THE SILENCE OF NATIONAL PEACE COUNCIL; FUEL OF POLITICAL VIOLENCE

Rev.Prof. Emmanuel Asante, Chairman, National Peace Council

On a mellow morning of Sunday,November 13, when the day looked young but promising, supporters of the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) undertaking a walk, allegedly veered off to Nana ADDO Dankwa Akufo-Addo's Nima residence and reportedly hurled stones into the opposition leader's residence.

Media reports had revealed that the loud, over joyous party fanatics tried to enter the house but met resistance from security men who were at post. It is also reported that there was not an initial provocation whatsoever from the former Attorney General's residence.

It is not surprising to see or hear of such gross indiscipline from some supporters of political parties in the country as we approach elections.

Whether these party fanatics are from the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC), the main opposition party New Patriotic Party (NPP),Dr Papa Kwesi Nduom's Progressive People's Party (PPP) or the Convention People's Party (CPP), these animalistic acts of attacking people from other political parties is archaic, childish and bilious which should be stopped by peace-loving authorities.

At the time of putting together this article, a section of Ghanaians on social media particularly on Facebook had maligned Joy FM, Citi FM and my own Peace FM for doing "bias reportage" on today's clash in favour of the NPP. Their point?  The security detail of the opposition leader was the first to fire warning shots to scare the crowd when they got to MR. Akuffo Addo's residence.

Predictably, the police would not effect any arrest. That is left for another day.

Moreover, Irrespective of where a politically motivated  violence emanates from,there should be a body to condemn it since we have said in the past and now that Ghana is a peace - loving country.

I have problems with the National Peace Council, a body which should see to the rebuking of these acts, but now appears to be irrelevant at a time the country needs it most.

To me, it has lost its worth and is almost none existent.
Its continuous silence in the face of all these political violence, that is approaching at a dangerous speed and is likely to mar the beauty of the upcoming elections, leaves much to be desired by well thinking Ghanaians.

Just like little drops of water contribute to an Ocean, the Council ought to know that peace is not destroyed in a day and that there are many examples to show that their loud silence is the fuel with which the engines of political pandemonium are running.

Though, the perpetrators of this disgusting yet hailed acts must be called to order,it fails because their leaders benefit from it. They turn deaf ears on them, but that does not justify that the hypocrisy of these politicians should be overlooked.

Someone should please remind Rev Professor Emmanuel Asante, Presiding Bishop of the Methodist Church Ghana and the Chairman of the National Peace Council that these, just like the biblical little foxes in the songs of Solomon, destroy the vineyard.

The accumulation of provocation that begets onslaught from political rivals, the continuous yelling of  insults, threats of violence and ethnic sentiments all across the country are the very things which bulldoze  the peace of this country.

Ghana is all we have. We cannot afford to ruin it with these manageable acts of coercion from political thugs whose agenda is borne out of greed and selfish.

There is an Akan adage that goes like "Ɔpanyin tena fie ma mmɔfra we nanka a, wɔrekan nanka wefoɔ a, wɔka ho bi."
To wit: If an elder at home looks on for kids to eat pythons, he counted among those who eats python. (Akans  do not eat pythons)

This adage should tell the council something because a section of Ghanaians are counting it among the python eaters.

Just recently, a junior brother of Hon. Collins Dauda, the minister for Local Government and Rural Development, revealed that he has been killing to retain the Asutifi South constituency seat for his brother.

This is what he told Kwabena Prah Jnr on Kumasi based Agyenkwa Fm: "Who is Kennedy Agyapong to threaten me with death? we have been killing before he was born. I have killed human beings and I will finish anybody with bad intentions against us before his time."

These comments from Naaba Abdullai, who is alleged to be brewing violence in the area, was a reply to the Assin North legislator, Kennedy Agyapong, who had gone there to promise him a counter attack if he (Naaba) intimidated their party supporters during the December polls like he always does.

However, the next day, Hon. Agyapong is reported to have said on Goaso-based Success FM that Hon Collins Dauda had called him earlier on to apologise for the unintelligent, witless comments of his younger brother.

In the midst of all these and other political violence which brevity would not allow to be discussed here, the twelve or so  highly respected members of the Peace Council have kept mute with glee.

Among the many policy objectives of the council,the one that defines its work conspicuously is "Address the structural causes of pre-conflict as well as post-conflict situations in order to enhance human security."

What happened to the above policy? Is the council prevented from dealing with political related violence? Is the whip to be cracked being held by some strong fists in government?
Does the council know its silence has a meaning?

Is the Peace Council, as usual, waiting to cry over spilt milk?

My simple advice from  Dietrich Bonhoeffer to  the NPC is : “Silence in the face of evil is itself evil: God will not hold us guiltless. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act.

The writer, Emmanuel Henryson Okrah, is a broadcast journalist and a reporter with Peace FM and Sikamannews.com
His email is henrysonokrah@gmail.com