From: Stephen A.Quaye, Toronto-Canada.
For Christ sake, can someone out there help the president who is the father of the country Ghana clean the system which is currently full of immoral acts against highest order committed by some of his own subjects.
It has become very clear that the seat of the presidency is harboring tongue lashing politicians who try to go after people who do not agree with the president over whatever decision or programmes he decides where least they are angered pour venom on their opponents which is not healthy.
These tongue lashing politicians are doing a lot of harm to the president who is a fine gentleman very decent in dressing, never get angry easy, listen to complains before acting and make sure before he takes his final decision it is in the interest of the country but not for himself or anybody else.
Since he assumed office of the presidency, I have never heard him issuing a statement that goes to insult his former occupiers of the seat, any chief, politician or the clergy and the ordinary citizenry.
However what is very sad to observe is that, all the blunt he has been receiving have come as a result of speeches delivered by certain officers he has appointed to serve at the castle who by trying to make him happy and keep their job have been going after persons suspected to be opponents of their boss.
I do not think these belly dancers at the castle knows the boss they are serving very well otherwise they will not be making mistakes only for people in the country to think those mistakes where coming from the first gentleman of the country therefore attacking him for nothing.
The act of indiscipline in the system is too much where now everybody gets up and opens his mouth wide and pours stinging words at anybody he thinks must get the blunt from him form whatever reason unacceptable.
It is not good for the country Ghana for people to be at each others throat least they are offended or angered. Yes there is what we call freedom of speech but does that means one can get up at anytime and pour venom on any body just like that? Something is wrong some where that needs to be corrected otherwise there is going to be a big problem in the country trust me.
In Ghanaian parlance there is a saying that when a child insults his parents and does not see anything wrong with it, he goes public with it where someone will not tolerate it and discipline the child by scolding him.
That is exactly what is happening now where after several instances of tongue lashing moments where certain officers from the castle the seat of the presidency were heard insulting law makers, former president, opposition members and the academia without reprimand, certain people are now also thinking they can insult anybody anyhow and go scot free.
Let us all admit that there is too much tension in the system currently where people just wake up and insults our chiefs, parliamentarians, ministers, ministers of God, DCEs as well as politicians and even ordinary people least they think their undertakings are not recommended.
Not quite long ago, one of the communication officers at the castle Koku Anyidoho, was in the news reported to have insulted the former first gentleman of the country Mr.J.A.Kufuor. A lot of debates as well as arguments were generated out of what he said and what he did not say as I personally heard him on radio trying to explain what he said and what was exaggerated from what he said to mean something else.
On another occasion it was reported that he has described the minority in parliament in unacceptable terms where they planned to drag him to the discipline committee for him to apologize to the law making honourables .All these while the president was never heard making any comment about the development either reprimanding him or what ever.
The fact is these belly dancers of the president have set a precedent where now some of the public are following which is very devastating and calls for correction immediately.
You do not expect NDC activists going to sit on a TV station or radio station and hype little misunderstanding or something done by an ordinary person but linked him to an opposition party because you want to scatter the party for you to have an inroad to win an election.
Sixteen months after a general election that brought the NDC into power, you still hear ministers and party activists blaming former ministers and presidents for problems pertaining instead of finding solutions to them.
It is always disparaging to hear the former president Jerry John Rawlings, calling certain people names and using unacceptable words for them. I have said it and do not mind repeating it here. When it happens like that there is the possibility that followers of those attacked will also react in defensive which are also not advisable so therefore the need to keep quiet.
Describing the president of the country in an unacceptable words must be condemned by all and I happy both the opposition and the incumbent party in power have come together to condemn the act.
But should we just condemn it without finding a lasting solution to the problem? The answer is big no. If it so then we have to begin to find out what causes this problems.
I have always had my worry as to how the news papers are reviewed in Ghana where certain so called commentators are invited to express their opinions on news published. Many at times, these commentators who form the panel level allegations at honourable people without substantiating what they say.
There has been occasions where they veered off the topic if is about how to keep the environment clean then they say Kufuor was the one who was causing the insanitary condition in the system as host of programmes fails to reprimand them.
Apart from Joy F.M. and GBC radio, there are no radio stations in Ghana currently which does proper news paper review as is suppose to be done. If we are to go professional, reviewing newspapers does not need to form a panel to discuss the stories where panelists are made to say anything they like which goes to libel someone else somewhere.
The reporter whose story has been used has done his homework in ensuring no libel material is found in the story. A panelist digests the story and read politics and different meaning into the stories and creates problems for others.
Apart from not encouraging reading among the youth and school going age as well as the grown up, the news paper review is setting up a platform for litigants to use in attacking characters that needs to be checked.
If you do not agree with the president for a decision he takes, at least in a polite manner one can make his voice be heard without insulting to cause problems for himself.
Well it is known fact that whoever writes and let his idea be known and does not go to favour some one he receives insults so I am not bordered about the insults certain commentators of late pour on me because some of my articles was distasteful to them but not condemnable anyway.
After all, the late renowned journalist of the century Walter Cronkite received a lot of insults for criticizing the government of the late U.S President John F Kennedy. Because he did it in the interest of the country, the president never saw anything wrong with his criticism as he even urged him to contest for the presidential election.
The same person was the first newscaster to go public on television announcing to the people of the country the death of the president he was criticizing shedding tears as well all because his president has died.
The Ghana Journalist Association has to rise up and take up the mandate to help clean the system by making sure the right thing is done. Let us criticize acts but not characters and even that we do it with a lot of decorum.
Describing our various leaders in unacceptable terms is deeply regretted and must seize at once starting from the castle seeing the president checking his belly dancers first then trickle it down to the ordinary Ghanaian.
End.
