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Opinions of Tuesday, 12 November 2013

Columnist: Bomanjo, Seidu

Musings of a bystander-ship wreck?

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In the two world wars especially in the Second World War, Adolf Hitler and his henchmen devised a method called torpedo. This method was so effective that it was the British who were able to counter this dangerous move of the Germans under the dictatorship of Hitler. What did Hitler do? He was able to punch holes on enemy ships which led to many of them sinking and therefore gaining grounds at the war front. And so when the British brought the idea of submarine and became recognized around the world for their prowess in their marine power, the British improvised and effectively found an antidote to the Hitler menace of torpedo at the war front. And one does not need to study marine engineering to know that one of the greatest assets for marine work especially its officers is that, wherever they are found, it is their ability without any reservation to IMPROVISE and save delicate situations, and it has become their hallmark. This has given marine officers the ability to contain and absorb all kinds of pressure and improbable situations.
My heading and preamble statement or will you call it anecdote?, does appear to be linked to what I want to say, but wait a minute there is a relationship to be established.
In Ghana today the government of the NDC is at ‘war’ with itself. They are busy shooting themselves in the foot. Why am I saying the government is at war with itself? The government has been put into power by the good people of the country to improve their lot. But what do we see? The government machinery appears to be running but top government functionaries have openly come out to say that all is not well with their own government.Ei, are we the entire citizenry safe in our own country? According to these critics within the fold of the ruling government, the Better Ghana Agenda that they campaigned for and won power with, has been abandoned and sacrificed on a silver platter. And what is being practiced now is nepotism, cronyism, creating opportunities for friends and business interests who are connected to corridors of power.
And on top of all these brouhaha is the battle cry about the prevalence of CORRUPTION, of which well connected souls in the ruling government are saying that nothing is being done about it. Don’t forget the Ashanti King has also added his voice to the cry about the common place nature of corruption in the country.
Well the president has come out to say that 2016 is not far and so we should all have patience. But I do not want to think that this is an empty threat neither am I inclined to believe that the president wants to torpedo his own ship in the midst of storm where they cannot anchor. No, far from it. At least I want to believe so. But you see coming events cast their shadow is a good counsel for the average person. And so when the president replied his critics, it has now opened up a flood gate of interpretations and permutations.
But we need to caution the ruling government about one thing. When Ghanaians voted for you and your team, I mean the president of Ghana; they did not do so out of malice and with the negative expectation that infighting will be their lot. Mr President I do not have to tell you what happened to the Limann government as a result of infighting since you were a history student and more so, you lived that history yourself .It is even worse when the architects are not living ghosts but alive and kicking. Where you and your government stand, is beyond the NDC as a party. Now all Ghanaians have aggregate corporate interest in your government and what you do, Ghanaians form part as entity and serious stakeholders in your administration. And so they expect nothing but improvement in their lives. What I want to draw your attention to and the rest of your members is the fact that the impression that you were going to improve our lot and therefore “edey bee keke” still rages on.Is the ship we are in together being threatened by wreckage-yes, self inflicted wreckage I mean?. Some of you in the ship, in which you are the captain, can best be described as expert divers. Now this small group of divers because of their limited knowledge in marine diving, they unlike Hitler, are busy torpedoing their own ship. Hitler targeted his enemy combatants and was successful. But you and your men are inflicted damage to your own ship. WHY?
But there is something all of you including you as the captain are missing out. Inside the ship in which you are busy destroying, are your brothers, sister, cousins, friends and many many that you are so closely connected to by either blood or some wonderful relationship. It is therefore absurd and out of place for you and your men to neglect these groups of people who some months back you took oath to protect, improve their lots and do all that you could to salvage them from any kind of hardship including untoward ones. Why are you and your men behaving in a manner that the average Ghanaians have doubts in the quality of your leadership style?

Well from where I sit, it is not late for you and your government. We the ordinary people of Ghana do not care who gets what and who is fixed at what ministry. Get down to work. That is all we require from you. And so I liked it very much when you introduced and injected a subsidy of four hundred million cedis plus to save the Ghanaian from the recent tariffs increase. It is refreshing indeed. I am talking about what just happen before press time today. This is welcoming news to the entire population. But I want to tell you that we expect more than that. At least this is has spared your government the proposed strike by the trades and craftsmen of the country. In a country that mourning is forbidden, relatives cannot handle their dead as town council laborers haul dead bodies into the pits without discrimination; it calls for CAUTION as the pregnant women could get to their destination.

I will rest my case here for now.