Those Who Rule Ghana Must Not Continue To Take Its Citizens For Granted

A few days ago,   I visited an LP gas selling point just before the bridge across the Densu River, as one heads towards Panbros. I simply  couldn't resist  the urge  to  observe and interact  with some of those waiting to be served there.


With their  LP gas cylinders in a queue of cylinders all waiting to be filled up, what struck me most, was the patience of their owners - and their stoical acceptance of the situation.


Lucky to find a supply point that still had LP gas available for sale,  they    waited patiently for their  cylinders to be filled up - just like the drivers queuing in their  taxis and mini pick-ups:  all awaiting  their turn to be served.


With  a people full of such forbearance to rule,  it is no wonder that despite their inability to make our nation prosperous for all its citizens,   over the decades since President Nkrumah's overthrow,   successive batches of Ghana's  ruling elites have been tolerated by  ordinary Ghanaians,  for so long.


In many an African nation-state, such as Nigeria, for example, the frequent power outages we are now experiencing, in tandem with the nationwide  shortage of LP gas -  though both emergency situations are not the actual fault of the regime  now in power in Ghana,  one admits -  might probably trigger riots.


That is why those who lead our nation - at any given point in time - must ensure that the public are always kept appraised of the facts, when emergency situations conspire to make life unbearable for the  ordinary people of Ghana.


Take the current power crisis for example, dear reader. How many Ghanaians are aware that damage caused by a dropped ship anchor,  halted the flow of gas from Nigeria  through the  West African gas pipeline -  on which most of Ghana's thermal power plants depend on to produce electricity?


Our leaders must always ensure that such situations are explained clearly and promptly to the citizenry. Yes, Ghanaians are indeed a patient lot -  but those who rule them must not continue to take them for granted. There is only so much people in any given society  can tolerate.


Was that not  the selfsame  mistake the Zine El Abidine Ben Alis, Hosni Mubaraks and Muammar  Gaddafis of a bygone age in North Africa made, I ask, dear reader?  A word to the wise...


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