GHANAIAN POLITICS OF TRIVIALISM

I am a bit concerned about Ghana. It is the reign of double standards! People are always making comparisons and justifications! People are always making excuses! Whenever I read the comments from readers, I am a bit taken aback! Whenever I read comments on features of other writers, I am generally disappointed!

Let us call a spade, a spade! Enough of the comparison! It is disappointing, when people conveniently stray from the issues confronting this nation! Instead, they trivialize it! Some even have the effrontery to request that you talk about something else! It is as though what they imagine to be important really is important.

Some time ago, I wrote about homosexuality in Ghana and received varied responses; someone requested that I rather wrote about abortion, because to the person, that was more important! Another asked me to talk about corruption! But at that moment, I needed to tackle homosexuality! On another occasion, I wrote about doctors in Ghana, and several doctors attacked me, requesting that I rather addressed the recent rent allowance of our parliamentarians because to them, that issue was more critical! But again, I needed to address our doctors!

A few days ago, I wrote about the effects of the election petition on the nation’s economy, and again, a very learned fellow, decided to read and interpret otherwise, thereby launching a huge campaign against my article; his rejoinder went viral. What was meant to be a rejoinder to my article perhaps, turned out to be riddled with insults and personal attacks. Instead of addressing the issues as they needed to be, he only saw an opportunity to attack the government, but again, I had to be the tool.

Yes, issues ought to be addressed, just like I do each day, but we need to be civil in our dealings. Clearly, whatever I addressed seemed to be trivialized by this professor. That is the Ghana of today! We used big grammar to condemn and render all pertinent issues, null and void!

Ghana continues to drown each day, despite our so-called, virtual development and growth. Do you know that in terms of world peace as ranked by the EPI, Ghana had dropped eight places and keeps dropping each year. That is how far we are retrogressing as a nation. We need to take things more seriously.

Such are the realities! I receive emails from people, packed with all kinds of demands! Everyone thinks of an issue as more important! Depending on the side of the coin you belong, we always conveniently avoid specific issues!

If you avoid a problem today, you would definitely have to confront it another day! So why postpone issues? The issues need to be addressed! I do not run a one-way train! I tackle as much as I can. Ghanaians love to avoid issues! We love to belittle every issue that does not affect us directly! It is only after we have ourselves, fallen victims that we then acknowledge the gravity or importance of the issue! Some of us are only bold enough to hit the nail exactly on the head; at least, for the sake of Ghana and posterity.

The national spirit is fast being lost! All in the name of the politics of triviality! And rather sadly, our learned friends and colleagues are no different. We constantly lead this nation further astray. How are we serving this nation with our so-called education? By robbing her?

People would always want to protect their interest! Any statement, however innocent, has to be interpreted negatively! It is always about the NPP and the NDC, to the extent that serious issues confronting this nation are being turned into petty discussions and debates! It begins with the usual comments “They! They! They!”! They? Who are the “They?”

Most of us want to see the positivity in this election petition but personally, I beg to differ. If only all of us would learn to do the right thing at the right time, there would be no need for this petition. Our actions and inactions are rapidly becoming a threat to this nation’s peace.

Our politicians are turning this nation into a battle ground, and to some, a comedian’s platform! Instead of helping to keep our ‘sinking ship’ afloat, some people seem more interested in watching, and perhaps jeering or cheering on, as the ‘ship’, and her people sink to the bottom of the ocean! Fellow Ghanaians, Ghana is the only ship we have! Let not the politics of ideology create division! Let not the politics of ideology, trivialize very important issues that need lasting solutions!

In the end, if Ghana dies today, where would we all be? Ghana is bigger than us all! It is bigger than any politician, or political party! After all, there was Ghana before bi-partisan politics!

Anna Esi Hanson (nnhanson2@yahoo.com); esociocomm.blogspot.com.