I was so ashamed of Nana Akufo-Addo when I read his advice to politicians to "Refrain from religious rights debate". Isn't he a lawyer? Doesn't he know the issues involved? Isn't it the job of our President and our Parliament to resolve this issue? How could he want to be President if he doesn't even know where our issues belong and who is responsible for resolving them? Sure no one should use this for a political advantage but the issue belongs with our elected officials. With politicians like these, how can we expect to make any progress in our country? Former President Atta-Mills famously said that he was not a law enforcement officer without giving it a thought that he hired the IGP who reported to him because the IGP was doing the President's job for him and the President was ultimately responsible for the work that the IGP did.
I am a Catholic. I went to Catholic Jubilee School in Cape Coast. My father was prominent in the Catholic church in Cape Coast. When I was in school, we had Muslims who had to pray with us and do everything we had to do. Some are saying that we have co-existed for many years without problems. Sure we have on our terms. We had colonial rule and we existed peacefully for many years until it wasn't ok to live under colonial rule any longer. Our Independence started with demonstrations. Today, we have had the first shot: the Muslims have demonstrated in the Western Region. We can choose to ignore it and advocate that we go back to the way things were until it blows up in our faces or we can confront the issue now.
Let me dabble into the "why now" question for a minute. We have seen in recent years an increased religious affinity and increased commitment to religion among Christians. Why won't Muslims have similar affinity and commitment to their religion? That in itself could explain why things are not the same any longer.
Catholic Bishops have come out and said if you don't like it in a Catholic school, then don't go to a Catholic school. I would absolutely support the idea and defend it to death if the Catholic school didn't get public funds. The Catholic school that I went to, despite its name, was pretty much a public school. I do not believe any of the funds that funded the school came from the church. The teachers were government employees and were hired and paid by the Ghana Education Service.
Our government building equally good schools for Muslims where anyone who went there, despite his/her religion, would have to pray as a Muslim if required would at least seem equitable, but I will point out that we still have kids going to school under trees. Allowing Muslims time to gather and pray at the same time that Christians gather and pray does not seem to be such a bad solution to the problem. The question then comes, "what do you do with others who are not Christians nor Muslims." How about a government policy that if government money goes there, then anytime there are say ten or more students(pick a number) then, at their request, they will be allowed to gather and pray at the same time that Christians gather and pray. Otherwise, those whose parents object should be exempted.
President Mahama addressed the issue in his State of the Nation address. While I believe that he needs to address this issue, I don't think it belongs in the State of the Nation address. I think it belongs in a legislation that Parliament would vote on. Rather than giving the advice that he gave, Nana Akofo-Addo should be meeting with his advisers to figure out an equitable resolution. Taking Nana Akufo Addo's advise and our elected officials refraining from addressing the issue will only increase the chances that the next shot may come in a suicide bombing in the middle of Accra with many people getting hurt, for those who exploit those who feel aggrieved are only heard from when we least expect and then it is often late because our angry reaction will fuel the flame.
Tony Pobee-Mensah
tpmensahr@yahoo.com
