Editorial by Ghanaian Times: Avoid political bias to safeguard country’s peace

Following democratic rule in the country since 1993, various pressure groups have emerged to pursue various agendas.

These groups have their own colourisation, mostly political, and can be identified with certain political parties when one judges them by their stance and posture on certain issues.

Examples of the pressure groups are OccupyGhana; FixtheCountry; and Fixing The Country Movement.

In October this year, the Fixing The Country Movement gave notice that its members were going to picket at the office of former President John Dramani Mahama located at Labone in Accra.

The event scheduled for No­vember 23 was over the procurement of an airbus during the former president’s administration, which the movement thinks was a shady deal.

Fortunately or unfortunately, the National Security outfit gave notice to the movement ahead of time to stop the planned picketing despite arrangements with the police.

However, on November 23, members of the Youth Wing of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), the party of which Mr Mahama is a flag bear­er, went to their flag bearer’s office, to clean the place.

Unfortunately, the youth went to the place carrying cleaning equipment like brooms, as well as weapons like machetes, which they bran­dished in public.

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has joined those condemning the brandishing of machetes and other weapons at the office of former President John Dramani Mahama, stressing that no indi­vidual or group will be allowed to destabilise the peace and security of the country.

We support President Akufo-Addo and others like him in condemning what the NDC youth did.

Their action was a subtle way of telling the public that had members of Fixing The Country Movement picketed at Mr. Mahama’s office, they would have caused the event to turn bloody.

We think no one should entertain such behaviour in the country as it portends chaos that can undermine the peace in the country.

In fact, just an attempt to unleash violence reduces the high peace rating given to the country and the implications are dire for its progress and development, especially in terms of foreign investment and other support.

If we all therefore value the peace in the country, which makes it a beacon of hope for tranquillity and stability in Africa, then while we condemn acts of violence, we should also condemn and warn those who give others cause to show their violent side.

In light of this, we expected President Akufo-Addo to chastise the members of Fixing The Country Movement once they have said they are committed to their position to see the Office of the Special Prosecutor handle the Airbus matter.

Also, rather than just applaud the NDC youth for cleaning his office, former President Mahama should have slammed them for carrying weapons to a clean-up exercise.

We should avoid all manner of bias, especially political, because that bias which benefits a few can cause mayhem for the country.

We should collectively ensure that there is peace in the coun­try in the lead-up to the 2024 elections and afterwards.

That way, we believe, there will be a conducive atmosphere for whichever party wins the elections to have the peace of mind to prosecute projects and programmes to develop the country for the benefit of all the citizens.