Reflections of a writer
Writing on politics is not exactly the most amusing thing to do. In highly charged and unstable political environments, it could actually be a matter of life and death.
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Politics is one institution in which a lot of people place their hope, faith and confidence in. It is not for nothing that people dance helplessly on campaign grounds or rally tours.
Ideally, it should be a happy contest. But everyone knows that it is grim and the only way to get by is to be also grim and skeptical. The more skeptical you are as a writer, the more likely you are to be seen performing your duties.
If there is one thing that the writer encounters all the time, it has to do with the irresponsibility of those in power- though the cause of the irresponsibility is unclear.
Could it be that they were already irresponsible and dishonest in the first place? Or it is the position that makes them irresponsible?
Campaign after campaign is characterised by politicians explaining in esoteric terms and in erudite manner the challenges that confront the nation.
Governments after government have demonstrated their cluelessness and utter incompetence in the face of the very problems that they aimed at explaining. And the hardship continues.
Ordinarily, one would consider as ridiculous when the story is told of a 35-year-old man who died because he hanged on to a vehicle in an attempt to put pressure on a driver’s mate to give him 20 pesewas as change.
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Of course, it is hard to tell the state of mind of the individual involved. Was he sane? Did he not place a little value on his life so as to at least consider the prospect of him getting hurt in the course of demanding his change?
Could he not have let it go- at least for the sake of his family and friends? Could the driver not have considered and measured the consequences of his speeding with a passenger hanging on to the automobile probably begging for his dear life?
If 20 pesewas could cause or at least instigate the parties to take entrenched positions as has been witnessed leading to a loss of life, then we must brace ourselves for tough times as a nation.
If the standard of life was high, I doubt if this incident would have made the news. It is frustratingly difficult when one thinks of the fact that this country is as blessed as can be.
Of course, one ought not to lose sight of the historical factors that have stifled our progress as a nation. Moreover, one has to bear in mind other things such as the inequalities in the world order and the late involvement of Africa in the international trade.
But are these excuses tenable enough?
We started our road to nationhood on a high note- that the African was able to manage his affairs. On this note, we were supposed to be on our way to disprove all the negativity that scores of literature and analysis had said about our prospects as a nation.
Lots of ink was spilt in proving that the black man was able to turn around things for himself and his fellows.
I imagined soon after independence some intellectuals sat somewhere and with glasses of beer or wine before them, laughed heartily and without restraint at those who attributed the woes of this nation to the fact that the heat of the sun prevented the African from thinking properly.
Fast forward and here we are. To be certain, we have improved marginally. The only thing we have managed to do is to barely get by. And I mean barely get by.
The problem of this country is hunger. But for hunger, the 35-year- old man would not have held on to a moving vehicle just because of 20 pesewas.
But for hunger, tales and evidence of politicians stashing huge sums of money elsewhere in Swiss Accounts would not emerge; but for hunger, the turf wars in the flagstaff house and elsewhere in the ministries and departments would have ended.
As a nation, we are battling with keeping up with the bare essentials. While other nations boil and unboil eggs, send robotic missions to the moon and mars, we are busy bickering and squabbling over anything and everything.
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Solutions to our problems are not the focus of those who should be preoccupied with the search for those solutions. Everyone is busy winning and refining arguments for arguments sake. Yet we are hungry.
It is hard not to be negative. But it is harder to think that we are unable to turn things around. It might take a little hard work but a writer’s role is to inspire hope as well.
And believing in inherent ability of the Ghanaian to turn things around, I know sooner or later we, would bend the curve- though it might take time.
Email: politics_today@yahoo.com