Tuesday 12 July 2016

Why The Commander-in-Chief Of The Ghana Armed Forces Cannot Entertain Altimatums From Any Quarter In The Republic Of Ghana

I still refuse to believe media reports that the Asanteman Council has issued an ultimatum to the government to dismiss the Hon. Kojo Bonsu, the Metropolitan Chief Executive (MCE)  of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA), within a week.

Why would the Asanteman Council issue such an ultimatum and do so publicly when it knows perfectly well that that would put the government in an impossible position: as no government of Ghana that is led by the Commander-in-Chief of the Ghana Armed Forces can give in to such an ultimatum from any quarter in Ghana,?

The solution to the impasse over the position of the KMA's MCE actually lies in the bosom of the  Asanteman Council. The point also needs to be made that no one in Ghana can stop the Hon. Kojo Bonsu from resigning as the KMA's MCE if  he so desires. That is as it should be in a functioning democracy.

All that has to be done to resolve this storm-in-a-calabash is for the Asantehene to simply state that like all compassionate fathers, whose offspring err and apologise for their sins,  he will forgive his own son the Hon. Kojo Bonsu - and that Kojo Bonsu should go and sin no more. Case closed.

 On the other hand, if it is actually true that the Asanteman Council has indeed issued a public ultimatum to the government to dismiss the Hon. Kojo Bonsu within a week, then it is important that President Mahama understands clearly what is really at stake - and why his regime must ignore all such ultimatums: no matter where in Ghana they emanate from.

No one within the borders of the sovereign territory of the Republic of Ghana can order the Commander-in-Chief of the Ghana Armed Forces about. That is sacrilegious and an abomination.

Those who issue such public ultimatums cannot have the good of our country at heart: and every government of the day has a moral obligation to be firm with such people at all material times.

We must never entertain such disrespect to Ghana's President, and head of state, who is also the Commander-in-Chief of the Ghana Armed Forces, under any circumstances - especially when such ultimatums come from Chiefs who are not elected by their own people but chosen by a priveleged few from a few particular extended family clans.

That is intolerable in a constitutional democracy in which the rule of law prevails and in which all  public officials (in both the elected and appointed categories)  are required by law to follow due process in carrying out their duties.

President Mahama's administration ought to understsnd clearly that Ghana is a sovereign state that has full control over the entire landmass within its territorial borders - and that the Leviathan that is the Ghanaian nation-state exercises the power of life and death over all who reside within its territory.

Furthermore, none of the 10 administrative regions of this country, is the private property of any individual or group of individuals (including so-called traditional councils) - for there is not a single state-within-a-state arrangement outlined anywhere in the 1992 Constitution, which is the basic law of the land.

Where will it all eventually lead to if the government caves in to such arrogant demands from Chiefs? Perhaps the time has now come to discard the Chieftaincy Act of 1971 - drawn up by a few tribal-supremacists: and disrespectful  to all the  other Paramountcies in Ghana.

President Mahama's administration must understand that appeasement is not an option in this pure nonsense on bamboo stilts tantrum being thrown by grown men who ought to know better. Enough is enough.

If the government caves in to this outrage from the spoilt and over-pampered progeny of the ruling elites of our pre-colonial feudal past, this blog confidently predicts that a host of other traditional councils across Ghana will be issuing their own ultimatums. What, then?

The traditional authorities in Bawku will doubtless be next in line and demand that the government removes all the security forces from Bawku within a week - so that the people there can get on with the important business of murdering each other without any hindrance.

Then the traditional council of Bimbilla will also follow Bawku's example and  make the same arrogant and foolish demand - as will that of Alavanyo and every other area in Ghana where Chieftaincy and land disputes currently rage.

Where will all that insurgency (yes that is exactly what that confounded rubbish is) end, I ask?

Will it not lead to lawlessness across  our homeland Ghana? And will it not ultimately threaten the stability and cohesion of our nation? President Mahama must ignore all such ultimatums - and his administration must treat all of them with the contempt they deserve.

The Commander-in-Chief of the Ghana Armed Forces cannot entertain ultimatums from any quarter within the territorial borders of Ghana - and it is time every Chief and traditional council in the Republic  of Ghana understood that clearly.

Some of us are gradually getting fed up with the tiresome arrogance of some of Ghana's Chiefs: who need to understand clearly that the Commander-in-Chief of the Ghana Armed Forces cannot be ordered about by anyone - and will never entertain ultimatums from any quarter in the Republic of Ghana. Period.

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