The Focus On Trifles In Lieu Of Critical Issues

It is attention-grabbing how Ghanaians are enjoying what democracy brings. Thanks to FM stations, internet and mobile phones, people are finding it easier than before to communicate their opinions. NDC is not happy and making noise over the constitutionality of how the electoral commissioner, Dr Kwadwo Afari Djan, declared Mr. Kufour as the winner of the 2004 elections and subsequently, sworn in for a second term. I thought the party will be more focused on how to win in 2008.

An association base in Accra that calls itself the Ga Mashie Youth Association is not satisfy why certain persons where not consulted by the state before naming Accra sports stadium after a dedicated man who helped transformed sports and brought unprecedented glory to the nation, Ghana. As much as I acknowledge the spirit of the Association, I wonder why they focused on such a trifle issue to channel their energy to exert some pressure on the state?

Doesn?t the Association comprehend that the Accra Metropolitan Association (AMA) is lagging behind in paying Solid Waste Management contractors? Unless the Ga Mashe youth Association care more about inculcating tribal sentiment into a trifle issue than the city of Accra being inundated with waste. Or so, they thought it is not their place to pressure AMA to pay the contractors. Wouldn?t the Association?s energy be prudently discharged and well placed if the Association stresses on issues that will actually result in self-improvement?

How many youths are on the streets of Accra in the name of petty trading to feed themselves? Doesn?t anybody think these youths on the streets deserve to be in school like their colleagues who are fortunate to have parents, uncles that are in a position to fund their education? The issue is that government is not doing enough to fully fund education for these youths.

I smell the foul scent of fraud in the case where two officials of the Ghana Education Services (GES); acting Director-General of the GES, Mr. Michael Nsowah, and the Financial Controller of the GES, Mr. Charles Otoo, are finding it laborious to answer a simple question, when were ghost names deleted from the GES payroll? According to the auditor-general, Mr. Edward Dua Agyeman, billions of cedis are gone. This fraudulent behavior translates into the poor girl at the Northern region who is willing to learn, but can?t find any school structures to sit in to be taught by a teacher. Same is true for the poor students at Volta region who can?t go to school because a rain has damaged the dilapidated building in which classes were held. This is due in part, some high ranking officials needed some extra income so they inserted ghost names into the payroll to enrich themselves. These officials at the GES need to be investigated and if proven to be involved or whoever that was involved should do jail time. There is no difference between what the officials presided over at GES and that of the incidents involving Mallam Issah, and other former Ministers and officials who did and are still doing jail time: their actions or inactions caused financial loss to the state. Unless, write this on your forehead and say it out loud with me, selective justice is going on in Ghana.

On a different note, the Director General of Ghana Ports and Harbors Authority (GPHA), Mr. Ben Owusu Mensah used funds from GPHA to renovate his private kitchen because he earnestly believes he deserves it and plans to pay back; yeah right!.

Did any of these issues generate a heated discussion on Ghanaweb like the issue of angry Ga Mashe Youth Association about the naming of Accra sports stadium? The answer is a big NO!. And astonishingly, the above issues where published on Ghanaweb.com the same day. Ghanaians are swimming in the sea of democracy and that any Ghanaian can say, as postulate, due to freedom of speech, whatever that he or she wishes to say so long as it doesn?t infringe on another person. The Ga Mashe Youth Association has the right under the constitution of Ghana to voice opinions as it sees fit on matters of national concern. However, in the spirit of democratic principles, wouldn?t it be prudent for Ghanaians to discuss and stress on issues that will bring improvement, peace, eradication of poverty; issues that will result in high literacy rate among others in lieu of trifles?

God bless us all.

Views expressed by the author(s) do not necessarily reflect those of GhanaHomePage.