IS A DEMOCRACY RULED BY GREEDY AND HYPOCRITICAL ROGUES, WORTH PRESERVING?

Not being very well of late, I have been reflecting on my life, a great deal. As a patriot who loves his country, my dying wish, is that our nation will be led by men and women, who are truly decent human beings - who have the vision, to transform Ghanaian society, with the revenues expected from Ghana's oil find.

The idea that our oil wealth might end up enriching only a powerful and greedy few - as it has done in Nigeria - has set me thinking about the nature of political power, in our homeland Ghana: and the ends to which it ought to be put.

In my view, Ghana ought to follow the example of Venezuela (and the other nations that have nationalised their oil industries), in managing its oil find - by nationalising it: and compensating the companies currently drilling for oil here, fairly!

It will be far better for our nation, to use the business model, of a joint-venture partnership, between the Ghana National Peteroleum Corporation, and the biggest and best-resourced, of China's state-owned oil companies (on a 70%-30% basis, with the bigger stake going to GNPC - and its shares paid for, from future profits!), to exploit our oil deposits. Ditto with the Russian state-owned gas-giant, Gazprom, to exploit our natural gas deposits. And we must be prepared to think the unthinkable, in many areas of our national life, to ensure just such an outcome.

There is no doubt that the 4th Republic, is a creature designed specifically, to suit the leadership style, of the man who led the military dictatorship, which preceded it: and to enable the dictatorship of the Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC) to continue wielding political power, by metamorphosing into a civilian democratically elected constitutional regime.

It follows a priori, that the political party, used as the vehicle, to attain that end, is a fraudulent creature too, does it not, dear reader? And I find the idea, that because of this fraudulent creature, progressives will most probably not succeed in winning power in the December elections, simply intolerable.

Why should the Left pass up the best opportunity they have ever had, of returning to power, since the overthrow of Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah - just because the arrogant "owner" of that creature, does not have the humility, and the wisdom, to understand, that he must be prepared to disolve it: if that will help the right conditions to be created, to enable the fragmented Left in Ghanaian politics, to reunite, before it is too late; and prevent a terrible disaster, from striking us, in December 2008? A return to power again, at this critical juncture, in our nation's history, by the incompetent, tribalistic and greedy hypocrites, now in power, simply doesn't bear thinking, dear reader!

But before we proceed any further, we must pause: and ask ourselves a few questions, dear reader. Was the the coup of 31st December, 1981, an act of treason? And was it led by a man, who once led a regime, which came into being, as a result of an armed uprising, by junior military officers, and the other ranks? And did that regime execute senior military officers (some, top-ranking generals, who had once been heads of state), because they had previously staged coup d'etats?

If those who are elected to power in the December 2008 elections, turn out to be just as hypocritical and as greedy as those currently ruling our nation (and those who handed over power to them in January 2001), and proceed to rip our country off, in the provision of infrastructure: by delivering projects, which are not built according to design specifications - because their kickbacks have had to be factored into the cost of the project by the contractors: resulting in poor quality roads and public buildings with inherent structural weaknesses, then it would be in the national interest, to remove them from power - and by force of arms, if necessary.

For, under no circumstances will Ghanaians tolerate the appropriation of Ghana's oil wealth, by men and women with greedy ambitions - at the expense of ordinary people. If that were to happen, it will be necessary to take extreme measures, to safeguard our oil revenues, so that they can be used, to bring about social transformation, in Ghana.

I posit, that it will not be treasonable, under those circumstances, to take up arms, to bring the fraudulent 4th Republic to an end: in order to try for treason, those who illegaly removed from power, the elected regime of the late Dr. Hilla Limman, of blessed memory (and bring to a halt, once and for all, the affront to our dignity as a people, represented by that continuing illegality - protected by those outrageous constitutitonal clauses, known as the "transitional provisions"- which we have had to tolerate, since 1992), and replace it with a new 5th Republic: which will be created under conditions of true freedom, and the hallmark of which, will be a constitution, which will have clear separation of powers, between the executive, legislative and judicial branches of government.

It will also make provision for funding the legislature and the judiciary - as well as the institutions created to fight corruption and the abuse of power, such as the Serious Fraud Office and the Commission for Human Rights and Administrative Justice - from the consolidated fund - to ensure their independence.

We will simply not permit the frittering away of our oil wealth, by a greedy and crafty political class, which, some 51 years after our independence, has not even had the nous, to ensure a quality of life for ordinary Ghanaians, which at the barest minimum, makes it possible for them to have uninterrupted supply of treated drinking water; constant supply of electric power; affordable health-care, available within reasonable distances; to live in a society in which public safety is assured; live in a nation in which all families, not just wealthy ones, can afford to send their children to university if those children have the aptitude to study to tertiary level; and above all, to live in a nation that is not slowly being engulfed in filth!

A democracy, which does not ensure a good quality of life for all its citizens, after 51 years of independence, is certainly not one worth preserving - particularly if it becomes obvious to all discerning individuals, that it only provides a legal framework, for clever crooks, to come to power, and enrich themselves: at the rest of society's expense.

The use of our oil wealth, for the sole purpose, of bringing about social transformation, in our homeland Ghana, is non negotiable - and ordinary Ghanaians will never allow those who come to power to enrich themselves at Ghana's expense, to lay their dirty, greedy hands, on our oil wealth - and use democracy as a protective cloak, to enable them " chop Ghana, small." Never again. Period.