EDITORIAL: Economising the truth

The beauty of the times we now live in is that, unlike years gone by, the average citizen no longer live in fear.

Time was when one could be summarily summoned at midnight or early dawn by unknown government agents with the message that ?our boss wants you now? and that was the end of the matter!

Ghanaians still remember those dark days when such an unwarranted request would send shivers down the spine of the poor, unfortunate citizen who would never understand why he was in such demand by officialdom ? especially at such an odd hour.

Many were thus called and very few, if ever, came back. In fact, none ever came back to tell their gruesome story - the threats, the torture, the outright human rights abuses that they underwent ? mostly for nothing but petty, mundane reasons. Even for coveted property, some lost their lives in strange, unearthly circumstances.

The establishment of the National Reconciliation Commission (NRC) was therefore a bold and courageous decision by a leader who saw the need for the healing of the wounds of the past. By that singular act, President Kufuor, no matter what his detractors say, did something that Ghanaians and posterity will always thank him for.

By allowing such a healing process to happen, he has shown that he has a real sense of history.

Surely, the NRC has today afforded the opportunity for those whose nefarious, ungodly and inhuman actions of the past dogged their conscience all these years, to come to centre stage to salve their bruised psyches. It has given them the chance to make peace with those they have so woefully wronged. It has given some the peace of mind to meet their maker with a ?cleansed soul.?

However, some hard-core apologists would even try to falsify history in order to perpetrate the false image they have created for themselves. They have gone out of their way to try and juggle the truth to suit their own whims and caprices.

They do this believing that Ghanaians have too short memories; that we are too pre-occupied by the daily grind of life to bother to find out what the real truth is. They, like the notorious Adolf Hitler, have told so many lies that they now believe their own lies.

But as everybody knows, truth behaves like a cork in water. If you wish to keep it down, then you must stay by it forever, never getting up to do anything else. Because the moment you let go, UP IT POPS ? straight to the surface!

In these days when Ghanaians are now savouring the sweet taste of true freedom, those who still believe in the dark days gone by when they could manipulate the truth to suit their own consciences and satisfy their diabolic agenda should know that their game is over.

No longer can they economise the truth. It shall be made plain for all to see. Let those who have ears, hear!