From: Stephen A. Quaye, Toronto-Canada.
Is it just going to be the usual lining up of students from various schools in the national capital with their teachers, officers and men in various uniforms at the independences square Osu, marching pass the dais where the president will be taking the salute and that is it the 54TH anniversary has been celebrated?
Even in the days of yore it could be recalled that quite a number of students who turn up at the anniversary grounds to celebrate collapse as a result of hunger as well as other individuals who also out of their own will decided to participate in the anniversary.
Often the excuse given by officials of health personnel such as the Red Cross officials for such eventualities are that students and individuals collapse at such occasion due to the fact that so eager to participate refuse to eat before attending the programme thereby beating the crowd of attendance down.
Do not forget about the scorching sun these innocent young patriotic students line up in all because in love of their country have to march pass the dais only for them to collapse due to high temperatures of the sun.
But apart from such eventualities which have been scaring some people from attending such events for some time now, there is also doubt in people’s minds that this year’s independence anniversary celebration will pull much crowd to observe it both at national and even regional and district levels.
Because currently there are too many complains of economic hardship recorded in peoples lives that have made them to point accusing fingers at the president for their bad living conditions.
What are the teachers, students, officers and men from the security services, workers, and parents are going to march for on March 6, 2011 at the independence square? Are they going to march for the fuel price increases, high rate of taxes slapped on goods and services, high lorry fares?
Or they are going to march for the unbearable rent hikes, school fees, road accidents due to bad roads, loose tongue lashing politicians in the NDC, majority MPs fighting their minority MPs over apology to the president or the filth that has engulf the country resulting in outbreaks of diseases such as cholera.
It will interest readers to know that among the chunk of Ghanaians who are complaining in the country currently about economic hardship are those who are civil servants instead of the unemployed which should not be the case at all.
Under normal circumstance those without jobs were those who were suppose to complain but no, the civil servants are rather the ones who are complaining of economic hardship shouting, ”EKOM DEYEN OO TOM”.
Yes they are complaining because they are basing their living budgets on what they earn as salaries every month where feeding, clothing, rent, utilities, transportation, prescription, school fees and other expenses all go into it therefore if imposition of taxes, undue delays of payment of salaries or any form of cheating is realized they will have every right to complain or demonstrate or strike.
As the country prepares to celebrate yet another milestone in ruling our own country, managing our own natural resources with supervision of the “OYIBO MAN” from anywhere there are a number of civil servants who have worked to satisfaction in helping build Ghana but have not been paid for several months now.
If not so, teachers will not threaten to take to the streets and demonstrate or withdraw from the upcoming Independence Day anniversary because of cheating in their salaries they claim.
Independence anniversaries are celebrated with joy where the citizenry are happily employed, able to pay their utility bills, cater for their families and in all fields happy about standard of living.
The president must be made aware that until he makes sure that the structures laid down to ensure proper and acceptable payment of salaries of civil servants are in place,[ALLAH] he will not get his peace of mind as the people are going to complain more and louder than before.
End.
