Ghana’s December weather is cloudy

The electioneering activities leading to the December 2020 General Elections in Ghana, cast fear and panic in the minds of many Ghanaians. The act of seeking power to determine who gets what of the national resources has led to many discerning people questioning democracy as the best means of governing people. Several countries in Africa ended in a state of anarchy in pursuance to who becomes the President of the country.

The days' African countries were experiencing a paradigm shift from military junta into democratizing has seen some growth in human development. In the same space, some countries have been plagued into a state of lawlessness. Lawlessness became the order of human interaction in an attempt to survive the consequences of political upheavals. Countries that have experienced such avoidable turmoil most often than not, found it difficult to gather their pieces for the future. For instance, Africa in early 2000 witnessed an era where junta-democratic governments were voted out for a new political dispensation. Ghana is a typical example of this description. Similarly, some countries have regretted the path of bloody nature they pursued. The Republic of Liberia with Charles Taylor, Laurent Gbagbo of Ivory Coast among others are few examples.

The euphoria attached to the December 2020 election comes with some pockets of recorded violence, insults, and threats. This may probably not be something new in activities leading to the major elections but is a cause for alarm. It is important to point out that pockets of violence were recorded in the past general elections like 1992, 1996, 2000, 2004, 2008, and even just in 2012 and 2016.

Again, the few violence that occurred during the voter registration conducted by the Electoral Commission certainly cast doubt for peace come December elections. The records called for interrogation with measures to curb the escalation of the unseen violence conflict. The entire country witnessed the Minister of State coming out with a gun with an excuse that her security personnel was not with her then. There came another disturbing scene at Asawase in the Ashanti region, where a national security operative was seen in a viral video on social media openly threatening a detailed police officer attached to the Member of Parliament for Asawase constituency, Hon Mabarak Muntaka. There was also an attack on some people in Bisease in the Ajumako Enyan Essiam constituency.

On the issue of the voter register, the earlier stakeholders including the regional, continental, and other well-meaning international organizations start to express concern or interest in activities leading to December, the better for all. The electioneering atmosphere is not the best when facing the December election as it cast daunt with a mixed feeling of optimism.

Discrepancies emanating from the figures (16,663,669 and 17,700,726) churned out by the madam Jean Mensah is also a source of worry. Further, the alarming rate of the concern expressed by the National Democratic Congress on the reduction in the voter register figures recorded at the various polling stations in their supposed strongholds needs to be investigated. The presser by the Electoral Commissioner Chairperson on the assurance that all deleted names have been restored regardless of the technical explanation attached should not be seen as normal. The incidents of duplication of voter cards and two or more people bearing similar serial numbers should not have occurred in the first place, considering the cogent case presented in favor of compilation a new voter register.

Another scenario that put the December election in an imbalance state is the activities of the Western Togoland insurgence. Partisan politics should be put aside for everlasting peace. The successionists' actions started as normal noise but given deeper thinking to happenings in the Volta Region leading December General Election, which is full of fear and panic. The supposedly, only one entity known to be agitating for independence of some portions of the Volta Regions has now increased to three. Each of the two other groups is believed to have claimed that their independence agenda from the original successionist group on the basis that there was undue delay in the process.

All is not well for the December election because some southern towns in the Volta Region, where the major roads blockage happened were believed not to be part of the plebiscite zone. Then, why they act of lawlessness? Any attempt by the Central Government to ignore their security intelligence on the Western Togoland for political advantage and exploitation to their gains will backfire for the general well-being of Ghana.

The cloudy atmosphere being watched from afar by rational voters must be averted with an inclusive approach. The Volta Regional Security Council must be there for the people of Ghana and not for just people in the Volta region. The elements of intra-migration will not have an identity for curbing the consequences of violence regrettable conflict. The latest actions of the insurgents at the Ho STC terminal must not be entertained because distorted peace is difficult to be restored. Peacebuilding must be the way forward.

The Chiefs in the Volta Region must collaborate with the Central Government and Regional Security Council at this moment, to ensure peace in the region. Several unnoticed elements can easily lead to an unstable lifestyle for the region and neighboring ones. For instance, the agitation of a lack of sustainable job creation by the successive government in the region will worsen the current situation as the December election bacons. Peace is such a precious commodity but cannot be bought in any luxurious store in the world. When the weather is cloudy but you refused to see it. When it rains, we shall walk in the mud together.