Ghana: The confused ghost at Elmina Junction

One early morning,

When the moon was up

Shining as the sun,

I went to Elmina Junction

And there and there,

I saw a wretched ghost

Going up and down

Singing to himself

'Shall I go

To Cape Coast,

Or to Elmina

I don't know,

I can't tell.

I don't know,

I can't tell.

The above is an excerpt from the famous African prose, the dilemma of a ghost, written by Ama Ata aidoo, one of the best female writers on the continent of Africa.

The confused state of the ghost at Elmina junction not knowing where to go is the complete fair and square situation the country called ghana find herself.

A country with a population of roughly 29 million people filled with a bunch of confused people either hardly know what they want and want to go for it or they don't know what exactly their wants are so that they can go for it.

I love and enjoy listening to newsfile every Saturday morning in my old ricketty Ford Escape.

Although I always disagree with some of the resources persons analytical approach and submissions on the topics tabled for discussion, I can't do without it on Saturday mornings.

The wealth of knowledge display by some of the resource persons and the intelligent display of skills and styles in presentation by the host will make you lock you dial there at any time and in any day.

Unfortunately, I was late in tuning in on Saturday the 10th of October, due to two disturbing issues that wrecked my world. The first issue was the untimely demise of the Member of Parliament for Mfantsiman, Ekow Kwansa Hayford, a friend and a brother, although I couldn't make time to honour an invitation to his residence before death laid it icy hands on him. I pray God he will forgive me for that.

The second issues was the heavy downpour on that fateful day that turned the capital city of Ghana, Accra upside down to the extend that I spent hours mounovouring my way through a rather thick traffic from the kasoa tollbooth through the Westhills mall to Malam junction.

But when I tuned in finally, alas! Ghana, we are at it again in our usual self inflicted confused state. There again, the death of another young intelligent and affable legislature has revived once again the debate on whether or not legislatures in this country deserve police protection or to perfectly put it, police as bodyguards. Then I hit my hands hard on my steering and said, God! Not again.

But then, I smiled and told myself, ghana is loaded with a bunch of confuse people behaving like the proverbial confused ghost in the famous Ama Ata aidoo's book, the dilemma of a ghost. The book said " One early morning,

When the moon was up

Shining as the sun,

I went to Elmina Junction

And there and there,

I saw a wretched ghost

Going up and down

Singing to himself

'Shall I go

To Cape Coast,

Or to Elmina

I don't know,

I can't tell.

I don't know,

I can't tell"

I hurry decided to write this article entitled, Ghana: a confuse ghost at the Elmina junction.

Then I remembered that the last time Hon JB Dankwa was murdered in cold blood, may his soul rest in perfect peace, this same issues came. When Hon. Kennedy Kankam of Nhyiaeso and his family were taken hostage in recent past by armed bandits, the issue came up again for a discussion. When Hon. Kwadwo Ofori of Akan Constituency was stabbed in his Tema residence by armed men, it came up again.

And again, in 2012, when Hon. Appiah Pinkrah was attacked by a group of armed men, every single radio across the country discuss it without any proper stance by the state.

When Dr Anthony Akoto Osei, a Professor of Economics and a Minister at the ministry of Monitoring and Evaluation was also attacked by members of the delta force, this same discussion came up and Ghanaians were divided on the way to go to save MPs from such situation.

I can go on and on and on with the lists till there's no space to write again.

My question is, how long is ghana going to be in this state of confusion? How long is ghana going to lose her lawmakers in such a tragic manner without given them some form of protection.I am convinced beyond any doubt that the precious lives of these MPs would have been either protected or save from been attacked if they have any form of security.

Whenever such matters come up, the Archimedes in Ghana, the Ghanaian economic Adams Smith and the Professor Allotey's with Mathematical prowers, begin to calculate how expensive it is for the state to enter into such enterprise without looking at the precious lives lose to death and it economic implications to the state and the bereaved families and their dependents

Perhaps, Ghanaians have not taken into consideration how much the electoral commission and for that matter, the state spend the taxpayers money on by-elections and what those monies could have been used for.

The hospitals without bed, the poor road infrastructure, the schools under trees among a host of them these monies could have been channeled to.

Not to talk about how much political parties also spend in organising primaries and by-elections to elect one person to represent a constituency because the state failed to protect an mp and has been killed by unscrupulous elements in the society.

If we think democracy is expensive and because of that the state cannot provide 275 police officers to protect the country's lawmakers, then Ghanaians should abandon democracy and go back to military regime where the guns rule and not laws.

The state doesn't struggle in providing security for the Executives neither does the state struggles to protect the Judiciary but whenever it comes to the lawmaker, the legislature's protection, it becomes a tug of war to the extent that some lawmakers even fight it.

Please! Don't look at me with that eye because I am not trying to hold brief for the legislature but I think they are the most abused Arm of government despite the fact that they make the laws that define our rights as citizens of this country.

Parliament of Ghana is not only the bastion of the country's democracy but also the fulcrum of the Democratic dispensation the country continues to pride herself with.

If Ghanaians think Parliament and for that matter members of Parliament don't deserve the best, then let us shut down Parliament and concentrate on the executives and the Judiciary if possible, but if Ghanaians think their democracy will suffer without legislative arm of government, then the time to act is now.

Let the death of Hon Ekow Kwansa Hayford spare the state on to push for police protection for the MPs. I am not sure those police officers who will provide security for the MPs will be given different remuneration from what they already have so that it best fits into the controversial debate that it will cost the state so much to provide protection for the MPs.

After all, you either drink deep or taste not. Adieus Hon Ekow Quansah Hayford. The Fante caucus on Adom FM Dwaso Nsem will forever miss you, your constituents you died for and your family. Fare thee well my brother.