness, at about 9:00 p.m., the people living around the area heard a shout of “thief, thief” and came out to find the mob beating up the young man. He said even though some of the witnesses tried to stop them, they continued to beat him up until he died.

When Daily Guide visited the spot a group of men and women surrounded the corpse, awaiting the arrival of the police.

Speaking to this reporter on the basis of anonymity, an old man who was among the crowd said the people who lived in that area had no confidence in the police because on many occasions when a thief was arrested and taken to the police station, they later found the thief roaming the area. He said even though instant justice was not acceptable, the people had no choice but to apply it to send a signal to armed robbers that they would not have it easy in the area this time around.

Man Kills Mum With Pestle

An electrician is facing a charge of murder for allegedly striking his 68-year-old mother to death with a pestle at Sakumono near Tema.

The suspect, Evans Obuaba Laud, 24, was said to have committed the crime after his mother, Mamley Segbefia, had rebuked him for using narcotic substances and misbehaving in the house.

The body of the deceased has been deposited at the Police Hospital morgue awaiting autopsy.

Evans, after the act, was said to be behaving like a mentally retarded person before he was arrested by the police.

Alex K. Wowolo, Sakumono District Police Commander, told Daily Guide that Evans, on Sunday, October 14, 2012, was chided by the mother for his errant behavior.

At about 10:30pm on the day in question, while the deceased was fast asleep in her room, Evans allegedly, without any provocation, hit her on the neck with a pestle several times and killed her instantly.

The deceased bled profusely from the mouth and the nostrils, and some residents who heard about the incident rushed to the scene.

A certain Robert Owusu, a resident who was also rushing to the scene, chanced upon the suspect, who bit off the would-be spectator’s lower lips.

Robert was rushed to the Tema General Hospital before he was transferred to the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra for intensive medical attention.

Evans was later arrested by some residents and sent to the Sakumono Police Station.