Today in History: Ghana is sitting on a time bomb – Alhaji Bature

In 2015, the late Alhaji Bature Iddrisu, who was Editor of the Al-Hajj newspaper, warned that Ghana was sitting on a political time bomb,

He made the comments on the back of the violence that marred a by-election in Talensi, a town in the Upper East Region.

In that violence, vigilante groups affiliated to the two major political parties – the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) – attacked each other.

Several injuries were recorded in that incident. He warned that if political vigilantism was not fought with the law, Ghana’s democracy would be doomed.

Read the story orginally published in 2015 by kasapafmonline.com below

Editor of the Al-Hajj Newspaper, Alhaji Bature Iddrisu has said Ghana is sitting on a time bomb waiting to explode, considering the kind of lawlessness and disorder that is gradually becoming the order of the day.

He noted that laws are not being applied effectively to ensure order, even though Ghana boasts of some of the best statutes.

Alhaji Bature made the comments on the back of the violence that characterized Tuesday’s by-election in Talensi.

There was pandemonium in some parts of Talensi when groups such as the “Azoka Boys” and “Bolga Bull Dogs” aligned to the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) respectively attacked persons they suspected to be working against their interest.

In the event, several people sustained injuries while properties were damaged.

Speaking on Kasapa 102.3 FM’s ‘Si Mi So’ show Thursday, Alhaji Bature bemoaned the lack of discipline in all aspects of the country’s life.

He noted that after twenty (23) years of practicing democracy, the violence seen in the Talensi by-election and other previous ones are a blot on Ghana’s democratic gains.

“We shouldn’t be recording such violence in our elections; we tout our democracy as a shining example worth emulating by other African countries and yet we see such mayhem”.

“There are laws but there are all sorts of disorder, sometimes the law doesn’t even work. People are building on waterways, selling on pavements and doing all sorts of illegal activities yet authorities refuse to take action because government fears it would loss votes during elections. I fear for the future of this country per the way things are going.”