25 YEARS OF DEMOCRACY – JULIUS LOGAS

Its surprising that we are so happy celebrating 25 years of democracy. Yes, democracy is 25 years in Ghana but what do we have to show apart from successful transfer of power from One political party to the other.

We are grateful to our Grandfathers for the struggle for Independence. And Grateful to our modern day democrats for adopting democracy as the way forward in building Mother Ghana. Moving into Democracy in 1992, what have we seen? From NDC and NPP….

People always say we have peace. What is Peace? As a student of International Peace and Security. I ask myself, are we really enjoying peace? Many scholars have defined peace in different terms due to how they understand peace or the society in which they find themselves in. I can say that the in Ghana we have no peace. From 1992 till now what we claim to have enjoyed is MIND MADE PEACE. where you claim to have peace because someone told u, u have peace. Peace in a democracy where u cant speak ur mind because ur Government is not in power, peace in a country where people are being killed and autopsy report can’t be traced? Are we saying supporters of CPP, PNC, PPP, GCPP, will never work in Ghana? Because in the history of the 4th Republic their party has never won any General Elections before? Peace in a country where President can appoint but footsoldiers will disappoint the appointee by taking him out of office? Peace in a country where Judges salute and kiss the President’s shoes? Peace in a country where the police will always suppress members of the opposition party? Peace in a country where members of the ruling party are more powerful than state security apparatus? Peace in a country where civil servants will be sacked because their perceived to be in a different political party?

Corruption from 1992 till now has been extremely difficult to deal with. I ask myself in Ghana today who is not corrupt? From the President to the market woman, who is not corrupt? This is apolitical and we must all begin to accept the fact that the democracy we are practising is THIRD WAVE DEMOCRACY. We accept Democracy but we left advantages of democracy elsewhere and brought its disadvantages into Ghana. What is the essence of democracy if i cant speak my mind because my party is not in power? Are we not all Ghanaians? What is the essence of democracy when i cant have the opportunity to work at a government sector because my party is in opposition? What is the essence of democracy when people have made up their minds to always find faults or to always defend faults of their government. We are practising third wave democracy not democracy. DESPOTISM PERSIST WHEN IT GOES UNPROTESTED. So people in their quest to protest, democracy must not give chance to power holders to victimise protesters because democracy doesn’t frown on legal protest.

In everything we have to gives thanks to God for how far He has brought us as a people. Jerry John Rawlings, John Agyekum Kuffour, Prof. John Evans Fiifi Atta Mills(late), John Dramani Mahama and now Nana Addo Danquah Akuffo Addo, all i can say to our leaders is GOD BLESS YOU ALL. Yes, am still not happy and satisfied with where Ghana is after 25 years of democracy but i cant also underestimate the fact that something has been achieved.

The Country Ghana needs more transparency and hard working Youth to get to the promised land. Ghana can gain the heights of Canada, Germany, America etc if we stop or minimise corruption and concentrate in building our country than building our pockets. Ghana will be there when we give chance to MERITOCRACY to supersede GERONTOCRACY. Ghana will surely get there when we set our priorities right and have a National Agenda to focus on National building rather than Political party manifesto. Democracy is speedily becoming very expensive. Our people have lost hope in us, so they see politics as an avenue to extract money from the politician, the politician also sees his political office as an avenue to loot the state. ARE WE PRACTISING DEMOCRACY?

We are here today because we were there yesterday and expected to move there tomorrow. If yesterday was experience, today is experiment then tomorrow is expectation. Let’s embrace democracy to help Build a better Ghana. Lets understand the fact that we are Ghanaians because we have a task or duty of building Ghana. Lets focus on what we have to build what we want. Lets not forget that the first day you get to know something is wrong that day is the day of rectification.

GOD BLESS US ALL

JULIUS LOGASS

Ghanapoliticsonline.com