Ghanaians must unite to save their nation

Driving through a part of Kasoa, apparently known as "High Tension", at dawn yesterday, I was struck by just how industrious your average Ghanaian is.

Many people were already up and getting ready for the day.

It is this earnest approach to life, in order to ensure a better future for their families, which lies at the heart of the wish that virtually all Ghanaians have that their nation remains peaceful and stable.

And it is also the reason why no prudent politician in the Ghana of today, should encourage the violence-prone extremists in their midst - who sometimes hire thugs to cause mayhem around the country: in furtherance of their power-at-any-cost agenda.

The danger for our country, is that today's hired-thug causing mayhem across the country for extremist and power-hungry politicians, is tomorrow's terrorist - planting bombs for cash, at the behest of Al Qaeda-type terrorist groups.

And as sure as day follows night, they will hold us all to ransom, in the end, one day. Ordinary people in Ghana do not deserve such a fate.

That is why the time has now come for all political parties in Ghana, to offer their support, for those in charge of protecting the Republic and the government of the day - so that the professionals in our security agencies can focus on those who actually pose a real threat to the stability of Ghana: as opposed to harassing those who for patriotic reasons criticise wrongdoing by those at the helm of affairs in our country.

Criticising those engaged in high-level corruption, is not treason.

Yet, for years now, for example, an insignificant individual like myself, has been under surveillance, for no other reason, than that I have been critical of some influential members of governments of the day - under both New Patriotic Party (NPP) and National Democratic Congress (NDC) regimes.

That is absurd, and a complete waste of valuable time and resources, for those whose actual job is to protect our nation from real threats, such as terrorism and super-wealthy criminals wanting impunity for their unlawful actions.

It is also the reason why partisan politics ought to be kept out of the fight against illegal gold mining - which ought to be waged in relentless fashion, in order to bring that existential-menace to an end.

As a people, we must never forget that members of the wealthy and ruthless criminal syndicates, behind much of the illegal gold mining in Ghana, are all potential warlords in the making.

The strategic alliances they are striking with foreign criminal elements, seeking to launder dirty-money through illegal gold mining here, pose a real danger to our country and its democratic institutions.

For that reason, it is vital that new laws authorising the seizure and forfeiture of heavy earthmoving equipment, vehicles and other accoutrements used by illegal gold miners in their operations - and, incidentally, anyone using a 32-tonne excavator is by definition, not a small-scale gold miner: and must, therefore, not be given a small-scale mining permit under any circumstances - are passed quickly by Parliament, under a certificate of urgency.

The time has come for all Ghanaians - including members of our political class - to unite to defeat the nation-wreckers in our midst, who are seeking to destroy our peaceful, stable and democratic country, for purely selfish reasons.

Indeed, ordinary Ghanaians have no choice, but to unite, to defeat the malevolent forces ranged against their nation. A word to the wise...