Tribal bigotry

Voter suppression and Intimidation…

These words dominated a rare moment when Fifi Kwetey addressed a press conference on Monday.

His colleagues from Ghana’s biggest and in truth, only opposition party stormed his home constituency of Ketu South.

The NDC in Parliament and from the communications bureau descended heavily on the government in that press conference and anyone who watched the one time vociferous MP cannot but wonder why he has gone MIA in recent years.

The first question that will itch the mind of any interested fellow would be: what woke the sleeping dog?

The Popular Sleeping Dog GIF | Gfycat

Kwetey, NDC MP for Ketu South and his colleagues and indeed residents in the Volta Region town of Aflao and their neighbours claimed military and other security personnel recently deployed along the Eastern borders were harassing locals.

To the NDC, this is an unequivocal machination to rig the December election.

Must every government move be about election 2020 to them? First it was the NIA cards and then the Covid-19 lockdown, the easing of restrictions.

All these, according to our brethren, was to rig the election, so you should have some skills in ambivalence to be out-rightly fed up with their tantrums but then the Adansi Asokwa MP gave credence to their grumblings.

I thought the NDC press conference was just another occasion to regurgitate long held views of tribal bigotry.

But hearing the government’s explanation I feel worried they may be right.

I won’t even dignify what K.T. Hammond said by repeating them; I am sure you’ve heard them already, it’s why you’ve read up to this point.

Ketu South military

However, I fully support Fifi Kwetey when he says the effect of K.T. Hammond’s words are that some Ghanaians are more Ghanaian than others.

It’s not the first time our elephant folks will suggest that anyway.

The inconsistencies

Then came the contradictions. Volta Regional Minister Archibald Letsa said the Regional Security Council requested for the troops to maintain the integrity of the borders since they were closed due to Covid-19 restrictions.

Defense Minister Dominic Nitiwul said the men were deployed as part of government’s own routine programmes to enhance security at all borders, also Covid-19 related.

And President Akufo-Addo comes to add something about terrorist attacks.

Ketu South military

The inconsistence in this chain of communication just but gives away the fact that there is an ulterior motive why the men in green are in the Volta region towns, however, strongly I wish I am wrong.

To crown it, the government’s spokesperson, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah attempts an insult on our intelligence by asking us to dismiss K.T. Hammond’s assertions since he doesn’t speak for the government.

A legislator with almost 20 years standing? Because he doesn’t hold a government position, I should disregard such heavy comments?

Wow!

The merry-go-round in government on the issue makes me buy into the subterfuge claims from the otherwise noisy opposition despite NADAA’s repeated claims using such machinations to retain power is abhorrent to him.

And for KON, his position is just lame; at best.