Opinion
Democracy in its simplest formulation is a system or a concept of governance which empowers the citizenry to scrutinise and disect the various engagement by power handlers to harness various opportunities for development.
It thrives on constitutional framework which defies any attempt that seeks to subvert the legitimate and unalienable rights of the people.
The ideals of democracy are inherently structured to spread power across diverse portfolios that's the administrative institutions to promote checks and balances and avoid the exercise of powers with unbounded discretions.
Checks and balances are a critical part of any democratic system because it creates effective mode of monitoring institutions and persons entrusted with power and thus prevent dictatorship from forming.
This balance of power helps to ensure that the will of the citizenry is enforced rather than the dictates of power handlers. Freedom of speech and uncensored media access are critical to the dissemination of new ideas and promotes consensus-building through debate and public discussions.
To the Western world democracy is the best gift to humanity considering the numerous chains of benefits and how it has transformed the world from the dark days where war was considered ahead of truce, consensus building and negotiations in the settlement of misunderstanding among persons and nations.
Democracy has folded a significant portion of human populace into a single unit that has substituted war for dialogue, blood feud with truce, and the adoption of legal protocols in the settlement of both territorial disputes and misunderstandings among individuals. Unfortunately, the raw academic rendition of democracy seemed to have been defiled by the toxic notion and greed intuitions by the African race.
In Africa, democracy appeared to have created a lot of problems than representing a definitive concept to stimulate national growth and human rights advancement. Many rulers in the sub-region have set aside the basic provisions of the democratic system and, therefore hide under the "paper" democracy to unleash terror on its people.
Per the academic rendition of democracy, it's supposed to offer a comprehensive and a defined structure which thrives on institutional supremacy instead power play by persons in government and also to create room for public participation in the affairs of government, a situation that dispels uncertainty about government businesses and promotes efficiency but the situation is different in Africa which has become a common place where democracy is weaved to create wealth for the few at the corridors of power.
Leaders cling to power only to pursue vicious policies likely to sustain their perpetual stay in office with complete disregard for the consequences likely to arise.
Incoherent policy plans detrimental to human access to wealth creation are often pursued to nail the citizenry to poverty in order to colonise them forever.
Corrupt Institutions reeking with incompetence and ineptitude are built all over to superintend over state affairs no wonder every farcet of the African society is choked with the most popular word "corruption ".
Anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread widening its way through our democratic lines.
Democracy in Ghana though may be better than most African countries, but the utter failure is obviously starring considering the various forms of abuses and abrasions associated with it.
Ghana's democratic woes may be a little bit different from other African countries, but the situation here is quite ugly and worrisome.
There is an excessive abuse of democratic principles in the Ghana. Freedom of speech suffers both academic and intellectual attacks consistently with the singular intention of dragging someone's integrity to the cleaners and parade themselves for political glory.
The Ghanaian media is out of control and so are its followers. The National Media Commission which is a regulatory body to enforce order and appropriateness in the media space has lost integrity and its controlling prowess.
In my candid opinion, the NMC is the most "irresponsible" institution in Ghana if not how on earth will spiritualist who used to dwell in caves on hinterlands now have access to national television and advertise blood money "sika duro" and use kind words to lure the desperate youth into such abominable practice and madness but surprisingly these refined intellectuals supervise it.
The radio stations make the situation worse advertising everything that comes with money ranging from Biblical robbers popularly known as charlatans or fake pastors to "grave digging" herbal bitters without any discretion. Most of these radio stations have become the best boutique in town where all kinds of insults can be procured for free.
This is a known fact strong enough to prevail against challenge, all you have to do is to tune to a radio station or TV and listen to the various discussions followed by the front page stories of various newspapers and other activities trending across social media platforms.
The situation is very ugly to the extent that people are bold enough to insult the President in public. Demonstrators are often seen carrying placards with inscriptions insulting the President right under the supervision of the security personnel.
Nothing but impunity is born into our so called modern politics.
Can you blame them when political intelligence is determined by how vociferous one may sound on political platforms, the number of slanderous and vicious comments one makes?
Indeed, the Ghanaian version of democracy has suffered a lot of intellectual abrasions owing to our gross misunderstanding and misapplication of the subject.
In other jurisdictions outside the African Metropolis, the ideals of democracy are treated with a sense of veneration and mutual respect.
Democracy has created a lot of opportunities where ideas from people with different political orientations are brought on board to influence development. These opportunities have created diverse options which allow people to act in a concerted manner to help drive the economic fortunes of such countries toward proposperity.The western economies are good examples to be cited.
I understand our electoral success story coupled smooth transitions of power have undeniably consolidated the democratic credentials of Ghana but on the flip side, our democracy is as dirty as hell expecially on the lines of freedom.
In the name of freedom of speech, Ghana's political atmosphere is poisoned with hatred and hate speeches, character ambush and assassination, purgery, blackmailing, falsifications with malice intents, personal vendettas and media indebtedness to corrupt maneuveries by political parties for favours.
Ethical consideration has no value in this modern journalism, it's completely thrown to the pigs trampling them with impunity. The current style of politics only defiles and attack human dignity beyond recognition and repair.
I really do not intend to cast a slur or discredit the democratic success of Ghana but to point out the various infractions and loopholes in the system so as to detonate the time bomb we are sitting on likely to explode any time soon. Let's engage in academic discussions centered on national development instead of abusive and intimidatory politics.
The Bible is my witness.
Ivan Kyei Innocent /0206262717 /nanakyei81@gmail.
