Ghanaian Times: Dangers of ethnocentric comments

One dangerous thing that takes place in some countries, particularly those in Africa, is ethnocentric pronouncements made by political figures in their countries.

Some of these pronouncements are made to influence a section of the population to vote and behave in a particular way.

These pronouncements have certain negative repercussions on national politics to an extent that, it influences many people to hate particular groups of people within the same country, and thereby generate hatred against certain members of society.

Apart from the development of hatred among people, such speeches also generate disunity among people. Disunity does not bring people together as proud citizens who must galvanise their forces to pursue a common national programme of development.

Another effect of such ethnocentric comments is the possibility of outbreak of civil war within the country. Civil war rolls back the clock of progress and makes it difficult for the nation to move on to achieve greater laurels. It also reduces the standard of development and welfare within the country.

All these negative tendencies show that ethnocentric comments and hate speech from any group of people is very unwelcome in any part of the country at any point in time.

If this is the case, then all Ghanaians will have to stand up firmly against any group of people who will indulge in acts meant to promote ethnic-centred sentiments.

The recent pronouncements by a group of politicians that armed personnel made up of soldiers, policemen and other security operatives have been deployed to the Volta Region purposely to intimidate persons in the area and frighten them from participating in the ongoing voter’s registration exercise is very unfortunate. This is because facts on the ground show that the armed personnel were sent there in the interest of the entire country.

The borders of every country deserve to be protected at any point in time, so as to prevent possible insurrections from foreign countries. In addition, adequate protection of a country’s borders helps to prevent smuggling and other nefarious activities that can lead to the collapse of the economy.

What is more, it is necessary to check the influx of illegal immigrants who may bring in infections related to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19). The influx of these illegal immigrants needs to be curbed, especially at this time when confirmed figures of infected persons keep rising high in the country.

The 20,085 infected people raise a lot of concern, since every effort is being made to fight the spread of the disease. Figures indicating recoveries of the disease amounts to 14,870 people, and this is quite encouraging, indications that the fight against coronavirus disease would have been over, if the new infection rate had been brought under total control.

The fight against the COVID-19 threat must be sustained to ensure that the country overcomes the threat.

If for this reason policemen, soldiers and other armed personnel have been sent to the border areas in the country, then such an action should be welcomed by all. Thus, the falsehood being spread by a group of politicians in the country, a behaviour that is motivated by political interest, is condemnable in all forms.

The truth of the matter is that troops of soldiers have been sent along all the border areas in the country. The areas are Western, Western North, Bono, Upper West and Upper East regions. Other areas are North East, Northern, Oti and Volta regions.

It is, therefore, wrong for anybody to spread the false news that it is only the Volta Region that has been targeted due to voter registration in the area.

Ghanaians are one people and must be encouraged to live as such. Any form of divisionism based on ethnocentrism must never be entertained by the people of this country.

This is what we need to keep this country forward going.