We Must Reject The Attempt To Balkanise Ghana - And Put The Cohesion Of Our Country At Risk Needlessly

India's very wise nationalist leaders set about stripping away all the powers of the Maharajahs after independence - and finally made them irrelevant politically in 1967 when prime minister Indira Ghandi completed the process.

That crucial decision was taken precisely because India's political leaders understood clearly the dangerous, nation-wrecking consequences of the baleful influence of the beneficiaries of a nepotistic system anchored on inherited privilege - in a nation determined to modernise itself by becoming a meritocracy, to enable it transform itself successfully into a prosperous democratic society. It  is called visionary leadership.

Alas, we have not been so wise in Ghana. Yet, the Chieftaincy institution is the last bastion of tribal-supremacists in Ghana - and the most virulent forms of tribalism in Ghana, by definition, exist in the palaces of Chiefs up and down  Ghana. Pity.

The secret agenda of Dr. J. B. Danquah & Co during the struggle for independence - which was for the progeny of the ruling elites of the pre-colonial tribal entities, to replace the departing British occupiers of the Gold Coast, and permanently dominate a federal state after independence: a nonsensical elitist notion that was roundly rejected by quick-witted voters in the elections of 1951, 1954 and 1956, who instead wisely opted for Nkrumah's vision of a post-independence unitary state - is the same reason behind this very dangerous balkanisation-of-Ghana-idea cloaked as desire for better economic prospects made possible by creating new regions. Pure nonsense on stilts.

The question is: Why add yet another layer of inefficient and super-corrupt  bureaucrats who will cost hapless taxpayers even more money for their overly-generous compensation packages and sundry perks, adding more cash to be stumped up for an  already ruinous public-sector wage bill? Amazing.

Ghana most definitely does not need  another small army of well-connected square-pegs-in-round-holes, who will run the new regions - a partisan crowd of mostly clueless political appointees.

Not when electing chief executives for metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies will help transform Ghana - because they  will ensure, during their respective tenures, that their administrations fashion policies that actually respond to the needs of local people: instead of pandering to the whims and caprices of sitting presidents perpetually seeking nationwide party advantage through appointed MCEs and DCEs.

Personally, although I am anti-New Patriotic Party (NPP) - because like the National Democratic Congress (NDC) it is also an opaque political machine that refuses to publicly publish all the sources of its funding - I nonetheless fully support President Akufo-Addo, mainly because of his commitment to the preservation of what is left of Ghana's natural heritage, his commitment to free education, and his determination to deal with high-level corruption.

However, I am outraged that influential and highly-intelligent politicians in the NPP/NDC duopoly, who ought to know better, do not seem to understand the dangers to national cohesion posed by this misadventure being driven mostly by rabid tribal-supremacists across Ghana - led by members of an archaic Chieftaincy institution underpinned by inherited privilege that is literally a nest of vipers. Haaba.

With respect, it is time all Ghanaians understood clearly that in 21st century Africa, no tribe is superior or inferior to another. Full stop. Truth be told this creating-new-regions-idea is all about resurrecting ancient tribal glories - and has absolutely nothing to do with  better economic prospects through the creation of new regions.

Finally, as a Ghanaian nationalist and pan-Africanist, my hope and prayer, is that voters will see through this abomination  and roundly reject it - just as voters in the Gold Coast rejected a similar proposal that envisioned a post-independence federation  consisting of tribal-based federal states in the elections of 1951, 1954 and 1956.

What Ghana urgently needs - to bring prosperity to people at the grassroots level - is to elect chief executives and all the members of metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies. We must reject the attempt to balkanise our homeland  Ghana by creating new regions - and put the cohesion of our country at risk needlessly. Haaba.