A security expert has said any attempt to undermine the democratic gains made under the Fourth Republican Constitution should not be allowed to fester.
He said Ghana is the envy of other countries on the African continent as evidenced by the successful election and the peaceful transfer of power between two democratically-elected administrations, and the effort to pursue prosperity for all should be encouraged.
Reacting to the FixTheCountry demonstration held yesterday in Accra, the security expert said that the group’s promise to bring ‘revolution’ to the country on August 4, was an unfortunate statement which should not be countenanced.
He said the fact that every individual is allowed to express his or her views did not warrant statements that have the tendency to derail the democratic gains made as a country.
War Drums
He said “we have to make it clear to everybody that democracy will always triumph over a lopsided revolution,” adding that “for months the architects of the FixTheCountry campaign sounded war drums and threatened to collapse the Fourth Republic through what they claimed would be a demonstration, unprecedented in the annals of Ghana’s history.”
“The basis for embarking on such a demonstration needs no further elaboration. Countries all over the world have not been spared the economic hardships occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic and many including Ghana have had to implement some difficult measures in the short term to guarantee a full resuscitation of their economies,” he pointed out.
He said “the conveners of the FixTheCountry demonstration deliberately overlooked this fact and opted to crucify the government without recourse to the frantic efforts by the latter to alleviate the COVID-19-induced economic hardships. It is also fair to say that the government has shown good faith in managing the agitations of the FixTheCountry campaigners. Even the most diabolic member of the campaign cannot deny the numerous attempts by the government to engage the conveners through dialogue to address their concerns.”
Deliberate Attempt
The expert said that the insistence, by the conveners, on embarking on a supposed mammoth demonstration even on the back of the recent rise in COVID-19 cases due to high transmissibility of the Delta variant, signalled a deliberate attempt by some opposition elements to court disaffection for government.
“Feeding on the sentiments of a section of the youth over the recent economic hardships, the conveners projected a high turnout for the protests which was scheduled to take place on August 4, a public holiday,” he said.
Discerning Public
The expert said that the ordinary Ghanaian has become discerning enough to appreciate the difference between genuine intent and parochial interest and to decipher truth from lies, adding “clearly, the refusal of many Ghanaians to join the demonstration underscores their appreciation of government’s efforts to resuscitate the economy, which promise to eventually create opportunities for all despite the present unfavourable conditions resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.”
He also said that there is a general unwillingness to contribute to the destruction the Fourth Republic, which remains the most successful in the history of the country and continues to position Ghana as a beacon of democracy in Africa.
“Many Ghanaians are aware of the events that led to the Arab Spring in 2011. Ten years down the line, citizens of countries like Egypt and Libya are yet to realise the dividend of the revolts that toppled their governments. Today, their conditions have rather worsened,” he said, adding “it is the lessons from the actions of the citizens of countries in the Maghreb who have been severely affected by the events of the Arab Spring that continue to serve as a guide for many Ghanaians to opt for democracy over chaos.”