the President paid a courtesy call on the Chief of Nkoransa on the second day of his accounting to the people tour in the Brong Ahafo Region.One of the pastors who graced the occasion,addressed the gathering before the President spoke and dazzled all present with his first statement that;
the President behaves like a real "village boy".You could see eagerness and uneasiness written on the faces of the elders who thought the man of God was going to create serious disaffection. Then the pastor proceeded;
"There are three meanings behind responsible citizenship. The first is that citizens, both in the political and the social sphere, act not because of terror or pressure but because he responsibly chooses to do so. Secondly, that he has got alternatives between which he can choose.
Thirdly,that he is called on to take an active part in fulfilling the decision he takes. Here we begin to see the importance of the distinction made at beginning between the State and the community. http://ghanapoliticsonline.com
In a sense, everybody in Ghana is politically minded because they have to vote, they have to wear party T-shirts, they have to join party associations, they have to come out on political parades and they have to put out party flags for spontaneous celebrations. Does that make them responsible citizens? I have centred my address on this premise because of the growing deceits engulfing our politics and refusal by persons ordained by God to help shape our society to sincerely state the facts as they are. I said the President behaves like a village boy not in derogatory term but using that figuratively.
His actions and projects implemented as well as places he has focused his developmental agenda shows that he deeply understands the situation of our rural communities. He acts like someone who was groomed in the village and tasted what we term "real village life".
The people of Derma for instance see themselves as coming out from decades of social enslavement with the establishment of the Community Day Secondary School, the extension of electricity to the place and the the ongoing vigorous road construction going on in the area.
I have live there before so could accurately predict the feeling across. We are allowing tribalism to bury our perfect sense of judgement and unfortunately for our society, some men of God have joined and allowed themselves to be used as conduits for its propagation. There are many signs in the old Testament on a way of thinking about God as a mysteriously powerful person who looks after his special people. He expresses men's devotion to their special social group. There is a very striking example in the seventeenth chapter of 1 Kings, where the writer was describing the religion of the Samaritans.
The assyrians and Nazi Germany had followed a long and unrelenting career of conquest from Euphrates to Palestine. They had beaten one after another many small people in what is now Syria till finally they conquered northern Israel and took its capital Samaria.
Tribalism is a dangerous phenomenon which must be banished permanently from our society. When people from Syria with their special God's settled down in Samaria they were troubled by lions and they concluded that jehovah, the God of Samaria had sent the lion.This is what we seeing today in Ghana.We turn to blame innocent souls for our plights and hang them when they attempt to take us out of the deplorable condition. As a young pastor coming up under The Great Akwasi Sarpong's tutelage, I saw how the Catholic Church defied all odds and vigorously fought dictatorships in Ghana.
I saw how political administrators made funfair with our taxes and how they posed arrogantly when called upon to account to the people. Growing up in my village in the Adansi area, I was made to understand that darkness was part of man's life for after all God commanded darkness and light. Dusty roads were acceptable and quack medical officers injected the whole community with the same stringe for six months and will change it for us after visiting the nearest city.
Mr President, continue with your goodworks and never expect your apportioned reward from the people. God will continue to make you great but I will advise you to be steadfast the rest of the years ahead.
Your humility has been your strength, making you the hero of our time.The calm and respectful composure of your appointees shows how effective you've been as a leader. Ghana is not a failed state and Ghana is not retrogressing under your watch. On the contrary, Derma and other hitherto neglected towns have bounced back to glory under your administration. The reality of our time is that, we been kept under socio-economic repression for far too long. They've kept us hungry for centuries so as you start sharing the food, you brother suddenly becomes your enemy because of the stronger survives theory ".
By-Ohenenana Obonti Krow
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