Ghana Wins!

December '08

All to often I have complained about the negative "smiling n suffering"  mentality I have come to know in Ghanaians.  It seemed like Ghanaians would take anything at all, accepting the hikes in petroleum in silence, enduring the title of Highly Indebted without shame and even looking the other way when our government spent our tax money in flagrantly foolish ways.  But what I didn't realize, until just now, is how deep still waters run. 

The ruling party spared no money in their campaign.  You could not go one mile, anywhere in Ghana, without seeing their cheeky candidate, gleaming from a poster or bill-board.  Money and t-shirts were handed out to "supporters" who joined the bandwagon and lulled them into believing they could simply fool the people once again.  That $5 would make them forget about the constant power outages, the expensive cost of sending their children to "free" school, or the conditions of our health system, though always applauded by government, never patronised by them! Psyche!!!

The party that was booted out was the same party (NPP) that worked with the C.I.A. to overthrow Nkrumah.  The same ones that gave a petro-bomb to school children, to be given to Nkrumah, only to kill several children.  It is that devilish nature within the party that most people feared, but the opposition (NDC) played them masterfully.  Rather than be drawn into confrontation or encouraging the people to respond to the injustices in the election process, the opposition simply sealed all leaks and made it impossible for a democratic coup.  Soldiers in fatigue were stopped from carrying out direct orders to disrupt affairs, tapped phone lines were aired on radio, revealing evil designs intended by the ruling party and many stooges were shamed for their parts in seeking to draw blood from the life line of our nation.  But it must be said, they tried.  Never have I witnessed such blatant manipulation of the law, such vagrant threats to the people nor such power-hungry savages as I witnessed in the throes of this election.  BBC is lying, it was not a close race.  The first round was won by the opposition, clearly.  Ghanaians don't vote one party for parliament and another for president, but somehow the opposition swept the parliament seats but didn't quite win the presidential seat?  And then, when in the second round the results revealed that the ruling party lost in 8 out of 10 regions, they cried foul and wanted to impose an injunction on the Electoral Commission to stop him from reading the final results.  The former district attorney and NPP candidate, Nana Akfu Addo, ever gifted with the gift of gab, spoke on and on about the rule of law.  When all efforts to steal the presidency failed and he could do no more than lick his wounds, the ruling party conceded defeat, but ever the lawyer, threatened to further the matter in court.  One might even be led to feel sorry for the incumbents. I mean, with all that oil money just around the corner and the gargantuan palace they just built to supplement the Presidents other two palaces, it seems almost unfair.  They were just getting accustomed to their power and its benefits, only to dictated by their subjects, to release it and return the holes from which they came.

Even NPP supporters spoke out against their leader's insolence, at the possible expense of Ghana's prized peace.  In fact, had it not been for the mature, level minds of Ghanaians this could have easily escalated into a Kenya.  Never have I been more proud of Ghana, not only did they exercise the power of the ballet but also exemplified the wisdom of a nation. The people have voted and elected John Atta Mills as President of Ghana, a former professor at the University of Legon and the former Vice President to ex-President, Flt. Lt. Jerry Rawlings.  Ghana's fate now resides in the hands of a humble, simple man whom we trust will avoid the drunken madness associated with power and employ his vast experience and knowledge for the betterment of this beloved nation.  It certainly feels like a new day!