How many roads must one cross in order to be called a man? If it is the case of a Continent called Africa, then in the words of Barack Obama there are four major highways. Many were expecting handshakes and handouts but he hit the nail right on the head and threw the ball straight into our court with the admonishing that how we take it and work with it will be the determining factor in our future development and how we are perceived on the global spectrum.

THE ISSUE OF DEMOCRACY

The news that Barack and Mrs Obama will be visiting us in Ghana was greeted with a lot of joy and it’s a great honour and the people of Ghana can’t wait to say ‘AKWAABA’ to their ‘AMERICA FO KYIA MO’ and as this wont be the first time we have hosted an American President there’s probably a lot to be said for our hospitality…right?
I wouldn’t go as far as politicising it as this was by no means the work of any President past or present and any moves by any faction to score some political marks or erode the pleasantries of this State visit will be in bad taste. They are visiting the people of Ghana and no single Individual so please put the political placards away for a moment and the tribal ‘Ogbonu’ drums in storage and show some solidarity, peace and friendship.

I am just picturing a cute 6 yr old with two front teeth missing bopping up and down with impatience in the back seat of a car on the way to a very exciting event asking the inevitable question: “are we there yet” (justified impatience mind, especially if the journey is taking a tad too long). If I were to apply this analogy to what is happening in the political clime of Ghana today then it certainly does look like watching paint dry. I try to be patriotic but try as I might I can’t seem to catch the fever.

LOOK BEFORE YOU LEAP:

The people of Ghana have spoken but have they really? A landslide victory would have given the incoming President an unopposed majority of the people’s mandate but the closeness of the election results says it all that the country is split in equal halves in their support and opinion. In other words only ‘HALF THE BATTLE’ has been won. Not a very comfortable victory by the looks of it as the other half needs to be won over lest the irate vote of theirs comes out in full force in 4 years time. You don’t have to do the sums to figure out that there is no time for complacency.

ALLAYING THE FEARS OF THE PEOPLE: