RE: Why, Why, oh Why? – Ayikoi Otoo

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• Close Observer 11 years ago

  NDC IS AN ENEMY OF GHANA'S PROGRESS. WHY SHOULD THEY THINK ABOUT 2016; TO MAKE US SUFFER MORE?
  
  WE HAVE LIVED TOGETHER PEACEFULLY UNTIL THE USELESS NDC PARTY WAS FORMED.
  
  ''We have been vice presidents for far too long, i ...
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  NDC IS AN ENEMY OF GHANA'S PROGRESS. WHY SHOULD THEY THINK ABOUT 2016; TO MAKE US SUFFER MORE?
  
  WE HAVE LIVED TOGETHER PEACEFULLY UNTIL THE USELESS NDC PARTY WAS FORMED.
  
  ''We have been vice presidents for far too long, it is time you make ONE OF YOUR OWN President.'' - John Mahama.
  
  WHAT ARE THE REST OF US TO JOHN MAHAMA?
  
  WE NEVER HAD ANY PROBLEM.
  THE USELESS NDC PARTY IS TURNING ONE TRIBE AGAINST ANOTHER
  TURNING ONE RELIGION AGAINST ANOTHER
  THERE WAS EVEN AN ATTEMPT BY ATTA MILLS TO poison football clubs with politics just for the SELFISH INTEREST of the USELESS NDC PARTY.
  Everything that unites us as a peaceful nation is under attack by the USELESS NDC PARTY. Before they divide Ghana and leave us in shreds VOTE THE USELESS NDC PARTY OUT IN 2016.
  We have lived peacefully without any TRIBAL OR RELIGIOUS POLITICS before the USELESS NDC PARTY WAS FORMED and their manifesto signed with blood. We don't need any division in Ghana. WE ARE INTER-MARRIED, AND WE ARE ONE PEOPLE. NDC IS DANGEROUS, VOTE THEM OUT IN 2016.
  (GB3M3I KOME TOO DZI WO. GAM3I NY3KA NYI3AA AM3S33. NDC NFEE NY3 BULUU, NI AM3 NSHI NY3 Y3 OHIA MLI.)
  An advice from a sensible GA who can read through the lines.

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• Alhassan Lantana 11 years ago

  Stop sayin wat u cannot prove and stop using usman cos dat is not ur name,a person who respects himself dont not pretend

  Stop sayin wat u cannot prove and stop using usman cos dat is not ur name,a person who respects himself dont not pretend

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• GIDEON ATONGO 11 years ago

  I meant to say 'he should also find out...'

  I meant to say 'he should also find out...'

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• Ibn 11 years ago

  Boko Haram emerged as a result of decades of unsuccessful effort to achieve the rights and liberties of Muslim Students in Nigerian schools. In most of the schools, Church services are compulsory and the right environment is ...
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  Boko Haram emerged as a result of decades of unsuccessful effort to achieve the rights and liberties of Muslim Students in Nigerian schools. In most of the schools, Church services are compulsory and the right environment is unavailable for these students to observe their five daily prayers. After years of fruitless effort to change the situation with its concomitant discomforts, they suspiciously perceived secular education as “evangelical tool” intended to spread Christianity. Since then they do not only kill Christians who they consider as champions of the system, but also Muslims who maintain any form of relation with secular schools.
  Whiles we all condemn their horrendous acts; one just can’t understand why our authorities exhibit sheer laxity and total inertia to sensitive issues till things get out of hand.
  
  the comments made by the Ayikoi Otoo is irresponsible,hypocritical and mischievous.

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• Ad Wa. 11 years ago

  Mr ayikoi otoo should know that the so call mission schoola r funded by the state, gov't put up buildings n pay teachera in these schools, he aware of this n only allow himself to b carried away by emotion leavin him empty as ...
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  Mr ayikoi otoo should know that the so call mission schoola r funded by the state, gov't put up buildings n pay teachera in these schools, he aware of this n only allow himself to b carried away by emotion leavin him empty as a lawer.

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• Alhassan Lantana 11 years ago

  I petty u cos u ar foolish n childish as well,even ur so called us did not teach u how to respect others n not to manipulates issues just to favor u.fool

  I petty u cos u ar foolish n childish as well,even ur so called us did not teach u how to respect others n not to manipulates issues just to favor u.fool

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• Ad Wa. 11 years ago

  Mr ayikoi otoo should know that the so call mission schoola r funded by the state, gov't put up buildings n pay teachera in these schools, he aware of this n only allow himself to b carried away by emotion leavin him empty as ...
  read full comment

  Mr ayikoi otoo should know that the so call mission schoola r funded by the state, gov't put up buildings n pay teachera in these schools, he aware of this n only allow himself to b carried away by emotion leavin him empty as a lawer.

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• Alhassan Lantana 11 years ago

  Do u know exactly wat u ar sayin,sorry u dont even understand ur own english

  Do u know exactly wat u ar sayin,sorry u dont even understand ur own english

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• back door director 11 years ago

  So you will wear hijab instead of helmmet.
  Jalabia I stead of winter coat.hmmmm
  The traditionalists are coming to walk bare footed to school.
  Anyway what is the dress code for muslim footbaallers. Try your religious dress ...
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  So you will wear hijab instead of helmmet.
  Jalabia I stead of winter coat.hmmmm
  The traditionalists are coming to walk bare footed to school.
  Anyway what is the dress code for muslim footbaallers. Try your religious dress ccodes with fifa and you would smell pepper.
  Mr Nnuhu you have just reduced the channces of Muslims into schools this year.

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• A Rashid 11 years ago

  I think the constitution of the land is supreme ,nobody should be forced to practice a religion that he/she does not believe in. if the wrong things were done in past ,it does not mean that we should allow them to continue.we ...
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  I think the constitution of the land is supreme ,nobody should be forced to practice a religion that he/she does not believe in. if the wrong things were done in past ,it does not mean that we should allow them to continue.we Muslim will continue to ensure that the constitution is adhere to.

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• NANA BONSU 11 years ago

  First time hearing that. Will check with some Comparative Religion scholars.

  First time hearing that. Will check with some Comparative Religion scholars.

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• still rastafari 11 years ago

  Muslim stuff not in mission schools pls

  Muslim stuff not in mission schools pls

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• still rastafari 11 years ago

  Muslim stuff in government schools pls

  Muslim stuff in government schools pls

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• Alhassan Lantana 11 years ago

  Do u go to church at all,i dont think u even do wat christianitty is all abt,if u know,u wont talk foolishlyi

  Do u go to church at all,i dont think u even do wat christianitty is all abt,if u know,u wont talk foolishlyi

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• G. K. Berko 11 years ago

  Ayikoi Otoo surely has misrepresented his Profession in this discourse with those comments he made. But what is most important is for us all to be extra vigilant to shift our thinking gears into high speed in order to be abre ...
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  Ayikoi Otoo surely has misrepresented his Profession in this discourse with those comments he made. But what is most important is for us all to be extra vigilant to shift our thinking gears into high speed in order to be abreast with the realities of the day in which widespread Religious conflicts are still flaring around.
  
  Some Politicians hovering around like vultures always look for situations like this to jump into to feed on the carcasses they think the case is making out of us. They would even attempt to aggravate the situation for their own selfish and personal goals. Vigilance is thus needed here.
  
  We, in Ghana, must, even in the face of this current issue between the Muslims and the Christians, count ourselves lucky that our forebears rightly chartered a path for us that facilitates our religious cohabitation, despite the various levels of restrictions within any of the Religions we practice.
  
  It is true that we have long lived in Peace with each other, regardless of our religious affiliations. But that must not blind us to the fact that an eruption of certain radical thinking in any faith could badly influence us to make terrible mistakes that would offset the Peace we have been enjoying for ages.
  
  Regarding the Constitutional guarantees this Author mentioned, I would say he is absolutely correct. I cannot imagine how someone with Ayikoi Otoo's legal background could miss that. Our Constitution guarantees freedom of Religion, freedom of Association, and freedom of Speech. Any intra-Institutional regulations cannot supersede our Constitutional requirements, especially where those regulations tend to abrogate or suppress individual rights guaranteed by the Constitution.
  
  However, in exercising any of these freedoms, we must be cognizant of the fact that there are Constitutional mandates that curb how far those freedoms could be enjoyed. And those are the mandates that criminalize any such exercise of freedoms that undermines the right of the State to exist, or threatens the life of the individual. In other words, for as long as in exercising these rights entities do not infringe upon other parts of the Constitution, all is fine.
  
  Now, we have to understand that many of us have long remained uncomplaining about certain issues that we have been living with out of either ignorance of our rights that we could have demanded, or simply out of acquiescence due to our ability to cope with those issues. Therefore, like Mr. Nuhu mentioned, if at any point in time in the future we realize the need to demand those rights, people should not spontaneously react harshly to that demand. This is what the Muslim Students seem to be facing with the Christian Clergies and Politicians like Ayikoi Otoo.
  
  The long recognition of their minority status, and its concomitant fear of backlash from the Christian majority, coupled with possible lack of the right leadership to champion the Muslims' cause, might have also delayed their making that demand.
  
  In the most straightforward and shortest way to resolve this issue, I would say all we need to do is to, first, check its constitutionality. If that proves legal, we then have to find out if, in fact, the Muslims' complaint of being denied the freedom to enjoy those rights is valid. And if their complaint proves valid, we then ensure the implementation of all necessary regulations to allow them enjoy those rights.
  
  The above, however, seems a much simplistic guidance to settle the current issue. The unfriendly, harsh reaction of the Christian Clergy to the Muslim Students' demand must inform us of how difficult is it to change a long established norm, even if it is illegal. The Christians might have been used to the status quo that the Muslims are now complaining about. We must therefore acknowledge such initial reaction by the Christians are normal and understandable. But for a full, fair and permanent resolution of the crisis, the response by any entities interested must be totally objective, pragmatic, persuasive, unemotional and affirming of our Constitution.
  
  That is why I suggest that in trying to resolve this issue, surely, the behaviors of the ISIS and Boko Haram deserve to be at the back of our minds, not for blaming as influencing the Muslims' decision to demand the rights they are protesting for, but as a dangerous development our treatment of the demand must not lead us to.
  
  We must continue in our longstanding spirit of tolerance and peaceful cohabitation to fully resolve this issue between the Muslims and Christians, and not allow the fear or resentment of the ISIS or Boko Haram ideology hound us into rash and unconstitutional decisions on that issue.
  
  Our Christian brethren must exercise restraint to allow their best and legal judgment seep into their hearts for a lasting and fair decision to resolve the issue peacefully.
  
  Our Muslim brethren must also appreciate that gesture of peaceful consideration of their demand and persist in sensible, rational debate to prove their eligibility for the demand made, even as it seems all too obvious and inalienable.
  
  We must, also, not be oblivious of the fact that as the Muslims demand for their constitutionally guaranteed rights as a group, our Laws also provide for groups to allow individual rights to prevail within them. Therefore, when all is settled with the resolution of this particular demand for exercising their religious practices, the Muslims must, by the same legal basis, acknowledge and uphold our Constitutional requirements that individuals within their fold could opt for practicing differently from the group norms.
  
  For example, individuals who want to marry outside the Religion, or not wear the headscarf, must be allowed to do so without any unconstitutional monkey-wrench thrown in their way by the Religion's Authorities.
  
  Freedom of Religion under our Constitution first addresses the individual's liberties before the association's or organization's. Any institutional regulation that tends to trample on the individual's rights must not be entertained or encouraged. If the Government is going to intervene to ensure the Christians comply with the Constitution's requirement to allow the Muslims among us enjoy their freedoms fully, the same Government would have to ensure individual rights within the Muslim Religion, and any other Institution, for that matter, are not confiscated by the Institution.
  
  Long Live Ghana!!!

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