Organizers of Ghana@50 quivering quietly

...Charles Wereku-Brobbey perplexed
... NAGRAT to resurface, Health workers to bite hard
…and Ghana to get more polarized ideologically

Still waters, they say, run deep. As though all was set for the much trumpeted Ghana @ 50 to bring all Ghanaians together in a celebration that is to showcase the country’s achievements at 50, some civil society groups are quietly working behind the scenes to mobilize Ghanaians to give the organizers and an insensate government what is to be the largest opposition to its rule.

Organizers argue: ‘this is necessary to protect our fragile democracy and give meaning to the principles on which the country was founded 50 years ago’. When this writer quizzed organizers further about what these principles are, they did not minced words in reminding this writer of the collective duty of all Ghanaians to defend what is right irrespective of ethnic origin, political leaning, social status or religious association. They continued: ‘the principle of freedom and justice can only be realized in probity and accountability to one’s nation. The principle of freedom and justice is only realizable in integrity and devotion to ones nation’s course and, most of all, the ability to defend the aforementioned values’

The issue of Charles Wereku-Brobbey, the former CEO of VRA who is the CEO of Ghana @ 50, was mentioned as a pointer to how Ghanaian values have been corrupted over the years by politicians who seek political office not on cronyism but on principles of probity and accountability. But, who on assumption of office, denigrate these values with impunity by their actions. One of the leaders of the group asked: ‘how can you appoint a person with a disreputable character, who was chased out of public office by a vigilant public for reasons mismanagement and corruption, to head a celebration with a financial portfolio of $20 million?’

Other members raised concerns ranging from the poor state of sanitation across the country, unending labour disputes which require a holistic solution to the poor state of our educational institutions.

It came to light that NAGRAT is surreptitiously planning a nationwide strike which will paralyze the country’s educational sector weeks before the 7th of March 2007. Health workers are also to take bite hard sending a clear message to the government about its sensitivity towards the common good of the nation.

Organizers have already started preparing memos to be sent to embassies, high commissions, and other international organizations to warn their citizens and representatives who will be invited to this celebration to steer clear. It is envisaged that the government will try to use the state security apparatus to diffuse and arrest organizers but that is exactly what the protest against the celebration is meant to achieve: to mar the celebration and send the right signal to an insensitive government’

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