It’s simple: ‘Macho’ has married political greed
Machoism and politics are not twins.
In Ghana, the two are not even from the same womb.
Their marriage is only fortuitously symbiotic: two different evils attracted to each other to the mutual benefit of both.
Party politics, the way it has been practised in Ghana, has always begat violence. When a man dying of hunger is placed in a position where he sees a well-fed man wolfing down a sumptuous meal, it is violence knocking on the door.
Take it from me, no matter how many amendments we introduce into the 1992 Constitution, elections will be marked by blood when the winner takes all, to the total exclusion of the losing party.
The latest violence that erupted at St Peter’s Society Methodist Church polling station in the Ablekuma North parliamentary rerun last week will not be the last, even if 10 popes and 10 chief imams pray over every election, and no matter how many National Days of Repentance and/or National Thanksgiving services we hold in this country.
God is not an idiot. He sees the pepper-sprays, the machetes and guns in the pockets and handbags of the people even as they listen to sermons, sing and dance during Praise & Worship, count tasbehs/rosaries and read bibles and korans at these National Prayer Sessions.
To the Ghanaian, eyes red with greed, none of the above guarantees a brand new 4x4 vehicle fully nya-nya, a four-bedroom building, an ambassadorial, ministerial and chief executive officer (CEO) appointment: what matters is that their Presidential candidate wins.
These same glittering jewels in politics gave birth to the Tokyo Joe boys, Action Troopers/Action Groupers in the pre-independence elections between the Convention People's Party (CPP) and the United Party.
The art of physical body building by young men was initially to attract the opposite sex: it was thought that the ladies liked boys with bulging muscles in the biceps and a chest that literally heaved.
From the 1980s, it has not been uncommon to find weight lifting going side by side with aerobics.
In Ghana, an entertainment entrepreneur was smart to see money in the organisation in Mr America/Mr Universe and quickly developed ‘Man Ghana’ and my favourite ‒ ‘Ghana’s Strongest’.
Things changed when estate developers discovered the use of macho men as land guards.
Unchecked, with the tadpole developing into a full frog, land guards were discovered by ‘Winner Takes All’ Ghanaian politicians. They served two purposes: as bodyguards and as maimers and killers.
These are the twins of Ghanaian politics perpetrating the evil which Ghana loves and hates in equal measure, depending on whose ox is gored or whose victorious hand is lifted by the Electoral Commission (EC) after elections.
These are the twins who now pour into courtrooms to terrorise judges and policemen to free political suspects standing trial.
They are on the payroll of individual political parties.
Then the Republic of Ghana itself, as a state, found use for them.
President Atta Mills outdoored them at his Independence Parade: beastly-looking policemen and soldiers with painted faces and red eyes behind dark goggles.
Years later, President Akufo-Addo unleashed them upon Ayawaso West Wuogon.
A few years later, in 2025, we have seen them privately deployed not only to protect Hawa Koomson at Kasewa, but to terrorise an entire constituency.
Ablekuma
Last week, we saw them in full use at Ablekuma North.
We shall not need an Owusu Bempah to prophesy that something more stomach-wrenching than Ayawaso Wuogon and Ablekuma North will be visited upon Ghana in the next major election.
The reason is simple: nobody will be arrested, despite threats by the Minister for the Interior.
If, like me, your initial reaction to Ablekuma North last week was to lash out at what we concluded as blatant inaction of the police, I invite all of us to watch the video again.
Something will take hold of you so strongly that you will change your position: instead of blaming the police, you’d sympathise with them.
The Ghanaian police were not outnumbered; they were out-muscled by those macho men. I don’t think any commanding officer ordered their men not to get involved because a government party was involved.
I saw the individual policemen advising themselves: many would have landed at the hospital if they had attempted to stop those macho men on a high.
All of the 791 words above are for the attention of one person: President Mahama.
His silence is deafening; in fact, his silence is worse than the rubbishing of the Emile Short Report by President Akufo-Addo.
In Ghana, everybody, even Mahama’s open enemies, are secretly praising him for the positive effect of his presidency on the cedi and hence, everybody’s stomach.
If I were President Mahama, I’d aim to exit in three years with a deeper impact on the hearts of the people. Ghanaians will love a Mahama who acted swiftly to stop election violence.
The writer is the Executive Director,
Centre for Communication and Culture.
E-mail: ashonenimil@gmail.com
0208 178 680/0544 663 737
