Editorial
Ghanaians Must Stop Politicising Every Arrest
Dear Editor,
In Ghana, it appears that the moment a prominent politician is arrested or convicted, we fail to ask of the person’s offence but rather think of the person’s political affiliation.
Taking the recent 20-year imprisonment handed to New Patriotic Party (NPP) Ashanti regional chairman, Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi has once again exposed this troubling culture.
An Accra high court convicted him on illegal-mining related charges and sentenced him to 20 years in prison. The NPP has since announced its intention to appeal the conviction.
What concerns me is not whether one belongs to the NPP or the NDC, what concern me is our growing tendency to attach a political identity to every arrest, investigation or court judgment. If an NPP member is arrested, some immediately say the NDC government is targeting the opposition. If an NDC member faces legal trouble the same argument will easily be reversed when political circumstances change.
We must ask ourselves; Are we defending justice or are we simply depending on our political colours? Political affiliation should never determine whether we believe a person deserves investigation, prosecution or a fair trial. If someone is accused of wrongdoing the proper institution must investigate, the court must determine guilt and the accused must have the right to challenge the decision through legal process.
Ghana cannot build a strong democracy if every criminal investigation becomes a political battle. Let us learn to separate politics from justice, a wrongdoing does not become right because the accused belong to your party and an accusation does not become true simply because the person belong to the opposing party.
Our loyalty should first be Ghana, the rule of the law and justice not to political colors.
From Desmond Yaw Frimpong
Pentecost University
Dear Sir/Madam,
I am writing to draw the attention of the authorities to the deplorable state of the road at Bortianor Hills in the Ga South Municipality, and the serious effect it is having on our environment and our health.
The road has been in a terrible condition for years. It is full of deep potholes, gullies and loose stones. When it rains, the entire stretch becomes muddy, flooded and completely impassable. Cars get stuck, school children wade through dirty water to get to school, and pregnant women and the sick struggle to get to hospital.
When it is dry, the situation is even worse. The dust is unbearable. It covers our homes, our food, our clothes and our shops. We breathe this dust every day. Many residents, especially children and the elderly, are now suffering from cough, catarrh, asthma and eye infections.
What pains us most is that some time ago, a contractor came and applied only the first coat on portions of the road and then left. Since then, there has been no improvement. That first coat has already been washed away by the rains. In fact, the road is now worse than it was before, because the loose gravel and the broken edges have created more dust and more erosion.
The environment is suffering too. Because of the bad road, tanker trucks and heavy vehicles that bring us water and building materials have further destroyed what is left of it. The drains are choked, rainwater has no proper channel, and erosion is eating into people’s plots and foundations. The dust and noise have killed the peace of this once quiet community.
Bortianor Hills is a fast-growing community. People are building, paying taxes, paying property rates and contributing to national development. We do not deserve to live in this condition.
We are therefore appealing to the Ga South Municipal Assembly, the Department of Urban Roads, and the Ministry of Roads and Highways to come back and complete the road. If a contract was awarded, let it be enforced. If the contractor has abandoned site, let a new one be engaged. Silence is not acceptable.
Good roads are not a luxury. They are life, health and dignity.
Resident,
A significant shift in Ghana’s diaspora policy is highlighted by the first Open D.O.O.R. Dialogues, which move the emphasis from transient heritage tourism, such as the 2019 Year of Return, to a planned, 10-year framework for long-term repatriation and economic integration.
Although the project highlights the African diaspora’s enormous developmental potential, the conversations reveal a persistent conflict between high-level political goodwill and the practical, bureaucratic reality that returnees must deal with.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs correctly notes that the diaspora is more than just seasonal tourists; it is an important source of investment, innovation, and talent transfer.
According to Dr. Collins Rawlings Nyunyonyame, institutional fragmentation rather than a lack of motivation is the main obstacle to sustainable return. Long-term settlement is deliberately discouraged when potential returns confront unclear bureaucratic procedures across many agencies, such as immigration, foreign affairs, and diaspora affairs.
A crucial operational step is the demand for a centralised platform for diaspora opportunities and efficient collaboration. Grand policies run the risk of failing at the implementation phase if there are no clear, uniform processes for citizenship, business registration, and property acquisition.
Ghana can increase local industries, close skills gaps in specialised fields, and attract foreign direct investment by drawing in wealthy or highly qualified diasporans. The state must, however, strike a balance between these incentives to avoid unintentionally marginalising locals, especially in highly competitive industries like urban real estate.
In order to feel like they belong and have the chance to “Build Home,” returnees need civic security and legal clarity. Practical deterrents include things like complicated land tenure regimes, friction between dual citizenship, and expensive import charges on personal belongings.
The shift from a “Year of Return” to a “Decade of Repatriation” necessitates extensive integration at the community level. For repatriation to be successful, everyday economic and social partnerships between returnees and local communities must take precedence over scholarly and ministerial discussions.
The Open D.O.O.R. Dialogues accurately point out that emotional appeal is insufficient for the next stage of diaspora engagement. Ghana’s policy needs to change from cultural welcoming to a highly organised, seamless institutional ecosystem if the concept “Come Home. Stay Home. Build Home.” is to become a reality.
