Letters
STAND UP AND FIGHT
It is nearly two years since Flt-Lt. Rawlings and his men took power by force of arms from democratically elected government. In his first speech to the nation and the whole world at large, he said that he was prepared to face firing squad if he failed to put the country's economy back on its feet in two years. Now his two years is almost up and things in Ghana today are worse than when he took over. So it is crystal clear that he has failed abysmally.Is Flt-Lt. Rawlings going to offer himself to be shot? The answer depends on the politicians at home. They must all join hands and form one political union and demonstrate openly for a return to democracy (as it is happening in some parts of the world) No party leader must regard himself as would-be leader of the country right now but must all join the struggle for democracy.
Long Live Ghana.
K. Sarpong
Reinbeck, West Germany
WHO IS DISGRUNTLED?
Acheampong, when he found the going tough and opposition groups springing up, branded everybody save his bootlickers, 'disgruntled politicians’. This was against the background of his own confession that he planned his coup six months after Busia had been sworn-in as Prime Minister. Of course, he wasn't indeed!A young Air Force Officer came into the political scene in 1979, 'withdrew tactically' for a democratically elected government to enable him to make a better preparation to stage a come-back.
He indeed came and self seeking academicians, school drop outs, social misfits, and people who could never have passed democratic test of election, swarmed around him to give him the necessary fillip for his 'revolution'.
One of his disciples, Prof. Mawuse Dake, PNDC Secretary, has recently started calling all opposing groups, 'disgruntled politicians'. My heart aches for him because I thought his academic feat had put him in a better position if not to make objective appraisal of situations, at least to be honest.
Prof., who is more disgruntled, the politician who has never been allowed time to use his wits to develop the country or the Colonels, Brigadiers, Majors, Flt. Lieutenants, Warrant Officers, Corporals etc supported by their civilian cronies who have never felt satisfied squatting in their barracks, but have always snatched power to mismanage and rape the country's resources?
And again Prof. who has the right to rule Ghana? With so much of your learning, which best way do you suggest Ghana should choose its leaders? What your so called 'disgruntled politicians' are after is simply a free society where every Ghanaian will be given the opportunity and freedom to exercise his inalienable political right - to elect his leaders or stand to be elected.
If by your words and deeds, Prof, you have considered the mode and manner Rawlings came to power as acceptable, then on what moral ground do you stand to condemn dissidents preparing to overthrow the PNDC?
Ruling Ghana is never and will never be the prerogative of Flt. Lt. Rawlings, the Tsikatas the Mawuse Dakes and the likes. Dear 'Disgruntled Politicians', I am with you always.
K. O. Boateng, Nigeria
ENOUGH IS ENOUGH
The PNDC Government was unable to go ahead with the Military Training exchange programme with Libya. Sometimes one wonders whether this PNDC government is really serious and has the interest of the people of Ghana at heart.It is a well known fact that since Tsikata-Rawlings clique overthrew the lawfully elected government of Ghana, so many pronouncements and empty exaltations have been the order of the day. Faced with the realities, they employ all diabolical means to create a state of tension and hatred, and thereby court public sympathy for which they are not worth.
Many Ghanaian citizens have been killed or maimed or families set apart because of foolish political experiment. The sovereign ty of Ghana has been surrendered to the world's most terrorist states, Libya and Cuba. For this Rawlings and Tsikata clique to just think of exchanging troops whilst the people of Ghana have no fuel to even bring food to the urban centres, no foreign exchange to import food and people are exchanging their hard earned properties for food, is beyond reason.
When the country is passing through the most critical periods of its history, when anarchy is prevalent, when reason has gone to the beast it is sad indeed to use the very few that is left in the coffers for useless military show of strength.
It is high time all of us Ghanaians stood up and said enough is enough.
Ghana does not need Libyan soldiers on its soil or the Cubans. Both countries have their own problems of ignorance, poverty, malnutrition and suppression of human rights. If they have anything good to offer they better first tackle their own problems.
It is a well known fact that wherever these so-called revolutionaries rear their ugly heads. poverty, human degradation, arbitrary imprisonment, separation of families, creation of refugees follow as the day follows the night. The latest example is Grenada.
Ghanaians and their fatherland cry aloud "Enough is Enough.".
Yaw Mensah
London
WE DON'T NEED GUERILLAS
I want to comment on the letter from Yaw Sampson on October 10th, 1983 about what Elizabeth Ohene would have said if the children sent to Cuba were rather sent to America and Britain.Without doubt Ghana's educational system needs serious changes but who are we to change it while lecturers are being beaten up by soldiers which compel them to leave the country in dismay.
We do not need terrorists and guerillas in Ghana because we are fed up with terrorism and killing of innocent civilians and object of pathological hatred like judges. What can Cuba teach Chanaians and what have they got to offer when about 40,000 Cubans have migrated to United States as political refugees. No country has been successful under military administration. Nicaragua, Chile, Poland and Cuba are clear examples of this fact.
Cosmos Abus
