I beg to differ!

I have heard calls from all angles admonishing the winning party, NDC to shut the f%^k up and sit somewhere while issues emanating from the recent elections were trashed out but it doesn’t make sense to me. Everybody should know by now that winning in any endeavor of our lives does not just come out of the blues. It takes ample and thorough preparations to emerge a winner, so for someone one to put in all this work, only to be gagged and abused after winning makes me cringe and sad for us as a people who claim we are one people.

It is alright when a Gen. Sec of a political party comes to declare results, asking supporters and members to wear white, white and start jubilation but it is wrong and almost becoming criminal for the declared winners to jubilate.

Barely 24hrs after the declaration of results by the EC Boss, Dr. Afari Gyan, announcing the President elect, John Dramani Mahama, I saw people asking others to move on with their lives because elections were over and others ushering in Christmas already because they were tired of politics but I must say that, it is hypocrisy at the highest level. Why did you choose to get yourself involved in the first place? Why did you join a queue to vote if your life meant that much to you? So you could participate by discussing and commenting on activities prior to the run up in your homes, offices, vehicles and could queue up to vote and later flip through T.V. and Radio channels just to be abreast with results but not ready for the consequences of your participation? Well!

Then followed the Akan’s and some, unidentified, who had the moral high grounds to lump all the Northerners, the Gas, the Fantes and most especially the Ewes for voting on tribal lines and I was to think that voting was based on issues. People are quick to tell you that you are whipping tribal sentiments when they sat through and couldn’t tell those who were always hurling stones from glass houses to desist.

Another group had the effrontery to label the aforementioned as poor and how much they had lost the opportunity to be educated free of charge. Apart from the political will of a leader to initiate and implement policies, it is the tax-payers money that will be used to finance the policies, so why do I feel like all NPP members would actually contribute some of the earnings to make this a reality? Why do I feel like they are all educated and only want to fete the eight regions where the President elect, John Mahama won?

The logic has even lost on me because I don’t understand why some group of people should be throwing tantrums, vandalizing properties and almost holding the nation to ransom because they offered something free that was rejected. If the reason for all these outbursts and entrenched stance is as a result of the free offer, then I am sorry to say that, all they meant to say is, they are fine as a people and are cool paying the fees. But if there are other reasons beyond that, then issues must be directed to the appropriate quarters for proper redress.

Among the policies and proposals that were tabled before the people, they chose what they deemed a priority and that doesn’t mean the rejected policy was not good in itself.  First and foremost, the people want recognition and respect from the people from the other divide. They don’t want be seen as inferior and don’t want to be insulted at any least provocation. You could insult and taunt people for their level of impoverishness, but to insult them on the basis of where they hail from is an insult to God because we usually don’t have any influence on where and who gives birth to us. You can’t always proclaim God and hate on your Sister or Brother because that is not what God has taught us. Why then do we decry racism? Is it sheer hypocrisy or a case of what is good for the gander being wrong for the goose?

Definitely, we all cannot be on one side so it stands that we belong to different parties hence the need to even lobby, campaign and rein in people to vote, and some are just sympathizers just like you watch two neutral teams play, yet you throw your weight behind one which does not necessarily mean that you are a Supporter. Even that our feelings change and we change too. We have seen big whips cross carpet to other parties but one thing remains and I am very, very sure that we can’t change where we come from.

Once you are born an Akan, an Ewe, a Ga, a Krobo or a Japanese, you will remain as such till you die even if you assimilate in a culture that is worlds apart from your descent. I have friends all over the world; some by virtue of attending same schools, some church, programmes, meetings, being in a neighborhood and I don’t find out where they hailed from before becoming friends with them.

Some even go beyond race and some are international friends, so why should I be petty by limiting myself to tribal territories when I am actually living in the Universe and not Ghana? You will even admit that you have touted the global village mantra before, so why look so inward when it matters?

I am no one thing because I am an evolving and a progressive being. I am who you figure me out to be because as a product, I have different messages for the different markets I find myself in, and I like being objective. I like to say my mind and say it as it is because hypocrisy is a canker and a menace to society and I also believe it is why the world is so immersed in deceit.

We have at least recognized 46 languages as a nation and 9 are taught in Ghanaian Schools and different minerals deposited in different regions of the nation which must integrate us, rather than disintegrating us. There are so many inter-ethnic marriages and so many people finding themselves in other regions other than theirs, due to migration, work and what have you, so being narcissistic and ethnocentric is not the way forward. 

Ghana has chalked successes on the international scene in Politics, Sports, Health and other distinguishing facets of life as a Ghanaian team and not as ethnic groups. Ethnocentrism is a disorder and every one must desist from it because it does not make you see any good in others, and it limits your world view and outlook. See yourself as an individual rather than being important by association because at the end of the day, you are on your own and still unique.

If our politics were devoid of corruption, amassing of wealth for even generations to come, there would not be any need for all these unnecessary pursuits because everyone would have been feted and living in peace and harmony, no one would have even cared because we are certain that everything will play out well and this are the things we should be fighting against as a people. Hurling insults and fighting among ourselves would only encourage the Politicians to make his divide and rule theory come to pass as though we are not victims already.

What I want is people not being used by Politicians to extend their wicked plans of further dividing a hitherto people who are divided by territorial lines, gender, ambitions, creed and ideals. I want people to do Politics dispassionately not by virtue of where they hail from or whom they know because Ghana is bigger than any one party and that is the only way, we can leave a good Ghana in the hands of generations to come unless you are preparing to denounce your nationality. I want people to ignore politicians to their fate and make them realize that the sole aim of governance is to reach out to the people and most of all I want every Ghanaian to be each other’s brother keeper!