And Otumfour Laughed in Public

The arrest and torture of a citi TV and citi fm journalists Caleb Kudah, the suspension of Captain Smart of Angel Broadcasting Network and The overlord of Asanti kingdoms laughing in public might appear unrelated. But there is a covalent bond holding all these and many others together and it is called the NPP government. Caleb was arrested because he wanted to cover a story that is inimical to the image of the government. Captain smart was suspended because some elements within the government had threatened the management of the network that he made statements that puts the government in public ridicule. So he should be taken off air. Otumfour laughed in public because some young over zealous minister thought he could dictate to him what he should say in public. (Otumfour rarely laugh in public, so he probably did it to let them know how funny their attempts to gage him is) This attempt at gaging no less a person than the Otumfour speaks volumes about how far this governing NPP would go to ensure that absolutely no one in this country makes any derogatory remarks about the sleazy manner the country is being run. Otumfour's public outburst explains all there is to understand the new culture of silence that many have had a reason to complain about recently, notable among them Sir Sam Jonah. If a young minister could muster the audacity to approach the Otumfour to instruct him on what to do, one can imagine what the government machinery can do to those who have no such power as the Otumfour. Many of the the loud voices we heard yesterday are probably silent because they have either been bribed or threatened to shut up, and probably both. This is the sad reality of the country we have built. The overt display of brut force and blatantly chicanery has made complete nonsense of the democracy we were proud of just a few years ago. State institutions have been hijacked, private institutions have been usurped and private people commandeered all to serve the demagogue and his cabal of few tribes men. This is a government that solves every problem of the country through the communication channel. How then can they tolerate any opinion that might not be in sync with their propaganda? "Once a political system has been corrupted right from the very top leaders to the lowest rungs of the bureaucracy, the problem is very complicated. The cleansing and disinfecting has to start from top and go downwards in a thorough and systematic way. It is a long and laborious process that can be carried out only by a very strong group of leaders with the strength and moral authority derived from unquestioned integrity.” Le Kuan Yew. That integrity is exactly what the government of his excellency Nana Akuffo Addo has done everything to divorce itself from. You can not insist on doing the right thing with out having to look over your shoulders. "when did the rain begun to beat us?" Prof Naana Jane Opoku Agyemang.