The 2012 presidential candidate of the Convention People’s Party, CPP, says Ghana must use the ongoing election petition to “heal” the nation.
“Whichever way the decision of the Supreme Court goes, Ghanaians must stand firmly together as one nation to embrace a fragile democracy and heal the wounds of a battered nation”, Dr. Abu Sakara Forster urged.
He warned that: “We cannot and must not allow the nation to descend into the bottomless abyss of dissent, disobedience and destructive conduct”.
He advised that: “We must reflect calmly and objectively on our choices to enable us avoid the path of destruction and cling to the path of progress with a renewed commitment to national unity. In the wise words of Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, we must stop, look and listen! We have arrived at a crossroad! Which way Ghana?”
In a statement issued on Tuesday, June 11, 2013, Dr. Abu Sakara said he hopes the Court case ends soon, adding that: “Its conclusion can also have only one of two possible outcomes: either carry on to live with the president we have now, or we prepare ourselves for another election of a sort yet to be determined”.
“In either case, we must warn ourselves to be more careful in future and take some sensible measures to reform our electoral process and acquaint ourselves properly with its complex procedures, which have many grey areas for use of good judgment,” he counseled.
The Agriculture Economist noted that: “As we reflect upon the choices we must make, we need to understand why certain issues seem to arouse so much passion in our society. We must also learn how to deal with these issues within reasonable bounds”.
He observed that: “The heady days of national fervour of the immediate post colonial period saw an unprecedented feeling of nationhood with a shared vision and common purpose. This state of affairs was, however, short lived because the political differences persisted and spilled over beyond reasonable bounds culminating in the first “coup d’ etat” in February 1966. The rest is history, but the reasons for our deep divisions that led to social and political turmoil remain the same (fundamental political differences that were not resolved within reasonable bounds and legitimate means)”.
According to him, the current election petition is an opportunity to “resolve our differences legitimately and within reasonable bounds for the sake of our common good. This court case (election petition) gives us one more try to get it right”.
“It is an opportunity to leave behind us the baggage of the past that has so sharply polarised our nation. Each and every one of us, politicians, judges, supporters and counselors have a duty to ensure that this time we get it right”.
He says: “to pass the test, we must hand over to the next generation a nation in tranquility and harmony”.
Dr. Sakara cautions that: “How we handle the aftermath of this court case will send a clear signal of our intent whether by acts of commission or omission. My appeal is to heal the nation and bind the wounds within our society. Let us all cooperate to proactively determine that we shall march forward on the path of progress, peace and prosperity”.
He noted that: “Those who claim that the court case had divided the nation have only now woken up, very late, to a pre-existing condition of the nation long before this election began. Right from our beginnings as a nation state our country has been sharply polarized and divided by one decision or another”.
