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Opinions of Sunday, 11 August 2013

Columnist: Kofi Thompson

Ghanaians will not humour the men & women of violence

By Kofi Thompson

The New Patriotic Party's (NPP) former national youth organiser, Mr. Anthony Karbo, is reported to have stated (to paraphrase him) that the NPP went to the Supreme Court not to seek peace, but did so in their quest for justice - and that if the "truth" emerges in the verdict delivered by the nine-member panel of judges, then every Ghanaian would happily accept the verdict of the Supreme Court judges hearing the December 2012 presidential election petition.

Hopefully, Mr. Karbo (and those of his ilk in the world of Ghanaian politics - across the spectrum: as the National Democratic Congress also has its share of extremists) does not equate the "truth" he makes reference to, in what he is reported to have said, only with a verdict in favour of those from his party who petitioned the Supreme Court.

That would amount to hubris - and as sure as day follows night, he and his ilk will be hoisted with their own collective petard.

For the information of the Anthony Karbos of this world, the security agencies will deal ruthlessly with all those who will resort to violence, when the Supreme Court's verdict is announced - because we are a civilised people who have accepted to live in a nation governed by the rule of law, who will not allow a few selfish and self-seeking politicians to destabalise our nation: and turn the lives of millions of law-abiding Ghanaians upside down.

It is cowardly, not brave, to threaten violence if one's wishes are not met.

No one who genuinely loves Ghana can make such utterances - which is why the Anthony Karbos of our country must watch what they say in public: lest those who hear them conclude that they do not love their country.

No Ghanaian who is patriotic will ever consider resorting to violence, in their quest for justice, under any circumstances.

The irritating thing in all this outrageous pure-nonsense-on-bamboo-stilts, is that those who make the veiled threat implied in the coded phrase, "justice before peace", will probably be the first to run away from Ghana, when violence breaks out after the Supreme Court's verdict is announced.

However, luckily for the enterprise Ghana, the vast majority of ordinary people have cottoned on to that - which is why no sane individual will humour the men and women of violence, who people the world of Ghanaian politics: by giving them their death-wish.