Open letter to Nana Addo: Our security, your reckless officer, your move

Dear Mr. President,

In a space of three days, we have been informed of armed-robberies and a murder that is uncharacteristic of our regular social lives. The bravado exhibited by the robbers and their carelessness at expending any life is extremely concerning.

The reports of limitations on the part of the Police to deal with these situations as a result of a lack of logistical necessities like cars (eg. in the case of the Oyibi residents) has only deepened our fears.

Every person without the privilege of the security WE-THE-PEOPLE provide to your officials and yourself will naturally be concerned.

In times like these, we seek for hope and the highest assurances from you and your officials.

To hear you cut your foreign trip short so you can be back home to address the mess, delighted my soul and assured me of your strong sense of responsibility. It is an act of exemplary leadership. We all know you can give your instructions remotely without cutting short the trip but your move stands to carry WE-THE-PEOPLE along, a sign that is priceless.

You ought not to just lead but also be seen to be leading else the morale of the followers shall dampen. Keeping our morale high and hopeful is key to your success as our leader.

Your officials are representatives of you and their utterances reflect on you. This is more the case when these officials operate out of your office and the symbol of your Presidency, the Flagstaff House.

Mr. President when WE-THE-PEOPLE are in despair, the words of your assurances, honesty and empathy from your team become priceless.

To hear an officer from your office rather spew the comment in a facebook post at this time was heartbreaking and a suggestion of a growing disconnect that your officials have with WE-THE-PEOPLE.

“To those who say Ghana is not safe,” Nana Hesse Ogyiri, an Officer in your Presidency wrote. “Was Ghana safe when Sgt Attipoe and Cpl Odartey Lamptey were killed?”

We get the drift. But it is our largesse the likes of Nana Hesse enjoy. It is our security and financial provisions they fleece on. For many of them, their CVs will not pass for entry level employment in many of our corporates. Your political benevolence to them should be considered a rare opportunity to serve and above all, learn and build an honest career.

The callous and insensitive statement from Nana Hesse is totally unacceptable, reckless and extremely irresponsible.

Typically characters like these will not last for a second in their current space. At a minimum I think, an apology and retraction ought to be rendered.

As a matter of fact, such officers have no place in any Presidency where the calling is Service to Country. They may have a place in a role of bigotry at a party office with no sense of Country but Party only.

Respectfully, you must not be seen to entertain such recklessness.

Cpl Attipoe and Sgt Odartey died in pursuit of our independence struggle with our colonial oppressor government and governor.

Is it now being suggested that the loss of Ahmed (the name of the murdered Lebanese, I believe) and the suffering of the robbery victims are for a struggle against an oppressor government? Needless to say who leads government today?

Your officer is simply irresponsible, incompetent and immature for his job at the minimum.

Increasingly we are becoming perplexed about where WE-THE-PEOPLE stand. Is it us first as you swore in your oath of office or POLITICS-YOUR-PEOPLE as seems to be the case for most Ghanaian POLITRICK-IANS (NPP and NDC alike).

Mr. President, your MOVE!