Opinions of Sunday, 19 August 2012

Columnist: Thompson, Kofi

Tribal-supremacist Politicians: Ghana Will Remain United & Always Will!

By Kofi Thompson

Despite the lengths that Ghana's tribal-supremacist politicians go, to destroy the unity of our people, our ethnically-diverse homeland Ghana still remains a united unitary Republic - and always will.

When politicians resort to coded language - in order to avoid censure and public opprobrium - to tell Ghanaians that unity cannot be forced, what exactly do they mean by that pure nonsense on bamboo stilts?

Who is forcing who to unite against their will, in a Ghana that still remains a united country, whose ethnically-diverse citizens share a common identity as Ghanaians - and all of whom who care deeply about their nation's well-being and want to see it progress?

Let us be absolutely clear about one thing: tribalism is a dangerous anachronism in a nation in which the vast majority of ordinary people live together side by side in harmony, and all want to see their country's resources exploited for the benefit of all sections of society - not just a selfish and powerful few with greedy ambitions.

Those who seek to exploit the sentimental attachment most Ghanaians have for their ethnic group's cultural heritage, for short-term political gain, will always fail in that abhorrent aim.

Their quest to further the secret agenda of some of today's misguided and delusional descendants of our pre-colonial tribal ruling elites - who seek to dominate our nation by stealth, and hijack its system in order to enrich themselves at the expense of the rest of Ghanaian society - will never succeed.

Ordinary people in Ghana are not fools. They are aware that by every measure, no tribe is superior or inferior to another in their country, in today's cosmopolitan and globalised world.

By definition, are tribal-supremacist individuals not narrow-minded people, cursed with antediluvian mindsets mired firmly in the Dark Ages?

Like they did in all the pre-independence elections of 1951, 1954 and 1956, when they overwhelmingly rejected the arrogant and tribal-supremacist politicians of the colonial era, the vast majority of ordinary Ghanaians are decent-minded, discerning and intelligent enough, to reject those who think that somehow they have a divine right to rule the ordinary people of Ghana - and thus constantly seek to loosen the deep bonds that unite us as a people, for that dark purpose.

Yet, this is a constitutional democracy in which the enslavement of others and ritual murder to "darken" stools are regarded as crimes against humanity - and in which the discerning are aware that inherited privilege is the greatest enemy of meritocracy.

Let them do their worst. It is not surprising that that abominable and provocative statement, came from the lips of a man who when he led our nation, saw his tenure as a golden opportunity to foist his tribal Chieftain on our multi-ethnic society (which aspires to be a meritocracy), as its de facto monarch.

No wonder he once complained that the Upper West Region's capital of Wa, was "too faraway" - this, from a politician who did not hesitate to travel to the ends of the world, when the opportunity to do so presented itself to him.

(So it is not difficult to fathom why his harshest critics describe him as the most dishonest and hypocritical individual, ever elected to lead Ghana, since we gained our independence in 1957. But I digress.)

Despite their endless machinations and evil genius for deceiving others, tribal-supremacist politicians must understand that Ghanaians will remain united regardless - and always will!

Tel: 027 745 3109.

Email: peakofi.thompson@gmail.com