Eradicating lynching from Ghana

The heart is deceitful above all things, and it is exceedingly perverse, corrupt, wicked and mortally sick! Who can know it? (Jeremiah 17:9)

The above quotation vividly describes the people who killed the late Major Maxwell Adam Mahama, and underpins the universality and vulnerability of human errors, and flaws in all spheres of life. This write-up discusses three approaches, namely grassroots approach, godly wisdom and military intervention to eradicate mob attacks from Ghana.

I was deeply sorrowful and dumbfounded after watching just a portion of the video of the gruesome murder of the late Major Maxwell Adam Mahama. Some Ghanaians have really gone too far. Some sins seem bigger than others simply because their obvious consequences are much more serious and devastating. For instance, fornication/adultery seems to us to be worse than lust, and murder seems to be worse than telling lies but telling lies or any evil can lead to death and destruction.

Etymologically, the term “lynching” can be traced as far back to the mid 19th century: “From Lynch's law, named after Capt. William Lynch, head of a self-constituted judicial tribunal in Virginia C.1780." (Online Etymology Dictionary, 2001-2017)

Considering context communication, I think the word “lynching” can be defined as lawless, emotionless and heartless people deliberately killing an innocent person to suit their whims and caprices. Major Maxwell Adam Mahama and Madam Yednboka Keena were simultaneously lynched on Monday, May 29, 2017 in the southern and northern parts of Ghana respectively. Why should we permit lynching to become cancerous in Ghanaian communities?

All evil omens can have two main causes, namely remote and immediate causes, and they can all be solved through instilling in the citizenry godly wisdom/fear, adopting grassroots approach and military intervention. People who genuinely have godly wisdom and godly fear cannot spearhead gruesome murders.
What Ghana really needs now is rectitude and godly wisdom.

Grassroots approach
It is clear from the available evidence that people who usually spearhead and mastermind lynching are the grass roots who might not have received any formal education. It is incumbent upon our leaders to adopt the grassroots approach, such as encouraging assembly members, members of Parliament (MPs) and district chief executives (DCEs) to organise house-to-house and community sensitisation programmes to educate all and sundry to discontinue and eradicate the lynch menace from the Ghanaian communities.

Also, the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), teachers/lecturers and genuine preachers of the Gospel must not relent in their activities at the grassroots level.

Godly wisdom
Godly wisdom will definitely compel leaders and the masses to make wise decisions and to judge/discern wisely.

Abraham Lincoln once said, “There is but one way to train up a child in the way he should go, and that is to travel it yourself” A good example is worth a thousand sermons and speeches. What our leaders/parents do has more influence on the youth than all the political speeches. “Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner destroys much good” (Ecclesiastes 9:18). Wise people don’t destroy lives and property. Our preachers and ministers of state must lay emphasis on godly wisdom and live a life that is worthy of emulation.

Let us preach godly wisdom and brotherly love in Ghana instead of preaching and emphasising prosperity or amassing wealth. Godly wisdom brings transformation, promotion, grace and honour while barbaric practices or gruesome acts such as lynching brings destruction, shame, retrogression, degradation and death.

Military intervention
Why do we tend to disseminate bad news but shelve good news and godly wisdom, such as allowing the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) to handle lawless people and armed robbers in Ghana as the Charismatic Bishops conference suggested in March 2017? Let us allow the GAF to eradicate mob lynch cum armed robbery in Ghana. Without counting out the service of the Ghana Police, the GAF must intervene without delay to stand toe-to-toe with the mob attacks and wipe out the canker.

It is not out of order for the President to promote the late Captain Maxwell Adam Mahama to the rank of Major posthumously, who really proved to be a good soldier. It is highly expedient as well to honour and promote all the colleagues of the late Captain who are alive and are currently Captains to the rank of Major. Let us celebrate and promote our soldiers who are alive now without forgetting those who have sacrificed their lives for our country.

In conclusion, it takes a change of approach to do away with

one’s reproach.
We talk so much but accomplish so little.
Whenever any disaster befalls the nation, we talk so much about it, but without seeking a lasting solution to eradicate or prevent further occurrence. Let us adopt the aforementioned pragmatic approaches to avert/eradicate Ghana’s reproach permanently.
In short, the fear of the LORD is wisdom, and to depart from barbaric and evil acts such as lynching is real understanding, because people who don’t understand anything are capable of doing all heinous deeds.
The writer is a lecturer at the Ghana Technology University College
E-mail: mtabiri@gtuc.edu.gh