National Unity and Reconciliation Between the Nation?s Presidents

Attention:

His Excellency Mr. John Agyekum Kufuor
President
Republic of Ghana
Accra, Ghana

His Excellency Flt Lt (Rtd) Jerry J. Rawlings Ex-President
Republic of Ghana
Accra, Ghana

Re: National Unity and Reconciliation Between the Nation?s Presidents: Obenewaa?s Wish List

Your Excellencies, The underlying intention of this letter is not to hurry history, for history is never kind to actors who subvert its slow process. But as an exception to rule, please grant me the opportunity to outline my inner concerns and prayers of hope that Your Excellencies come together as one in the charting of the nation?s new democratic course. As a social critic, I have watched our nation grow in the spirit of oneness. Alternatively and in recent times, I have also seen fragmentation in the nation?s conscience; an affliction that affects our humanity and the values that makes our country unique, both in its cultural definition and political substance.

Your Excellencies, this humble request is not to seek personal favours or popularity in making the plausible become possible, especially when efforts by the nation?s most august personalities have failed to achieve their intended outcomes. I am driven by my responsibility as a citizen and it is with the support of my fellow Ghanaians that I seek a written audience with Your Excellencies.

Your greatness and personal contributions are exemplified by your demonstrable passions on issues that touch the heart of national unity and a strong Ghana. I have heard Your Excellencies talk about the role of human unity in national development and it is these virtues of unity that I respectfully ask be restored among you. As leaders, the fundamentality of your responsibility has always been to preserve Ghana for present and subsequent generations and I appreciate such noble efforts. As Fathers of the Nation, you owe your citizens the legacy of peace and security. The nation?s happiness and comfort comes from the nobility that its leaders exude.

As a Ghanaian, I do carry with me the optimism of a better tomorrow. A tomorrow whose success story was and is made possible by your ability to lead and make Ghana proud. However, beside my newly-founded optimism comes my sadness that your personal differences are slowly unraveling the foundations of national unity that could potentially stall the nation?s progress in sustaining a stable political environment. The time has come for post-reconciled Ghana to move forward and not re-enact the past, thematize causality and itemize moral blames to scrape healed emotions. As a nation, we look into the future with brighter hope that our two leaders will give us the needed assurances and security we need. Your Excellencies, the fulfillment of our nation?s greatness lies in unity of thought and the deployment and integration of your unique skills. While many sister nation-states struggle with their domestic setbacks, Ghana counts itself among the most fortunate nations in Africa and we owe the nation?s stability to your visions.

Your Excellencies, it is beyond me to impose the best solution to the problem, but may I humbly suggest that for the sake of national unity you reopen avenues for dialogic engagements. My hope and respect for your ability to find conviviality has never waned, and the nation cannot wait to see Your Excellencies demonstrate your bold leadership in public and before the eyes of the world, proving that amidst pluralism, Ghana can build unity. You have done it in the past, and redoing it amidst calls from your citizens is only a fulfillment of our democratic wish list.

Thank you.

Your faithful Servant.

Nana Amma Obenewaa.