Wednesday,
January 7, 2015
Folks, the world today isn't as
safe as it used to be, especially with the proliferation of all kinds of
terrorist organizations and pockets of malcontents who snatch every opportunity
to register and confirm their notoriety. Daily reports of the carnage wreaked
on countries by terrorists and such malcontents are alarming.
We in Ghana can congratulate
ourselves for not being caught up in such carnage, even if internecine ethnic
conflicts—bordering mostly on land and chieftaincy disputes—have endangered
limb and property. We are far better than countries that have been ravaged by
home-grown terrorists and others operating under the banner of dissatisfied
political camps.
We have cherished peace and
tranquility and ensured that even if we don't have what it takes to live our
lives in decency, we can, at least, live in a safe and secure country. Armed
robbery has been a major problem, but it seems to have been controlled, thanks
to the vigilance of the security services.
We appreciate their hard work and
wish that they will help stem the tide of arson (or fire outbreaks under
suspicious circumstances) so the citizens can go about their daily activities
without looking over their shoulders.
Personal security does it all. We
are glad that our leaders have put in place structures to ensure their own
personal security while working hard to secure limb and property in the system.
That is why the ceremony that took place today at the Flagstaff House merits
comment.
It has been reported that
"an all-female contingent from the Ghana Armed Forces has taken over guard
duties at the Flagstaff House under the command of Lieutenant Alice Anoe. This
contingent has the responsibility of protecting the security of the
President".
We are told that the change of
guard at the presidency, initiated by President John Mahama in May 2013,
rotates security duties among the three arms of the Ghana Armed Forces—the
Army, Navy and the Airforce—and that the change is similar to what pertains at
the Buckingham Palace in the United Kingdom.
The reports indicate that
everything went well and that it is the 14th change of guard at the Flagstaff
House since its inception in 2013. (See more at:
http://www.myjoyonline.com/news/2015/January-7th/female-contingent-takes-over-guard-duties-at-presidency.php#sthash.FZ73p6w3.dpuf).
We congratulate all those
responsible for this event and hope that everything will be done to ensure that
providing personal security at the Presidency is taken beyond a mere publicity
stunt.
We have history to guide us. I
remember how much publicity the late Libyan leader (Muammar Qadhafy) generated
with his contingent of female body guards, especially whenever he went on any
foreign trip. His visit to parts of West Africa (including Ghana) that featured
those female body guards and their public show of "prowess" attracted
much public interest. In the long run, when the insurgency pushed him to the
wall, no one knew how those female body guards did things to vanish into thin air.
He died a hapless and helpless common man.
Our Ghanaian situation is far
better and far different from the Libyan one under Qadhafy; and I don't want to
be misconstrued as comparing apples to/with oranges. But the import is clear
that anything verging on personal security at the seat of government needs a
very serious, purposeful, and well-calculated approach. Those in charge should
rise above pettiness and ensure that whatever they put in place is the best.
I welcome an all-female security
apparatus for personal security at the Presidency, but I can't just keep quiet
when there seems to be too much of the publicity stunt involved (as I can infer
from this ceremony and its entailments). We trust that our women in the
security services can do what their male counterparts are capable of doing; but
we must also take caution. It is not everything men do that women can do, and
vice versa. But what is "all-female" must have its own ramifications
in this case, being an innovation.
I recall very well how the regular
Ghanaian military establishment got peeved at the creation of the
"President's Own (Body)Guards" network by the Great Osagyefo and used
it as one of the grievances against Nkrumah. All over the world, we hear
reports of Presidential Guards either doing things against or for the
Presidency. It's all a matter of "privileging" of status and all that
it entails. We must be careful.
In the first place, what
motivated this scheme of "all-female" personal security at the
Presidency? Who conceived this idea, and what is the objective? Personal
security shouldn't be toyed with; and that is why I am raising my voice at this
unexpected development. As for me, my mouth no be gun!!
On a lighter note, I hope
President Mahama will enjoy his brief stay at Assin Senchem in the Central
Region where he is expected to work on a cocoa farm owned by a young man, a
move said to be aimed at encouraging the youth to venture into agribusiness.
Did he go there without the
package of "largesse" from the Presidency so he can taste life as it
is in the countryside? No potable water, no electricity, mosquito attacks, and
many more? If not, then, he won't impress me or those who know why they can't
live their lives in decency no matter what they do.
Using this brief experience on a
cocoa farm as a means to encourage the youth to go into agribusiness is hollow.
How can the youth go into agribusiness on-the-spur-of-the-moment? No structure
to support their initiatives, no funds, nothing!!
I wish someone will tell us how
this young cocoa farmer got to where he is today to attract the President's
attention. How about the thousands of cocoa farmers elsewhere who have cried
themselves hoarse over problems militating against their efforts to boost
productivity? What is the government doing on a regional scale to solve
problems in the cocoa (and other cash crop or food crop-producing sectors)?
For the President's
"humbling experiences" to gain traction, they will need to be tied to
a broader level; that is, for his government to prove that it is indeed
committed to supporting farmers (commercial or peasant/subsistence) with
much-needed input and favourable policies.
On this score, then, spending a
day on a cocoa farm will pass off as a mere fad. Probably, someone has too much
time and too little to do and has chosen to go this way for the sake of
publicity. No practical value!! Hoodoo!!
I shall return…
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E-mail:
mjbokor@yahoo.com
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