Letters
What did we fight for?
This is my first trip outside West Africa. I have been to West Germany and I am now in the UK.At the age of 35, I am too young to have witnessed World War II or understand what it was really about. On this trip I have been hearing and seeing a lot about the 40 years celebrations of the end of the war. I have talked to a number of people - common people - on both sides who fought in the war when I go to pubs etc.
From my understanding, the war was a struggle to end the domination of Hitler and the Nazis under whom there was no freedom of speech and people lived in constant fear of the SS and of being arrested and imprisoned without trial, where there was no free speech and Hitler's word was law.
There is constant talk in West Africa about the "fight" for independence and the "fight" for the liberation from the domination of colonialists. There is nothing to indicate that under the colonialists, people could be arrested for speaking their mind or arrested and kept without trial or that there was no freedom of speech. In fact, it appears there were flourishing West African papers that could comment freely and criticise the colonial masters. One hears talk of the exploits of people like Zik of Africa (Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe of Nigeria) Bankole Timothy, Wuttoh Offei and even Kwame Nkrumah on various newspapers.
Now that "fight" has been supposedly won, we, in West Africa, are constantly having to live under dictators in various shapes and forms, currently represented by Buhari in Nigeria, Rawlings in Ghana, Doe in Liberia, Eyadema in Togo, Siaka Stevens in Sierra Leone etc. The only governments in the region that even try to uphold what the aims of the "fight" were are Senegal and Gambia and hopefully, Cameroon.
It is time the rulers of West Africa - self-imposed or elected realised that for as long as people live in fear of arrest without trial and there is no free speech and the people have no say in how their Countries are governed, they themselves will have no peace and the atmosphere needed for development I will never be available.
Olu Ogundipe, London
Who killed John Wilson?
I have read the open letter to Flt-Lt Rawlings in your last issue and I have only one question to ask the Chairman in addition to those posed by the writer.This is about the murder of John Ofori Wilson last year. He was arrested from his house by security agents, his mutilated body bearing gunshot wounds was later discovered in a park in Accra. Why has there not been an inquiry to establish who were responsible for his death?
If John Wilson's dog, or Mr Rawlings' dog, for that matter, had been taken by any government authorities (MOH or veterinary officer) for biting somebody, and its carcass was subsequently found abandoned somewhere in Accra, wouldn't there have been an inquiry to dictatorial governments in Africa. establish who was responsible?
Kofi Amevor, Brighton, Sussex
Poles apart
When I read Elizabeth Ohene's article some time ago entitled "Poles Apart", I thought her, comparison of Ghana and Poland was a little far-fetched.However, on hearing on the radio last week, a statement by the Polish Minister for Religious Affairs, made after the convictions of the murders of the Polish priest Father Popieluscko, I think she had a valid point after all.
The Religious Affairs Minister was reported as saying that the murdered Priest should have been arrested and jailed two years for anti-state activities and that if he had been arrested then, his subsequent abduction, murder and trials would have been avoided! This statement reminded me of one made by the Chairman of a Tribunal which acquitted Rawlings' nephew on a charge of murder. The Tribunal Chairman stated that if the murdered man had not been selling petrol above the controlled price, the murderer would not have gone to the Petrol station and there would have been no shooting.
Perhaps Ghana and Poland are not poles apart, after all.
Nii Armah, Accra
Excellent piece of work
After reading Mrs Maud Kordylas' two-part article "Basis for technological development" (January 28) I would like to congratulate her for the excellent piece of work.If due importance is given to it by all developing countries it might help us to solve our development problems. The article should not only be considered for Ghana, but Africa as a whole.
The rulers in Africa should give democracy a chance because it is under such atmosphere that the issues Mrs Kordylas raised could be brought to fruition. "A nation cannot deny her heritage and hope to survive on other nation's heritage". This is one of her most important assertions that I loved and enjoyed.
These so called developed countries didn't just get up to get all they have today. First, they came to understand their problems, and through hardwork and dedication managed to overcome those obstacles. Today, their children and their children's children are enjoying the fruits of their labour.
If other nations have been able to do that why not our dear Africa? In my view it is simply because individual initiative is suppressed. We are the victims of dirty politics since the days of colonialism to the present day
Sheika U. Koroma,
Sulinger, West Germany
The beam in Reagan's eyes
I really wonder about President Reagan every time I hear him talking about freedom and American support for supposed freedom fighters in El Salvador, Afghanistan, Nicaragua and other places.Here in Liberia, we have only known the United States and everything of ours is modelled after that country. Not only is our currency the almighty US dollar, all our institutions are named after US ones.
Our present leader is, I believe, the only African leader to have been entertained in the Reagan White House (at a time that the then Master Sergeant's hands must have been still dripping with the blood of those who lost their lives during his coup).
One had hoped that President Reagan would be interested in what is happening to the ordinary people in Liberia, which has been a client state of the US for over 100 years. But there is nothing to show that President Reagan sees or cares about what is happening currently in Liberia.
It is very difficult for some of us to appreciate the concern that President Reagan expresses for people in Afghanistan etc, who have never been traditionally known to have relations with the US, while Liberia, which used to be known as the 51st state of the US is labouring under the very things that President Reagan decries in far off places every day.
J. L. Nelson, Monrovia, Liberia
