I used to be West Africa representative of a reputable company in the Middle East, and when a director of the company visited me in Ghana on several ocassions between 2012 and 2015, he repeatedly told me how safe my country was. What amazed him was the fact that one could walk around as late as 12 p.m. without any danger, something uncommon in most countries, according to him.
Peace is a precious commodity that shouldn’t be taken for granted. I have a faint memory of Dr. Busia’s government, but I have a vivid recollection of what happened in General Kutu Acheampong’s time till today in terms of security.
There have been times in the past when filling stations could not operate beyond 7 p.m. for fear of armed robbery. There have been times when highway robbery was rife; there have been times when chieftaincy disputes and clashes between ethnic groups were common; there have been times that raping of our girls and women was frequent.
Can you imagine taking years to acquire property just for you to be robbed of all of them within minutes?
But in my assessment, there hasn’t been a time Ghana has been peaceful than we had under the leadership of President John Dramani Mahama. He skillfully put our country together during his reign.
We can hate President Mahama, but that can never change the fact that the people of Ghana enjoyed unprecedented peace under his tenure as president. Why should we loathe a good man because of politics. What at all do we want in this world?
Dido puts it nicely in her “Life for Rent”: if life is for rent and you don’t learn how to buy it, then you deserve nothing more than you get because life is for rent and nothing you have is truly yours.
Our peace can never be compromised; and as we go to the polls in 2024, two choices stare us in the face – peace and insecurity. A vote for President John Dramani Mahama is a vote for peace. Ponder over it. I leave you with Dido’s “Life for Rent”.
Anthony Obeng Afrane
