As we draw to the final stages of campaigns for Election 2024, the political actors have stepped up their activities.
The election cycle does not only deepen our governance architecture, it promotes businesses in party paraphernalia and other merchandise. If anyone attempts to demonise our choice for democracy, such a person should be greeted with the popular protestations, “away, away.”
The key gain that our democratic journey has brought on board is the peace and stability we continue to enjoy.
And as we inch towards Election 2024, these areas and the hate speeches of some politicians must be watched carefully by the National Peace Council, the chiefs, the clergy and the National Security Secretariat.
All the political parties, particularly the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) have an election to win, but we have to keep the peace and stability of the country.
The utterances from the corridors of some of the political actors, especially from John Mahama and his NDC leaders are meant to stoke the fire and create conducive environment for violence and jeopardise the peace and stability of Ghana, the beacon of hope for the African continent ravaged by war, disease and poverty.
Recent events indicate that some of the politicians no longer believe in the ballot box, but they want to use violent means to ascend the throne of President of the Republic.
It started with the mere expression of dissatisfaction with a provisional voters’ register that ended in demonstrations across the country by the NDC.
Ironically, when Omane Boamah was given the space to state the NDC’s case on national television, he failed woefully to the disappointment of the NDC foot soldiers.
Having failed to use the provisional voters’ register to make the NPP government unpopular, the NDC in alliance with some civil society groups such as the Media Coalition Against Galamsey, Organised Labour, University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG), and the Catholic Bishops decided to use an old crusade, anti-galamsey fight to give a campaign message to the NDC.
The demands, include a call on the government to ban an illegal endeavour, because galamsey is illegal, declaration of a state of emergency and a ban on small scale mining to make the country ungovernable. While the illegal miners are in the belly of forests mining, the so-called civil society groups besiege Accra demanding action from the government or they will turn their back to their workplaces.
Now that it appears Ghanaians have refused to rally behind actions to destabilise the country, the NDC has turned to other acts that may even disorganise the upcoming elections. John Mahama and the NDC have never agreed with the Jean Mensa-led Electoral Commission (EC), and use every opportunity to tell its supporters that the ruling NPP and the EC are doing everything to rig the elections.
The NDC knows what it is saying is a palpable lie but instead of stepping up its efforts to win the hearts of the electorate, it has chosen the path of propaganda.
The NDC now relies on the Prophets of Baal and opinion pollsters like Mussa Dankwah’s Global Info Analytics to play on the minds of the people. What the NDC and its groups don’t know is that, Ghanaians are more discerning now and they will not follow false prophets and unreliable pollsters to make a choice on December 7.
We think the people know that the December 7 elections are about their future prosperity and those of their children and not a gamble that can “reset” Ghana backwards.
We do not doubt the capabilities of the National Security Minister, Albert Kan-Daapah and his National Security Team. He has to step up his acts and whip the team into line to deal with those who want to derail the peace and stability of the country.
Already, some characters such as Kwaku Boahen are stoking the fire in the galamsey sites. Kan-Daapah, such characters must be watched carefully so that once again the December polls will offer the people the choice to decide who rules Ghana after President Akufo-Addo.
