The nobility of an alleged doom-monger

It is unfortunate that certain withering social and political fanatics have left their realm of influence and have started to ply their trade in domains they have no muscles to bear the complex rubrics associated with them. They seem to act like Christopher Marlowe’s, Dr. Faustus who soared beyond his limits and fell beyond redemption. In fact, the men they deliberately define as counterfeits have done nothing evil except for the innocuous views they expressed openly.

In a country where everything is weighed and bought with a political currency, these harbingers of falsehood have succeeded in contorting the substance inherent in any message from their perceived opponents in a bid to honour the biddings of their overlords. In this regard, I want to know the sacrilege or crime that Pastor Mensah Otabil has committed for him to merit the barrage of unguarded vilifications rained on him.

Of course, I do admit that Pastor Otabil is not an angel neither is he above criticisms. But for his detractors to unduly slur his image for only exercising his spiritual duty is very distasteful. He stood not on a political platform but on a platform he erected with the help of God. He led his congregants to pray to ward off any evil that may befall the country as we eagerly await the verdict from the nine learned judges. What therefore was the crime of this man? Is it not a normal spiritual ritual that almost every religious gathering is characterised by incessant prayers for the country to experience peace after the court’s verdict? Why has he been singled out for insinuations?

For Kwasi Pratt to describe Pastor Otabil’s sense of heaviness concerning the destiny of the country as nothing short of high fever is laughable. I do not blame this socialist of a Pratt who would not hesitate to embrace communism which has little or nothing to do with God. His avowed hatred for men of God he coins as fake is relentless and misplaced. In any case, what modicum of spirituality has he to determine genuine men of God or fake ones? When Pastor Otabil claimed that the doctored free SHS tape engineered by the NDC for propagandist purposes misrepresented his views, was it not the same Pratt, Ablakwa and other vain glory seekers who spun this out of proportion?

For the life of me, can all Ghanaians drink from the same calabash? Those self acclaimed holier than thou socialists, know all spiritualists and commentators, and foul mouth politicians must reckon that when God impressed upon the heart of Pastor Otabil to divulge those words, Pratt, Tony Aidoo and co were not there. Whatever he said, whether it is true or false, is for God to judge the intentions behind Pastor Otabil’s declarations. As a result, our comments after his declarations should have been seasoned with tact and circumspection.

That was never the case. Tony Aidoo took over the baton from his comrade by calling Pastor Otabil an ‘opportunist’ who desires to ‘subvert democratic governance.’ What moral right has Tony Aidoo to brand Pastor Otabil as an opportunist? This is a man whose character bears a huge question mark. Did he not via fictitious and strange circumstances purchase a state-owned Ford Expedition 2005 model worth $40,000 for a paltry 6,000 cedis? Has he not also via clandestine overtures offered to buy a plot of land in East legon under ridiculous circumstances? (See Tony Aidoo ‘loots’ state car, land. Ghanaweb.com- 14th November, 2012). You see, one must be careful not to chew his fingers as he chews that of a baboon.

Nevertheless, in all these murky, mudslinging and political persecution, lie the three deadliest forces militating against the development of the country: high levels of illiteracy, limited economic opportunities and unbridled corruption. Frankly, if a bigger portion of our population were to be in the literate bracket, I am confident they will not trade their pure conscience for greedy bastards who may want to cause mayhem in the event the verdict does not go their way. We will also not struggle to educate our followers and even pray days on end all in the name of peace when in fact we hold the keys to peace.

In the same vein, if the economy was healthy and booming, I believe we would not over burden ourselves greatly with the verdict of the court. Perhaps, we will not tie our destiny to the party that will emerge victorious if there were available economic opportunities to keep food on our tables, clothes to cover our nakedness and jobs to keep us busy. Now, because everything is heavily dosed with politics, it appears if your party is not in office, you are in a political wilderness. Therefore, whatever it will take to keep one’s party in power becomes a necessary evil. And that is what is weakening our fragile peace.

And if I may ask, after amassing enough wealth suspiciously, will a corrupt politician be willing to let go off power easily to his bitterest opponent to hurl him into prison? That is why corrupt politicians will fight tooth and nail to maintain their grips on power. The rot, corruption and lootings they have engaged themselves in will constantly haunt them to cover up their evil deeds through fair or foul means.

Ordinarily, Ghanaians need not harbour any fears of war or blood bath after years of democratic governance. But we have gotten to this level of prayers for peace all because our politicians have failed in developing the country and they have succeeded in shattering our hopes after successfully ruling us in our confusion and division. All that they are doing now is to foment trouble as well as vilify those who are not in their good books. And in fact, Pastor Mensah Otabil is no exception.

For my money, what Pastor Otabil sought to do was not to create fear and panic or behave opportunistically as faithfully propagated by the Pratts and Tonys. He only sought to fill in the gap that we overlooked. On that day, he did not leave his sense of heaviness hanging. He fiercely prayed to cancel any evil plot of nation wreckers. Those who are unduly vilifying him for no apparent reason must watch their loose tongues because if Pastor Otabil is a true man of God and he harboured no ill intentions, then, his detractors must brace themselves for the wrath of Him who sent him.

SOURCE: OKOFO-DARTEY SAMUEL

E-MAIL: sodesq2000@yahoo.com