According to noble laureate, Wole Soyinka, “ the ruin of a land and its peoples begins in their homes”. The recent spate of violent revolutions round the globe which have yet to produce fruitful results reveals, however, that the ruins of a land and its people begins on social media. That is why when a person begins to make treasonable comments on facebook, as the Public Relations Officer of Airtel, Kwame Gyan, posted on his facebook wall on Friday, February 2014,it is bound to draw the ire of many peace loving Ghanaians.
On his face bookbook wall, Kwame Gyan, surreptitiously called for a violent overthrow of the Mahama government when he stated that he wished the violence that has led to the ovethrow of President Viktor Yanukovych of Ukraine will be replicated in Ghana.
“I wish we had guts like the people of Ukraine” he wrote on his facebook wall. The statement, as simple as it looks, is seen by many as tantamount to a call for the violent overthrow of the Mahama government.
President Viktor Yanukovych fled Kiev, the capital of Ukraine on Saturday following about twelve weeks of very violent protest against him. Parliament then voted to strip him of his title The protest began after the November 21, 2013 announcement by President Yanukovych's cabinet that it is abandoning an agreement that would strengthen trade ties with the EU, and will instead seek closer co-operation with Russia.
And yesterday, the Speaker Oleksander Turchynov, was named as interim president, completing the violent overthrow of President Yanukovych. It is this kind of violent overthrow of the Mahama government that Kwame Gyan is calling for when he stated that he wished Ghanaians “… had guts like the people of Ukraine”
The Airtel PRO’s latest posting on his facebook wall is coming on the heels of several comments he has posted attacking, ridiculing and insulting President Mahama and the government in general. Many, however, believe he has crossed the line of free speech in his latest post and thus expressed anger at his comments on his wall.
Replying to Kwame Gyan’s call to violence, versatile Ghanaian actress, Lydia Forson, posted; “… the mention of Ukraine only brings violence to mind. Perhaps you must have elaborated. Egypt went on a "non-violence demonstration” we all know how that ended. Libya ended up worse (just because you're sane doesn't mean every else won't turn it into something else) and for what? To destroy property and the country the demonstration was supposed to save? I still maintain that the problem with Ghana/Africa is not its leaders. It's the people, because the leaders are chosen from among us. Surely, our leaders are a reflection of who we are as a people. As individuals what are our contributions to the country? We constantly demand for what the country should do for us, but never what we should do for it. If all of us were more accountable, responsible and had a drive to see the country develop beyond what it is, we would elect people who would do the same because they would have the same ideology. We're a selfish country and each government that comes into power will always be about, ‘how does it benefit me’ as opposed to how does this benefit the country. Lastly, if we don't like who is in power, nothing they do will ever be good enough, because we are just waiting for a slip up; and if we have a favorite in power nothing they do is ever wrong. A lot of people deny doing this, but it's all in their behavior towards who is in power. This sums it up "Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country"
Kwame Gyan tried to counter Lydia Forson’s post when in his reaction to the actress’ comments, he said “… it's sad that Ukraine should sound violence. In fact, when I mentioned Ukraine what I had in mind was the demand for change which eventually brought change…”
But many more peace loving Ghanaians just could not believe that a Ghanaian would want Ghanaians to go the Ukraine way. Nii Koney, in his reaction on Kwame Gyan’s wall says “I think you do not understand what you are saying. You think taking to the streets would solve our problems? Have you looked at all those countries that took to the streets? Tell me which one has had its problems solved. Be careful what you wish for. You think Ghana's economy is the worse? Travel around”
George Spencer Quaye, in his reaction, stated that “This is the most distasteful and ill thought post from you kwame. Just check the comments. Same people who have agreed with you often times here on facebook. Just pull it down then we all pretend nothing like that was ever on your wall”
Others also expressed their outrage at Kwame Gyan’s comment. Alain Gbeasor, a Ghanaian livng in Ontario Canada writes that “…our strong faith as a people is what keeps us together....there have been wars all around us with less situations than ours......yet we stand tall as GHANAIANS.....when the numbers in the public service reduce, when our economy is given a manufacturing base and we begin all together to appreciate made in Ghana as quality and when our leaders begin to see governance as not the next election but rather a means of solving the ills and helping our people and are willing to lose an election to do the right thing then we would have arrived ...Until then any vigil which disrupts public order will lead to chaos , violence and anarchy…”
Kwame Gyan later tried to put up a defence by claiming that “I have not at any point in time advocated violence and I never will. All I have said is that we should choose our sacrifice. It could be foregoing a good lunch for several days while we keep vigil around Flagstaff House. The sacrifice could be having Ghanaians willing to protest without demanding 5 Cedis from organisers. We choose our sacrifice. We have talked enough and our politicians know that when Ghanaians talk and talk they will stop and when we go to them again they will vote us in. I don't know how this suggests violence.”
This latest comment from the Airtel PRO drew the ire of one Selasie Woanyah who asked him to state the sacrifice he has made or was going to make. He also asked Kwame Gyan to name the date and time he will make a sacrifice if he has not made one yet.
Selasie reminded him that “In Tunisia the Arab Spring started when ONE young man doused himself in gasoline and set himself ablaze; it was very dramatic and the President was chased out. That guy is a matyr now. That was his sacrifice. I await yours.” Selassie Woanyah, still incensed over the matter went on to challenge Kwame Gyan to “Seriously put your money where your mouth is. I wish to see you picketing at the Flagstaff House. That can be a start. It’s done at the White House every day. A small sacrifice compared to that orange seller's in Tunisia, don’t you think? But then again I can’t choose your sacrifice for you. I made my sacrifice the day I quit my well-paying job at the bank and took a huge pay cut to start a business that employs 40 people.”
Of course, some NPP extremists supported Kwame Gyan’s call to violence. One Francis Appiah Acquaye in his posting endorsed the call stating that “Ukraine is too far, Kwame. Just right here in North Africa we got plenty leads to follow. The trail has already been blazed”
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