Captain Maxwell Adam Mahama Must Not Die In Vain

The heinous murder of Captain Maxwell Adam Mahama has undoubtedly created a crisis for the nation.

At the moment  when Ghanaian democracy is imperiled, and the nation faces its gravest crisis yet, since the 4th Republic came into being, it is vital that all the members of our country's political class act and speak responsibly when commenting  on this matter.

The Military High Command must be commended for acting swiftly to contain the anger of the men and women under their command.

By preventing the situation in the barracks from escalating and affecting discipline and possibly leading to a break down in  the chain of command, they have shown clearly - by deeds and words - that they are patriotic and loyal soldiers committed to the democratic system of government.

Those politicians who still don't recognise the gravity of the crisis caused by the brutal murder of Captain Maxwell Adam Mahama, ought to look back to the events of May and June 1979, and draw their own conclusions about the similarities between the erosion of society's moral fibre (and the widespread indiscipline in the country) then and now.

Ghanaian politicians are drinking in the Last Chance Salon - in case it escapes them. They had better beware.

We cannot continue being a nation in which ordinary people who steal mobile phones and goats out of desperation  always end up in jail, as they should; but the bigger fish stealing billions of taxpayers' monies in sundry dubious one-way public procurement agreements that are inimical to the nation in common-good terms, invariably remain free and always avoid going to jail for their egregious crimes against Mother Ghana.

The time has now come for the authorities to tell the whole nation how come foreigners were issued with a prospecting licence by regulators covering an area of land in a forest reserve near Aminase, but were allegedly engaged in actually mining gold there instead.

Who sent Captain Mahama and his troops to guard the gold miners' operations that clearly violate the Mining Act - if the allegations against them are true? The media must investigate the allegations by local people against the Chinese said to be mining gold inside the forest reserve at Aminase. Nothing must be hidden from Ghanaians in this matter. Who exactly are their Ghanaian partners, if any?

Ghanaians must also be given the list of all the gold mining companies  in this country provided with military detachments to guard their concessions and operations - and who exactly approved the dispatch of our nation's gallant soldiers to undertake those guard duties for those  gold mining companies.

Yes, private property is sacrosant and illegal miners must not be allowed to invade concessions duly sactioned by regulators.  It is legitimate that soldiers guard concessions threatened by illegal miners as an option of last resort for the authorities.

However, we cannot allow the lives of Ghanaian soldiers to be sacrificed on the alter of unfathomable greed - because powerful and well-connected individuals want to grow super-rich at the expense of society regardless: and are even prepared to kill their fellow humans and destroy what remains of our nation's natural heritage in that mad quest for riches. Enough is enough.

Nothing must be hidden from Ghanaians about the reasons why Captain Maxwell Mahama and the soldiers under his command came to be stationed where they are currently billeted in the Central Region.

The authorities owe that to his bereaved family and all the men and women who serve our country in the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF), under the command of the Military High Command, who in turn answer  to the Commander-in-Chief of the GAF, the President  of the Republic of Ghana.

It is inspiring to hear that a number of wealthy individuals have pledged financial assistance  to the widow and offspring of the late Captain Mahama.

However, the GAF itself  has an obligation to secure the future of Captain Mahama's surviving nuclear  family members. With respect, given the ordeal  Captain Maxwell Adam Mahama went through at the hands of his killers, the GAF must promote him to the rank of colonel posthumously so that his widow has a good pension to live on.

Finally, the point needs to be made again and again that Captain Maxwell Adam Mahama was a hero who died serving his nation. No one should be shielded in the investigation into his murder. All the wealthy and powerful individuals manipulating the system to profit from  the illegal gold mining destroying what is left of our nation's natural heritage must be exposed, tried, and jailed for their crimes against Mother Ghana.

That way Captain Maxwell Adam Mahama's death will not have been in vain.