Ghanaians Urged To Maintain Peace After 2020 General Election

NEWS COMMENTARY ON  MAINTAINING THE PEACE POST ELECTION

Ghana went on its knees before God for peaceful elections this year so that the country can continue to develop with improved standard of living for the citizens. Thankfully, December 7 had come and gone. One critical period after the election is the declaration of results and the acceptance by the competing parties. It’s a crucial period that needs to be managed well to ensure that all parties are on one page for the betterment of Ghana. It is imperative to call the attention of all citizens, especially the youth to guard jealously the peace, and national cohesion the country enjoys. The youth are the hope of Ghana’s future.

Therefore they should not allow self-seeking politicians to misdirect their energies into destructive activities which will not promote a better tomorrow for them. The country is looking up to our enterprising youth to be creative and use innovative ideas for national advancement.
By the grace of God, Ghana has held successful elections since 1992 with the ushering in of the 4th Republic on January 7, 1993.  It is no secret that during elections in any human endeavour there will be victors and losers.  When people do not resolve differences peacefully in elections, it creates acrimony and tension in society.  The stakes are even higher in national elections which involve the election of Presidents and Parliamentarians.  Thankfully, things have been managed mutually in the past 27 years of constitutional rule with Ghana being the Winner.

Ghanaians have just been to the polls to elect a President and Parliamentarians with some minor disagreements here and there.  Disagreements among political actors should not degenerate into violence.  After all, what use will it be if one wins an election and have to preside over citizens who are hospitalized because they sustained injuries in electoral violence?  We need not forget that in any violence children and women are the most affected. There is consequently the need to preach tolerance in all activities in schools and other social gatherings. Religious leaders take pride in the fact that their congregants are made up of people of different political ideologies.  They are therefore at a strategic position to appeal to political actors and their followers to be measured in their utterances and pronouncements as they try to state their positions of disagreements. Peace, love, fellow feeling and unity are critical ingredients that provide societal cohesion.

We are witnesses to scenes of election violence and how such unfortunate developments have eroded the democratic gains of countries.  It is the hope and prayer of all that such scenes will be constant reminders to Ghanaians to avoid acts and utterances that can result in violence and undermine development. Ghana has a number of developmental challenges, including the worrying youth unemployment situation, so cannot sacrifice the future of young people, in the name of political expedience.  The issue of party supporters attacking and locking public offices at the least provocation should not be encouraged in the country’s democratic journey.  It should be made clear that such facilities represent our collective taxes, so no group of people should think they have the right to just attack or destroy them.  The facilities are not for political parties.  Even offices of political parties, when they come under attack, are not seen as party property.

This is why the national security agencies, especially, the police take keen interest in such matters because of the criminal nature.  How much more State facilities.  Political leaders must denounce their supporters who perpetrate such dastardly acts.
We should promote an exchange of ideas.  Winners and losers in elections should know that they are two sides of the same coin, because, constructive criticism is healthy for national discourse to accelerate progress and development of our dear country, Ghana.

BY REVEREND EMMANUEL ANTWI-TUMFUOR NATIONAL DIRECTOR OF EVANGELISM OF THE E.P.CHURCH, GHANA