The NDC won the 2024 general election with a landslide victory but since then, several observations have been made by many Ghanaians casting doubts, insinuations and denying the NDC the credit of winning the elections all by themselves. Many have attributed the victory to alleged orchestrations of forces on the eve of the elections.
Consequently, in Ghana many airwaves, social media, and political discussions are inundated with reports of mysticisms and prophesies. These conspiracy theories have been hyped to unacceptable levels by the population compelling the government to resort to knee jerk solutions.
The mode of payment known in spiritual realms as confirmed by some “men of God” is “blood” and consequently, they attribute the recent accidents which have claimed 33 lives of Ghanaians, since the NDC assumed power, as part of the payment. It may sound incredible but the total acceptance of the rumours by many Ghanaians make it impossible to diffuse it.
The statement made by the Chairman of the NDC, Asiedu Nketia, during the election campaign emphasising their determination to win the 2024 elections at all cost, only helped to concretise the perception.
Mr. Asiedu Nketia stated, “the path will not be smooth, but we will stand up to the challenge and we are prepared to sacrifice everything, and I mean everything including lives and I mean everything including lives”.
This statement unfortunately has been subjected to many interpretations. One such interpretation is that once the services of forces are engaged, the penalty of sacrifice to appease them cannot be avoided.
The vibrant social media has many stories to buttress this point and has made it extremely difficult for the doubting Thomases to challenge the perception. It is true that nothing in this life is free or to put it in another way, there is nothing as free lunch. Newton’s First Law of Motion confirms that “for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction”.
The spontaneous reaction of Ghanaians to the recent helicopter crash which claimed eight lives was as a result of the polluted atmosphere.
The reaction also exposed the government’s double standards in sharing grief and shows that some Ghanaians are more important than others. On 20th January 2025, less than a month after taking office, nine people lost their lives at Obuasi involving a shootout between some “galamsayers” and the military.
On 31st July 2025, sixteen members of the Saviour Church of Ghana lost their lives in a tragic accident on the Kumasi-Accra Highway on their return from a religious programme.
The failure of government to mourn with the families of these young Ghanaians has badly exposed the government’s double standard in handling bereavement of deceased Ghanaians who may be considered non-partisan. The latest attempt by the Minister for Gender and Children’s Affairs confirmed the assertion that some Ghanaians are more important than others.
The total number of people who have lost their lives in these three tragic accidents since the NDC came to power eight months ago is thirty-three (33). This excludes many individual members of the NDC who have lost their lives, such as Mr Sam Pee Yalley, Ade Coker and others.
In attempt to muffle the rumours, the government took a knee jerk solution that Church leaders with prophesies of national significance be vetted by hurriedly established office of Presidential Envoy for Interfaith and Ecumenical Relations before they are made public.
This is a big joke! How can prophecies be vetted and by whom? Are we serious as a nation? It is stated that the move is part of government’s efforts to “strengthen national coordination on spiritual matters” and to safeguard national stability. Haaaba! This is a party that seriously stood against the building of a National Cathedral by ex-President Nana Addo. How can the national spiritual matters be coordinated in streets or hurriedly prepared offices?
THE Bible encourages believers to test prophecies (1 Thessalonians 5: 20-21) and to discern spirits (1 Corinthians 14; 29). The Bible says interpreting dreams is God’s business – Genesis 40:8.
This means understanding and interpreting dreams and prophesies, requires spiritual discernment. Genuine prophesies come from God and can only be interpreted by men of God with powers of discernment. Well, with the lies and deceit in governance, it should not be a surprise if someone is soon appointed. From another angle this could be an attempt to gag freedom of speech and must closely be monitored.
Ghana is considered a Christian nation with about seventy per cent (70%) of the population; how did we get ourselves messed up like this? Sadly, we seem to have lost our Christian values. During the political campaigns, propaganda, lies and deceit were used to convince the electorate. Now in government, rumours, propaganda, lies, deceit etc (non-Christian values), continue to be the hallmark of governance. Many government decisions of today are camouflaged and the rationale behind policies are hidden from the people. How do the people support these policies to succeed? How do we progress as a nation when decisions taken on behalf of the people are alleged to be influenced by forces of darkness?
The mission of the entourage in the helicopter was to launch a replica of Nana Addo’s community mining initiative, dubbed by the NDC as “Responsible Mining”. The NDC, during the last political campaign promised to “wage a ruthless war against the illegal mining menace and roll out an aggressive programme to reclaim our polluted water bodies, degraded lands and devasted forest reserves”.
To lunch the anti galamsey initiative is pure political talk and cannot be fulfilled. This is because too many government officials are involved in “galamsey” as confirmed by the Minister of Local Government, Ahmed Ibrahim. In addition, the NDC have assured its numerous supporters engaged in “galamsey” that they would be given a free hand to operate if they won the elections.
The “galamsey” situation has dramatically changed requiring a new approach in its resolution. The situation now demands a national solution involving all stakeholders. We have gone beyond the political decisions which merely seek to appease supporters. When the party loses an election, its plans and schemes are dumped by the incoming party to the detriment of the nation. Any plan drawn without the involvement or inputs of all stakeholders, is bound to fail. I am of the view that if former president Nana Akufo-Addo’s Scheme had been reviewed to involve all stakeholders, this accident could have been avoided.
Let us all approach the solution to the “galamsey” menace with patriotism, unity, commitment and avoid propaganda, lies and deceit which seem to divide the nation.
I have said it before, and I will repeat it. You can win elections by deceiving the people, but when it comes to governance, TRUTH is the key!
Brig-Gen (Rtd) J. Odei