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Opinions of Sunday, 21 November 2010

Columnist: Quaye, Stephen A.

Guess Who Is Appealing To The Clergy

From: Stephen A.Quaye, Toronto-Canada.

If it was president Atta Mills alone who appealed to the clergy to use the pulpit to preach discipline in our Ghanaian society, I would not have come here to file any commentary to that call.
My simple explanation is that, it is always said that when a chief speaks no one else speaks and that you throw away what seems not good for you and take what sounds like wisdom for you to deliberate on and take proper decisions concerning making your life worthy.
Sorry readers I have to consider making a commentary about the whole call on the clergy to instill discipline in our society which according to the first gentleman is going down in our beloved mother country Ghana, because Mr. Enoch Teye Mensah, was heard at the background also expressing concern about the way certain people have been insulting elders too.
The president like I have said was right to make such a call because so far he has not abused his office by insulting elders, political opponents, traditional authorities, rubbishing petitions, condemning strikes, demonstrations or better still has never been found wanting for using foul language any where.
Yes discipline is seriously going down in the country not only because politicians as well as ordinary Ghanaians have been exchanging words of attrition on airwaves but there is no clear respect for authority.
Maybe he the first gentleman of the land has observed this and realizing he must do something serious about it so in his own wisdom decided to charge the clergy to clean the system. If this is true, then some people in certain quarters could be making political capital out of it that he might be losing control as a president who must ensure that discipline is always the order of the day.
The opposition activists can also challenge that when Rt.Rev. Samuel Asante Antwi, pointed out to Ghanaians that discipline was seriously being dragged into the mud under the administration of the Asomdwehene, therefore the need to boot it out come 2012, the whole clergy was attacked by some hawks in his party for practicing politics so why now calling on it to instill discipline?
However, the president has in his own wisdom realized that the clergy can play a major role in instilling discipline in his administration, thanks be to God for that direction. But we should not be made to believe that conspicuously indiscipline and still not disciplined ministers, party activists, DCEs as well as castle boys who have been going about misbehaving have repented whiles they have not.
So someone should draw the attention of the president to it that the disciplinary rod should first fall in the castle before going into the open. The Anyidohos, the Akumeys,The David Annans, the Vanderpuyes and Enoch Teye Mensahs, should be made to repent from now.
How can a whole Social Welfare minister upon listening to a libelous commentary against former president Kufuor on a radio station so shamefully charged his foot soldiers to obtain copies of the footage and use it as a campaign material against the former President.
Look at the way a whole deputy minister under President Mills administration misbehaved himself by letting lose his tongue to insult people by saying “kokooase kuraseni” and nothing has been done about it. Has the president asked the clergy to discipline him first or reminded him that his tongue will not fall down when he apologize? I do not know yet.
It is good the president is calling for discipline in the country but please Mr. President first discipline your ministers and others will follow smoothly.
End.