It never ceases to amaze me that so many Ghanaian politicians have the propensity to quickly forget the days of their existence as ordinary people, during extended periods spent in the political wilderness, once their party wins power and they are lucky enough to be appointed to positions in the new administration.
Yet, the sensible thing for wise politicians to do whiles in power, is to be guided in all their official undertakings, by their lived-experiences as ordinary people, during the years they spent in the political wilderness.
That is what will enable them to stay grounded and remain humble whiles in office: and relate well with the ordinary people of the nation they were elected to serve - during all their interactions with the general public in stakeholder consultations. Simple common sense.
The question there is: Why are some New Patriotic Party (NPP) members who should know better assuming airs all of a sudden - and forgetting the principles they expoused whiles in the political wilderness?
This is still a nation of laws in case some of them forget. And have they not always proclaimed to be a party that believes in the rule of law, I ask? So what has gone wrong all of a sudden for NPP thugs to be given carte blanche to terrorise a section of Ghanaian society?
How can the NPP possibly justify putting the security of the presidency of our nation in the hands of the so-called "Invincible Forces" - when our nation has some of the finest, most disciplined and professional police and military officers in the world?
The question is: Why has the soldier suspected of allegedly leaking a CCTV clip of a violent attack by civilian thugs on a police officer on duty in the Flaggstaf House been detained?
What is his crime exactly - when his loyalty had to be to Mother Ghana only in the bizzare circumstances he found himself at that particular point in time: when an astonishing and near-treasonable act by common criminals employed by some of those now in power (who were assaulting a senior police officer assigned to the security detail at the presidency), was in progress?
Between that brave and patriotic soldier, and the brutish criminals who were filmed attacking the said senior police officer, who should be in detention - whiles investigations into that horrific and unjustified assault are conducted?
The disgraceful occupation of the presidency by thugs employed by NPP elements as security guards, since President Akufo-Addo was sworn into office on 7th January, 2017, marks a new low-point in Ghanaian democracy. It is unprecedented and a most dangerous development in our nation's politics.
It is totally unjustifiable - in what is said to be democratic country in which the rule of law ought to prevail - for some of those now in power to put the presidency under the jackboots of brutish criminals who apparently answer only to powerful extremist individuals in the NPP's heirachy. That is an abomination in our democracy. Pure and simple.
This is an intolerable situation and the sooner the heads of all the security agencies made representations to the president - through the decent-minded minister in charge of national security, Hon Albert Kan Daapah - about this unspeakable and unpardonable political monstrosity the better it will be all round.
The heads of all the security agencies must also demand that the so-called "Invincible Forces" are banned and disbanded immediately - and the license issued to the company's promoters swiftly revoked. They undoubtedly pose a risk to the safety of the republic.
This is not some trivial national security aberration that the heads of the security agencies must continue to put up with any longer - for the private militias operated by political parties in Ghana to intimidate their opponents are a source of potential widespread violence that can affect Ghana's long-term stability.
That is why they must also insist that other private militias disguised as employees of private security companies operated by extremist elements in all the other political parties should also be banned and disbanded - and licenses issued to their promoters revoked immediately. Period.
This is a constitutional democracy not an NPP paramilitary dictatorship remotely-controlled by faceless extremist individuals from the shadows. The NPP was not given a mandate by voters to put a private militia owned by NPP extremists in charge of national security.
We will not tolerate such barbarism at the very heart of the system anymore. Who do these people think they are - bringing thugs to control security at the presidency of our republic?
The question we must all ponder over is: Why do some Ghanaian politicians become so power-drunk and act as if they and their party will be in power till the very end of time - once their party wins power after elections?
Is this not a nation in which voters have consistently turfed out governing political parties after every eight years in power? What makes these morons think their party will be in power forever?
After all, did leading figures in the NPP not criss-cross Ghana during the 2016 election campaign, pleading with voters to give them the chance to govern this country - and bring about change for the better? Is such thuggery at the heart of the presidency good governance, I ask?
If it is true that that detained soldier was the one who leaked the CCTV clip of lawless civilians - virtual criminals working for the NPP who have moved into the presidency, the seat of our government, and have more or less established a reign of terror across Ghana in the short space of time that the NPP has taken over the running of the affairs of our country - then he is a national hero: and must regarded as such by all patriotic Ghanaians.
OccupyGhana and other patriotic and truly- independent, apolitical civil society organisations must adopt him and take up his case - and start a global social media campaign calling for his immediate release from detention, by President Akufo-Addo's regime.
It is important that those who are the paymasters of the so-called "Invincible Forces" never forget that President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo will not be in power for more than eight years, at the most. What then?
Let them also understand clearly that they will all pay for the crimes their charges are committing in their names today, tomorrow, when the NPP finally loses power again - a possibility they are only hastening with their thugs' arrogant and foolish disregard for the rule of law: as evidenced by the unlawful conduct of those reckless myrmidon-thugs in their employ across Ghana.
Finally, with respect, since he says he admires President Akufo-Addo because he is a principled politician, and is therefore praying for him to succeed (just as virtually all Ghanaians - myself included - are incidentally), former President Rawlings must intervene in this matter and ask the current president to order the immediate release of that patriotic soldier. Enough is enough. Haaba.
Hmm, Ghana - enti yewieye paa enei? Asem kesie ebeba debi ankasa.
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