Features
Why vilify Jean Mensa? (Final part)
Jean Mensa & John Mahama
There is no doubt that Ghanaians are very proud of themselves as people who hail from a noble country and would therefore not want any group of non-Ghanaians to sneak into the country and vote alongside Ghanaians in national elections.
Elections help to decide on the preferences of people as far as the management of a country is concerned. If the election is entrusted to the hands of leaders who are not competent enough to meet the challenges of the times, it will be difficult to make progress as far as socioeconomic development is concerned. This explains why it is wrong to allow non-Ghanaians to take advantage of the voting system to decide on the future of the country.
If things go well, the world will praise Ghanaians as hardworking people, but if the country fails in its socioeconomic development, Ghanaians will be seen by the world as disappointing and as a group of people incapable of managing their own affairs.
At independence, the first national leader made it clear that Ghanaians were now prepared to manage their own affairs. If Ghanaians are prepared to manage their own affairs, then they ought to be allowed to do so in an honest and peaceful manner.
In light of all this, is anyone justified in the vilification of Mrs. Jean Mensa?
When Mr. John Mahama and his team went to court to challenge the results of the 2020 election, they insisted that the EC Chair be brought into the witness box to answer certain questions. The Supreme Court judges, however, felt that this was unnecessary because the NDC had not been able to justify its position. Even non-lawyers who followed the case realised that the NDC itself did not have any evidence to prove its case.
They had decided to go to court as a way of calming down their agitated supporters. Against this background, the party should be very careful about how it conducts itself in all future elections. The use of force and the absence of respect for opponents during elections would not help matters in any way.
What Ghanaians are prepared to hear are programmes that would transform their lives and attain higher levels of socioeconomic development? All parties must therefore take this advice and behave well during elections.
Again, quite recently, Dr. Bossman Asare and some EC officials went to parliament in response to a request by the legislative body for an interaction with them. On arrival, the parliamentarians asked them to go back, explaining that it was Madam Jean Mensa herself that they wanted to meet. All this was about the intended CI, which seeks to make the Ghana Card the only form of identification for voter registration.
As has been pointed out already, voter registration will not be a general one but rather a limited form of registration. This limited registration will give an opportunity to those who have just attained the age of 18 and want to register as voters. In the light of all this, it is clear that the EC means well and should be supported by all Ghanaians. If any group of people means well, they will quickly have to revise their notes to ensure that they have good intentions but not to be antagonistic and force their will on the country, whether right or wrong.
As has been pointed out already, the NDC should go back to the IPAC and take part in every deliberation so that they can make very strong arguments against things they do not support. In doing that, they must be well informed that they are doing so with the other political parties in the interest of the country. The use of intimidation in the form of “akakabensem”, “atuotuosem”, “bugabuga”, etc, will not work in this country.
Let us decide to do what is right for the country. Ghana is the only country for Ghanaians, so let us work hard and do well to preserve its dignity.
We must establish our country as a unique nation that is moving towards rapid socioeconomic development to enhance the welfare of the people. No one will come to Ghana to do this for us, so the earlier we put our heads together to do this for ourselves for the progress of the country, the better it would be.
It is programmes of development that are needed to convince people to vote in a certain way. This means that Ghanaians must feel free to make their choices based on alternative programmes that are presented to them. These programmes of development must be credible and acceptable to the people. If this is the case, then a major challenge facing political parties is the design of good products that will influence people to move to a certain area as far as voting is concerned.
There may be serious economic challenges today, but these can be well embraced by people who understand the issue at hand and will be prepared to support a government even in the face of certain challenges.
Let us come together as a people to streamline our behaviour and let the rest of the world know that we have come of age and are prepared to conduct ourselves in a mature way without unleashing needless attacks on people who have the responsibility to handle the election management body in the country.
Email address/whatsApp number of author:
Pradmat201@gmail.com (0553318911)
BY DR. KOFI AMPONSAH-BEDIAKO
One of the issues we have been grappling with as a nation is corruption, and it has had such a devastating effect on our national development. I have been convinced that until morality becomes the foundation upon which our governance system is built, we can never go forward as a nation.
Our traditional practices, which have shaped our cultural beliefs, have always espoused values that have kept us along the straight and the narrow and have preserved our societies since ancient times.
These are values that frown on negative habits like stealing, cheating, greediness, selfishness, etc. Our grandparents have told us stories of societies where stealing was regarded as so shameful that offenders, when caught, have on a number of instances committed suicide.
In fact, my mother told me of a story where a man who was living in the same village as her mother (my grandmother), after having been caught stealing a neighbour’s cockerel, out of shame committed suicide on a mango tree. Those were the days that shameful acts were an abomination.
Tegare worship, a traditional spiritual worship during which the spirit possesses the Tegare Priest and begins to reveal secrets, was one of the means by which the society upheld African values in the days of my grandmother and the early childhood days of my mother.
Those were the days when the fear of being killed by Tegare prevented people from engaging in anti-social vices. These days, people sleeping with other people’s wives are not uncommon.
These wrongful behaviour was not countenanced at all by Tegare. One was likely going to lose his life on days that Tegare operates, and so unhealthy habits like coveting your neighbour’s wife was a taboo.
Stealing of other people’s farm produce, for instance, could mean certain death or incapacitation of the whole or part of the body in the full glare of everybody. People realised that there were consequences for wrongdoing, and this went a long way to motivate the society to adhere to right values.
Imagine a President being sworn into office and whoever administers the oath says, “Please say this after me: I, Mr. …., do solemnly swear by God, the spirits of my ancestors and the spirits ruling in Ghana, that should I engage in corrupt acts, may I and my family become crippled, may madness become entrenched in my family, may incurable sicknesses and diseases be my portion and that of my family, both immediate and extended.”
Can you imagine a situation where a few weeks afterwards the President goes to engage in corrupt acts and we hear of his sudden demise or incapacitation and confessing that he engaged in corrupt acts before passing or before the incapacitation—and the effect it will have on his successor? I believe we have to critically examine this option to curb corruption.
My grandmother gave me an eyewitness account of one such encounter where a woman died instantly after the Tegare Priest had revealed a wrong attitude she had displayed during the performance on one of the days scheduled for Tegare spirit manifestation.
According to her story, the Priest, after he had been possessed by the spirit, declared that for what the woman had done, he would not forgive her and that he would kill. Instantly, according to my grandmother, the lady fell down suddenly and she died—just like what happened to Ananias and his wife Sapphira in Acts Chapter 5.
NB: ‘CHANGE KOTOKA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT TO KOFI BAAKO
By Laud Kissi-Mensah
Join our WhatsApp Channel now!
https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbBElzjInlqHhl1aTU27
Emotional distortions can indeed have a profound impact on an individual’s mental health and well-being. These distortions can lead to a range of negative consequences, including anxiety, depression, and impaired relationships.
Emotional surgery is a therapeutic approach that aims to address and heal emotional wounds, traumas, and blockages. This approach recognises that emotional pain can have a profound impact on an individual’s quality of life and seeks to provide a comprehensive and compassionate approach to healing.
How emotional surgery can help
Emotional surgery can help individuals:
Identify and challenge negative thought patterns: By becoming aware of emotional distortions, individuals can learn to challenge and reframe negative thoughts.
Develop greater emotional resilience: Emotional surgery can help individuals develop the skills and strategies needed to manage their emotions and respond to challenging situations.
Improve relationships: By addressing emotional wounds and promoting emotional well-being, individuals can develop more positive and healthy relationships with others.
The benefits of emotional surgery
The benefits of emotional surgery can include:
Improved mental health outcomes: Emotional surgery can help individuals reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression.
Enhanced relationships: Emotional surgery can help individuals develop more positive and healthy relationships with others.
Increased self-awareness: Emotional surgery can help individuals develop a deeper understanding of themselves and their emotions.
A path towards healing
Emotional surgery offers a promising approach to addressing emotional distortions and promoting emotional well-being. By acknowledging the impact of emotional pain and seeking to provide a comprehensive and compassionate approach to healing, individuals can take the first step towards recovery and improved mental health.
Join our WhatsApp Channel now!
https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbBElzjInlqHhl1aTU27
BY ROBERT EKOW GRIMMOND-THOMPSON
