A Founding Member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr Nyaho Nyaho-Tamakloe, has urged government to address social unrest currently ongoing in the country.
“We need to be on the alert knowing that there are constant military overthrows in Africa. The very reasons why these coups d’état are happening in Africa are also being experienced in this country so; the government should address these important matters as we head into 2024 as an election year.”
Dr Tamakloe said this yesterday, when Ghana Today Coalition held a press conference in Accra.
According to him, good governance, anti ethnocentrism, honesty, probity and accountability, anti corruption and integrity of a political leadership, when demonstrated could keep the soldiers in the barracks.
He said no professional soldier had the interest or ambition to run a government, adding that the duties of the soldier were to defend and protect the country as a whole.
Dr Tamakloe said Ghana had been riddled with perceived corruption of political public office holders, amassing unexplained wealth, tribalism, nepotistism and parochial in their interest especially under the current regime.
“How do ministers hoard cash in foreign and local currencies in their homes, acquire properties in prime areas of Accra and other parts of the country, drive the most luxurious cars and live extravagantly and expect our youth who remain largely without meaningful employment to be satisfied,” he said.
He said these were critical warning signs going to destroy the security of the state, adding that “ideally, we should be happy and watch with satisfaction, the present democracy we are enjoying.”
He said there was the need to change the state of governance by tackling the “winner takes all” syndrome and push for the election of MMDCEs as originally planned to make government appointees more accountable to the voters.
He said the corruption among the political class, if not tackled, would plunge the country into trouble.
“As a founding member of the NPP, I am worried over how leading figures in the ruling party’s presidential primaries are now publicly confessing these acts of corruption with accusations of syphoning of public money and coffers to resettle their families abroad,” he stated.
Dr Tamakloe said the current generation of politicians and other leaders should refrain from joining the bandwagon of greedy, corrupt and uncultured miscreants causing chaos and disruption in the political space.
He touched on the performance of the Electoral Commission (EC) and the challenges to Ghana’s democracy ahead of the 2024 general elections.
He recommended that the EC should be made more independent by amending the constitution to require that the EC’s members be appointed by an independent body.
“The EC should be more transparent and accountable to the public by regularly publishing information about its activities and finances and should establish a more effective system for handling complains and grievances,” he said.
A former Chief of Defence Staff, Brigadier General Joseph Nunoo-Mensah called on the youth to rise up and defend the nation.
“We need youth, leadership and patriotism because young people are the future. They are the ones who will inherit the world and face the challenges of tomorrow,” he said.
He however, encouraged young people to be tolerant of divergent views no matter how discontented they were and not resort to violence as a measure to seek redress.
He said political parties should provide young people with opportunities to develop their leadership skills and help them understand their rights and responsibilities as citizens.
BY AGNES OPOKU SARPONG
