A Twisted Nation.

(From Accra Mail (Ghana) - AAGM)

Byline: Ato Kwamena

"Democracy-loving Ghanaians should not sit down for an absurd trend to become part of our daily routine ...where people's right to privacy and their right to own property will be violated..."

Friends, there is an occult, but cancerous mole in the character of our beloved nation that needs to be brought to our collective cognizance. Otherwise, this insidious but malignant trait, if allowed to perpetuate unabated, will grow to such gargantuan proportions, that we will be overwhelmed by its sheer enormity and its incapacitating metastases will evade our entire national fabric. The prognosis is very poor without any intervention. Hence, we ought to stop this cancer of a trait in its tracks and totally uproot it!

We are a country that prides ourselves as the bastion of democracy in the chaotic West African region. True, we are the only oasis of peace and stability in the vast desert of instability that surrounds our frontiers. For over 13 years now we have been practicing multiparty democracy since its interruption in 1960, '72 and '81. Our democratic culture has grown quite a bit. We started off when extrinsic and intrinsic forces forced democracy on us by demanding that the regime at the time institute a time-table for a democratic transition.

That was done successfully, albeit with reluctance from the ruling class at the time. So starting from 1992 we had 'some form' of a democratic government. I say, 'some form' because the military junta which had been ruling for about a decade at the time, transformed itself in outward appearance, and retained power. The constitution guaranteed freedom of the media, yet it took a 'stubborn' man, Dr Charles Wereko-Brobby, to force the then government to free the airwaves.

Today, our airwaves are replete with thousands of conflicting opinions. We all enjoy and pride in our free media. We love the variety of FM stations available to us. But let's not forget the history of its genesis. They did not become spontaneously free, but some people fought for the freedom, even in the face of threats. Funny, how today, the members of that regime try to twist history by claiming credit for the free airwaves! But as a nation, we've moved on. Our country has never been this free!

The current administration has done well to entrench certain democratic cultures in our society, which will make it almost impossible to turn back the clock. For the people of this country will rebel against any such regime that tries to curtail the freedoms …