Letters
PUBLISHER'S ANNOUNCEMENT
WITH THIS ISSUE, WE TAKE A TWO-WEEK BREAK TO ENABLE THE STAFF OF FOUR TO TAKE A HOLIDAY. THE NEXT ISSUE WILL BE DATED 13 JANUARY 1986 AND WILL BE ON SALE FROM FRIDAY 10 JANUARY 1986.WE THANK ALL OUR READERS FOR THEIR VERY ENTHUSIASTIC PATRONAGE AND WISH THEM ALL THE BEST OF THE SEASON'S GREETINGS.
A VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL.
Stand up and be counted
We woke up on Dec. 31, 1981 to hear that Flt-Lt Jerry John Rawlings had come to save us. It's four years since that day. It seems almost naive to ask the inevitable question: How are things?The men who came to free us from bondage have decreed that we must forcibly live under their decrees. Rawlings and his men have condemned us to the fate of prisoners. We are told that power now rests with us. With who? With you or with me? Certainly not me. And I know it does not rest with you too. Power is in the hands of Jerry Rawlings, Tsikatas and the Ahwois. Power is in the hands of the few "vampires" who have managed to assume positions within the so-called Committees for the Defence of the Revolution. Whose revolution are they defending?
And now look at the economic package they have unleashed on us. We know this for certain: If any elected Government had adopted a third of the harsh measures Rawlings and Kwesi Botchwey have unlea.shed on us, Rawlings would have been the first to overthrow that government. Really, we have been FOOLED. We have been destroyed. So what can we do?
I am aware also that there are many of you who have resigned yourselves to your fate. You have resigned yourselves to the fatalistic view that this is the nation's destiny, that maybe we are enduring our punishment for our lack of patience and our lack of perception. Maybe there is something in that. But how long can we submit so meekly, to this fate? Have we so soon forgotten the brave words which moved our forefathers to wars to defend their heritage the heritage they bequeathed to us? Have we forgotten the words of that great song of Ephraim Amu?
Yen ara asaase ni, Eye abooden de ma yen,
Mogya a nananom hwei gu,
Nye de too ho ma yen,
ADU ME NE WO NSO
SO SE YE BEYE BI ATOA SO
IT IS HIGH TIME WE SHOOK OURSELVES UP. Sing that song all day. Repeat the words all of today. Reflect on their meaning all of today. And you will go to bed tonight in full knowledge that the land which gave us that song cannot be a land of cowards. Augustine Gyamfi, Ntiamoah
Common-man's bitter pill
The 31st December 1981 Coup d'etat by Flt-Lt. J. J. Rawlings was said to be aimed at salvaging the common-man, who had suffered and been neglected throughout previous regimes, be it military or civilian. Since then, the PNDC government has been trying to manipulate the common-man to believe that the rich, politicians and professionals in the society and even the students, have been the cause of their present woes.The common-man has done extremely well for the Rawlings/Tsikata PNDC, in his bid to heave a sigh of relief, in the non-ending economic mess of Ghana. As a matter of fact, the common-man has defended the PNDC revolution in all aspects, namely; chanting slogans, formulating songs of different themes, waving clenched fists and saying "Gye- Nyame". And defying all odds, have managed to retain an unpopular and undemocratic regime to hang on to power till now.
However, as a reward to the common- man, who had throughout the years cherished high hopes for something better from his redeemers, finds it unimaginable, the sort of tricks being played on his intelligence by the PNDC. The little that the government is offering the common-man are as follows.
High transportation fares due to high cost of petroleum products,
High cost of education. Common-man's child has little chance to acquire any form of education at the present cost.
Inflation always mounting!
Health care: Hospital fees are too high for the common-man. When the common-man cannot afford to pay the medical fee, the only alternative is to die.
Salary does not match the high cost of living. Survival depends on how regular one can afford to fast to save for the rest of the month.
Citizens live in constant fear, ie secret arrest leading to either imprisonment without trial or to death by firing squad. This is an indication of tyrannical rule.
"Power to the people," yet it is not reaching the people! It is a pity and unfortunate that the common-man has been used by some power-conscious people to cling on to power.
The common-man has learnt his lesson and will not allow others to jump on his back to power. Should the PNDC ask again "To whom do we hand over power?" The common-man will say "to me."
Yaw Frimpong, West Germany
