Essay: Government`s three priorities: Dangers from Committee for Jerry's Ambitions (CJA) and other sources…
| Posted: Tuesday, April 26, 2005
May be it is about time we redefined what the national interest is. When the ADM announced obvious security threats in an earlier issue, those of us living outside Ghana became worried.
Worried not because we did not believe the story but rather because we knew the story was to be believed.
Reactions, including one from a Shaibu Mahama dismissed the story as coming from a familiar source. We later understand that an FM station in Accra even ridiculed the story.
So it came to pass that the Saruwura was kidnapped not by people from within but by Ivorian rebels supposedly with the active complicity of a Ghanaian military officer. Does the name of the military officer offer any clue as to the likely source of supply of bandits for a dawn broadcast? Apologies, Prof Yankah. ADM vindicated? That will be understating their efforts. The reality in the matter is that it appears we have all been fooled into thinking that Security is an exogenous variable and thus given freely. Whilst we need to commend the ADM for its "Ghanaianness" it appears the Government is yet to fully appreciate the magnitude of the security threats looming. We need to remind the Government that its THREE priorities should be SECURITY, SECURITY AND SECURITY. Nothing more; nothing less.
When the Committee for Jerry's Ambitions (CJA) embarked on its needless confrontations (ridiculously clothed as democratic demonstrations) we saw from the beginning that other things were to follow. His gargantuan appetite for imposition has never been in doubt. Even in the democratic box, he imposes via Swedru. In the light of this impressive CV from our husband (who has not gone mad anyway) do we need to pretend that all is well in the name of democracy?
The dilemma is worsened by the fact that a lot of stooges gleefully dance around the hero as if they have exemption from an inferno that might engulf us all.
Who is the Ghanaian now? Our definition is "all those who are against the forces of destabilisation". Adam Smith, as early as the 17th century recognized that a growth agenda need not be long and complex and listed peace among other determinants. We will only prosper if we have absolute peace and perhaps we will then be in a position to deliver free petrol, the CJA way.
A friend whispered to me that it appears the petrol dummy is being pursued religiously by forces who lived on free petrol for 2 decades. It then becomes a difficult thing to begin to pay for petrol in a non petrol producing nation such as ours.
The intentions are clear and we now call for a new Ghanaian.
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