I was born among a people who always look at the other side of the coin, if the
cause of a calamity is not found on the normal side which is the physical one.
About 99% of Ghanaians are superstitious. Some play superstition down with talk,
but deep in them they have things they believe which Mostly amounts to superstition.
Majority of Ghanaians believe that God's annoyance with his people can bring a
doom upon them. Most Ghanaians believe that God and satan plays roles in our lives
which brings us blessings and curses respectively. Evil is allocated to the latter
whilst good is naturally from the Almighty God. A gift from God brings joy but that
of satan end up in tears.
In the Bible and the Qur'an alike it is thought that when head of groups
(family, community or Nation) are good it brings blessings upon the people but when
evil men lead it brings maledictions. Of course in the reign of every leader, there
is bound to be desasters but when it becomes a daily affair it leaves a lot of
questions in the minds of people.
For the past few years, I get worried when I think about Ghana. The rate at which
desaters have visited our door steps makes me panick and think if we and our leaders
are on the right path with the almighty? Whenever the Israelites saw calamities
beyond their understanding, they always turned to God to find out the reasons. God
always answered them and showed them where they have offended. Sometimes it was the
people who had offended God so leaders had to make sacrifices and intercede for the
nation, like in the case of Moses and the Isralites when he returned with the ten
Commandments. At other times it was the Head or leader who trespassed and the whole
nation suffers like in the case when Saul went consulting witch doctors. If Ghana
is a Christian country or better still if we claim we are a people of God, then its
not a mistake if we begin to ask the same question Joshua asked; "who has wroth this
evil in our midst"? Achan owned up that he
stole from the camp of the enemies and was put to death and immediately the
calamity seized.
Our land in the past has seen a lot of evil and bloodshed from the days of Dr Kwame
Nkrumah to the time of Pres Mills. From the life burrial of Dr J B Dankwah, the
beheading of Ametekpor, through the bloody coups of Kotoka and Afrifa. From the
harsh treatment of foreigners by Busia to Achempong's sex oasis through to
Akuffo's secret killings. In the shooting of top army officers and the killing
of former heads of state by Rawlings and his friends. From the "kalabule" days of
Hilla Limann to the Murder of High Court Judges in the days of Rawlings2 up to the
mysterious death of Issah Mobila in the days of Kuffour. The killings at Tamale,
Chereponi and Agbogbloshie are fresh in our memories. To me none of all that is
new. Mother Ghana trembled beneath these evill acts anyway.
At long last we were told there has come a new leader who is God fearing. The name
Atta Mills almost beacame synanimous to righteousness. We heard it when he siad he
wish the whole Ghana was a prayer camp. What a man of God? Immediately after those
prayers as though God has been ifuriated by the bablings of long prayers desasters
began to visit the land in an unprecedented manner. The prayers said for Ghana in
my little knowledge in the bible should have wiped away all our sins and cleanse our
land from all its unrighteousness, because the fervent prayer of the righteous
avails much. When a Righteous leader organises a prayer for his country and people
it is very effective. The examples are abundant in the bible. So the question I
asked was why are we still seeing these evil after all the prayers by our Righteous
leader?
The first I can remember was the fire that caught ECOBANK Ringway branch in May
2009. This was followed by another fire on ministry of information. The whole
building and everything inside were burnt down. Documents stored from 1957 also
suffered the rage. In the same month another fire decended upon Ministry of Foreign
Affairs destroying the building and properties worth millions of the Ghanaian tax
payers money. Before the year ended Sodom and Gomorrah was on fire again, the
fourth time in the same year destroying up to 50 houses in the slump on that last
occassion alone. In the same year the famous Angloga wood market had its share of
the nationwide fire desaster. It was burnt down in March 2009. That was the first
year of Pres Mills in office.
In 2010 when the year was just about to spring up, in February 2010 the fire
returned upon the just partially renovated Ministry of information finishing what it
left over in October 2009. As if that was not enough, the fire turned its rage to
the founder of the ruling party burning down his residence and everything in it to
ashes. Ghanaians especially my good self began to wonder what was causing all these
fires which as if had an agreement were visiting high ranking state buildings and
important places.
In the same year, somewhere in August Kumasi central Market saw one of its worst
fires since its establishment leaving many people bankrupt and the market structure
in a devastated state. The desastrous fire engulfed the Makola market destroying
goods and properties worth millions of cedis. To me these occurences are not normal
and need be looked into with a more curious eye. Before we could soothe the pains
of these major fire outbreaks the big warehouse of the biggest cleaning company in
Ghana, Zoom Lion also caught fire. It was enough at that juncture to ask; God why?
But before we could manage these two words out of our shivering mouths Ashawo
Market followed up depriving us of millions worth of properties and goods. Not just
that two people lost thier lives on that fateful day. "What is happening?" was the
most frequent question on the lips of all caring Ghanaians. At a point people
cowardly directed this question to the father of all of us,
president Atta Mills. When evil occur in a house it is natural for a father to say
no I must find out what is happening. So it is not a mistake if we ask our father
why?
In that same year, hell broke loose again upon Madina and Abosey Okai. At Medina it
destroyed houses and other properties worth huge amounts of monies. At Mnaijor the
fire burnt three people to death instantly. If I want to mention, there will be no
space to even write. The desasters are so strange that it leaves a very dark cloud
above us.
Many other incidents happened within those days like the
rampaging floods in the north and Central regions which claimed
lives and properties. I will like to concentrate only on the fire desasters because
it has been the most consistent in thse last two and half years. On 31st December
as we religeously do, prayers were heard from every church hall and from the
castle. As the prayers went on, four fire outbreaks carried out a coup de etat at
Adenta, Medina, Abossey Okai and Mnaijor it was that night those three children,
died. They are Kwame Kwofie, Godfried Kwofie and Maxwell Kwofie, aged between six
and eight years. Maybe the prayers annoyed God the more because we failed to find
the root cause. Instead we pestered him with noises. You cant fight what you dont
know.
Thank God those years were past and gone for good. We were now in a new year.
Weeping may endure for a night long but joy cometh in the morning. The first two
years of President Mills were nights and full of weeping but now we had been ushered
into a new dawn, 2011. We were gradually putting those traumas of 2009/2010 away
and embracing a promising new year. Like the flash light that precedes a thunder we
witnessed the blazing of the Head Office of the only electricity providers of
Ghana; VRA. It was the shockthat nearly that made me think if God was that annoyed
that all the 31st night prayers did not reach him. It was followed by another big
blow which was the Odowna fires right in the centre of Accra. O God what is
happening to us? Where have we gone wrong? Before the answer could reach us four
children and their uncle were leaked by the hot tongue of fire at Nsunfa, near
Sowutuom killing all four children and leaving the uncle with serious burns. It
occurred just this 13th June 2011. On the burial of the children their mates sang a
song that sparked this article. They asked with the song WHERE IS OUR GOD?
Indeed God is still God and will never change. Ever able, ever supreme, ever
merciful but ever just. If we are in a country where immorality has become the
order of the day. A country where Homosexuals can boldly come out and pollute our
air with filty demands whilst our God fearing men keep silent. You only hear it on
radio and nothing else. I miss honourable Baah Wiredu. He told them one day when
they were planning a demostration at Koforidua and I quote; "if you think you have
rights go and do the dwmonstration, we also have some sodiers and police they will
meet you there". Even those who banned libation at national ceremonies to tell
Ghanaians they are trully Christians have kept silenct. Anyway these immoralities
are those committed by the people. Lets now look into the leadership. When you
lost a useful horse you are tempted to search for it even under stones.
Can I ask If "juju ring", be it for protection or for gaining attraction and votes
could demand some difficult sacrifices? Have it ever occured to you that Ghana is
under a curse and why will you think so?
Finally I want us to ask Daddy Atta with one voice: DAA WHAT IS HAPPENING? Dont you
care that we die?
Noah D. Asare
Frankfurt, Germany.
