Naming and shaming irresponsible columnists

Naming and shaming irresponsible columnists: ROCKSON ADOFO

Ghanaians, through the election petition, have demonstrated once again their resolve to choose civility over chaos; peace and development over bloodshed; and the nation Ghana over our personal interests.

Ghanaians demonstrated to the world once more that no matter how diverse our ideologies are concerning the development of this nation, and how strongly we hold on to those ideologies, we have one thing that we cherish above them all: our motherland Ghana. That exactly is what is called patriotism.

Of course, no one was expecting everyone in Ghana to be happy about the verdict of the Supreme Court; some people would agree with it and be happy, some would not; that is the essence of democracy. However, I am quite certain almost every Ghanaian is happy about the fact that not a single act of violence was reported after the verdict was announced. The very few people who do not fall within this set, I guess, include someone known as ROCKSON ADOFO, a self-claimed radio presenter at what he called “Sources radio UK FM 96.3”.
Just exactly what is my problem with Mr. Adofo? On Sunday, September 08, 2013, the character known as ROCKSON ADOFO posted an article here on ghanaweb titled “The Only Way Forward for the NPP to….” Anyone who has the interest of this country at heart should summarily condemn that particular piece. Of course, the few people who commented on the piece rubbished it and condemned its author, Mr. Rockson Adofo.
In that particular piece, Mr. Adofo displayed what I think is a high level of unpatriotic behaviour and irresponsible journalism with his unwarranted call for the NPP to become a violent party claiming when you refuse to become a beast when everyone else is becoming a beast, you would be eaten up later. According to Mr. Adofo, “…NPP and all discerning Ghanaians [must] shed their well known character of malleability [and] assume that of uncompromising militancy”. He continued that “…Without being on equal militant or violent footing with the NDC, let NPP and any other rival political party in Ghana forget about ever winning power in Ghana”.
I find Mr. Adofo’s comments very unfortunate and not to mince words, quite irrational! I am at a loss as to why any DISCERNING GHANAIAN would support this arbitrary call for violence; especially as it is coming from someone who claims to be residing in the UK. Mr. Adofo wants us to believe, for instance, that the violence that resulted in the death of thousands of people in Ivory Coast when Gbagbo refused to accept defeat is something worth emulating in Ghana? Ghanaians would be displaying a high level of unintelligence buying such an idea!
In any case, if Mr. Adofo is not aware, nobody is becoming a beast in Ghana (probably except himself); and no political party uses violence to win elections in Ghana. Since he also talked about the election petition, I wish to inform him that the petitioners did not go to court because they were at the receiving end of acts of violence during the 2012 elections. It is therefore absurd and misplaced for Mr. Adofo to claim NPP cannot win anymore elections until it becomes a violent party.
When I went through some of his earlier articles, I found out Mr. Adofo’s writings are very worrisome. For example; Mr. Adofo, while questioning the intelligence of the justices of the Supreme Court just because of their recent ruling in the election petition, poured his frustration on the whole black race asking rather mischievously: “Can a Blackman be fully trusted to do anything sensible in this planetary world that we live in?”
How self-demeaning can anyone be? Obviously, Mr. Adofo, being a Blackman, doubts his own ability to do ANYTHING sensible, which I think includes writing articles. He should therefore spare us his “non-sensible articles”. Ghanaians are capable of doing sensible things; like not supporting his “non-sensible” calls.
To cut a long story short, I think so-called columnists like this Rockson Adofo guy and his other types (Kwame Okoampa Ahoofe Jr, Ph.D, Margaret Jackson and the rest) who post articles meant to incite political intolerance and violence in this country should be named and shamed! We cannot allow these so-called journalists and columnists to continue their misguided and unguarded agendas here on ghanaweb! Shame on you ROCKSON ADOFO!
I would also call on the administrators of ghanaweb not to post articles that contain elements of political intolerance, call to violence, tribal assaults and other hindrances to the development of our country. God bless our homeland Ghana!

Tony Anum
Communication Design II
KNUST, Kumasi