Ghana mourns, but what are we learning?

Once again, tragedy has struck Ghana in the form of another plane crash, an event that caught the nation off guard. This is not the first time such a calamity has hit our country, yet the shock and pain remain as fresh as ever.

With heavy hearts, we grieve for the victims and extend our deepest condolences to their families.

We also stand with the President, under whose tenure this tragic event occurred. No leader, regardless of political affiliation, would wish for such devastation, not even against their fiercest rival. In moments like this, politics must take a back seat to humanity.

Yet, as the mourning continues, conversations have begun to swirl. Social media is ablaze with theories, some rooted in history, others in suspicion, and some in deep cultural beliefs.

Let’s examine them, not to fan the flames, but to understand what they reveal about our politics, our priorities, and our moral compass as a nation.

Theory 1: The shadow of karma

Some believe this tragedy is “Karma” visiting the NDC. Critics recall times when the NDC, while in opposition, used every misfortune under the NPP’s leadership to discredit them, even going as far as wishing for President Nana Addo’s death during public demonstrations.

Many recall how the loss of NPP MPs was often mocked or reframed as internal betrayals, rather than being seen as moments for national empathy. Now, some say, the same lack of compassion is returning to haunt them.

<>Theory 2: Blood on the roads

Another theory ties this crash to the countless, preventable deaths on Ghana’s roads, especially the Accra–Kumasi stretch.

Just weeks ago, 16 children from a church perished in a horrific accident, yet the tragedy barely registered at the national level. No urgent action. No state-led mourning.

Many believe the neglect of our roads has reached a point where the blood of innocent victims “cries out” against the state. Expanding and reengineering that deadly highway is long overdue, yet the silence continues, and so does the bloodshed.

Theory 3: The curse of black magic in politics

The most unsettling theory claims that political parties, in their hunger for power, turn to dark spiritual forces, sacrifices, rituals, and oaths meant to destroy opponents and secure victory.

The infamous claim by an NDC chairman that they would do “anything, even human sacrifice”, to win power still lingers in the public’s memory.

In this belief, the recent tragedy is not an accident at all, but the price of failing to satisfy the very powers that were invoked to claim political victory.

The real question

These theories, whether we believe them or not, expose a sobering truth: our politics is sick. We have allowed power to matter more than principle.

We wish death on opponents. We neglect the safety of our citizens. We flirt with the darkest practices to secure leadership.

If this is the path we stay on, what future are we building? If winning elections means abandoning empathy, morality, and patriotism, then democracy is no longer serving its purpose.

It has become a tool for greed, hate, and division—a system where those in power gorge themselves while the masses suffer in silence.

A nation built on hatred will not stand.

A democracy without empathy will not last.

And if we do not change, the children we claim to be building for will inherit nothing but a broken country.