Stop Saying Why Should I Demonstrate For NDC To Come And Enjoy? Oliver Baker Replies Ghanaians

It’s been a while since I wrote a long missive; so bear with me on this. So, one of the things that have always struck me, is how stomach-directed we are as Ghanaians; and the poverty of principles and values that direct why people take certain actions.

One of the strangest things I continue to contend with is the many of you who undermine the utility of activism and our standing up against power because we won’t benefit directly.

People say to me all the time, “don’t you know that it is the NDC that will come and enjoy all your hard work.” Or “Why should I come and demonstrate so the NDC enjoys.”

The idea that I should defer my duty of citizenship; that I should be more cowed in confronting those that oppress and impoverish us, just because if I do, another person and not me will enjoy strikes me as what is at the core of why political parties can take us for granted for so long.

It is in our self-interest to die in poverty rather than facilitate another to be free of it. 

The idea is that my willingness to stand up to power should crumble so that I don’t facilitate another “enjoyment”. Even the idea that we see public office as “enjoyment.” Those are the things that set us apart in our tolerance of mediocrity and abuse of power. 

We are selfish people. Inner thieves who await our plunder. It is why I continue being accused of being “Mahama’s boy”. It is why Martin Kpebu, after also becoming frustrated with the state of affairs of this country decides to organize a demonstration and all of is sudden, he is being accused of courting cheap popularity and having a hidden plot to become an NDC MP in Kpandai. A place he has never been or seen before.

We say those things because we cannot fathom why a Cambridge doctoral candidate will jeopardize his education and speak up in the face of a ruthless regime. The maths doesn’t compute for you because you have been raised to value the self over the communal. 

So I accept that no values run this town. And still, I will show up at the November 5 Demonstration which is why I will also call on you to donate to make our just cause a reality.

Content created and supplied by: BATACH (via Opera
News )