News

Sports

Business

Entertainment

GhanaWeb TV

Africa

Opinions

Country

Stop this abusive behaviour

Tue, 25 Jun 2013 Source: Hardi, Ibrahim

Freedom of speech has turned our society into a lawless one in which any group or anybody who parades himself or herself as a social commenter or pressure group can say anything at any time and go scout free.

I get sad in recent times,there have been some instances where very prominent people in these country have been abused verbally on radio and other media plat forms. Some years back,someone made unguided comment about the fire out break in the former president Jerry John Rawlings house and instead of the whole country condemning it,the minority in parliament at that time walked out in support of him.To be honest,I had a sleepless nights at the behaviors of our law makers at that particular time.

Early this year,Ghanaians and the international community witness the walking out of parliament by the opposition NPP or if you like the minority.General Secretary of the opposition New Patriotic Party, Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie has applauded the minority Members of Parliament for brandishing boldly-inscribed placards during the President's State of the Nation Address to register their disapproval of President Mahama’s legitimacy as the Head of State under the Fourth Republic.

The NPP MPs were seen hovering placards with inscriptions “Stealers” in the House, obviously to express their displeasure with the President's State of the Nation Address.

Sir John, described the minority's attitude as a “part of parliamentary process” and so found no fault with the minority's dramatization in the House.

He said, the President lacks credibility and has virtually proven to be untrustworthy; a reason why the minority dissociated themselves from his speech and also asserted that the speech didn't reflect the true state of the nation. He further said the minority “walk out” of Parliament was as a matter of principle as the party has rejected the legitimacy of President John Mahama and pledged to distance itself from any proceedings involving him. President John Dramani Mahama is the elected president either we like it or not.If you know,there is no vacancy for presidency in the 1992 constitution,you will recognized president Mahama as a president of the republic of Ghana.

I am very glad when President of the 9-member Supreme Court panel hearing the Presidential Election Petition has warned, rather sternly, the court will crack the whip on errant journalists and others found guilty of misreporting proceedings in the court.Sometimes,listening to other people talk,I wonder,the same court proceeding I spend my time watching on GTV is the same that those people watched.Some people behave as if they are watching North Star tv,which will never report anything accurate.

One thing those parliamentarians or so called social commentators must know is that when you make a derogatory remark about your president you are doing so about yourself.There is a saying in Dagbani ''God does not incur debts but he settles them''.So if you describe your father in a bad way,it simply means that the same thing can be said about you..

Let our politicians learn to condemn such behaviors and also let our Imams,Pastors and chiefs speak to issues of this nature to correct the rot that is being planted into our society before we the young ones get too polluted. We should be mindful of the the things we say so that we can live a very peaceful life.There is a saying that,when you are loved by God,you must not lay your heard on the cross road.

Ibrahim Hardi,0208235615

Columnist: Hardi, Ibrahim