Once upon a time Ghana was doing all the right things to flatten the curve
But Covid-19 is no respecter of persons
We locked down hotspots in the country when infections were under 2000.
But Covid-19 is no respecter of persons
Then came time to consider political interests
But Covid-19 is no respecter of persons
We kept Parliament sitting so we could change the definition of citizenship, even when positive cases showed up in Parliament
But Covid-19 is no respecter of persons
We changed the methodology for managing positive cases even as cases increased
But Covid-19 is no respecter of persons
We held party primaries ignoring safety protocols in spite of increasing infections
But Covid-19 is no respecter of persons
Our Electoral Commission insisted on a new register even in spite of multiple voices insisting it was needless in a pandemic
But Covid-19 is no respecter of persons
Our Supreme Court held up the need for a new register, in spite of increasing infections and the presence of a good voter’s register
But Covid-19 is no respecter of persons
We are ok exposing millions of regular Ghanaians to Covid-19 as they queue to register for a new register that we could have avoided
But Covid-19 is no respecter of persons
COVID-19 will go where we let it, and it has started to exact its toll.
Maybe now that it is hitting the political class, the movers and shakers in Ghana, we will all accord #COVID-19 the importance it deserves
The politics in Ghana is too much
Just ended primaries for npp was bloody, imagine if there were any opposition. The judges know in their mind they are not helping the country. Common sense theory shows but for political purposes the judges allowed. I believe we are going to read most of their obituaries before the elections. Their wickedness is too much
Chief Ackah thanks for the comment. I sincerely hope it doesn’t end up like that.
Great piece
Thanks Joojo
‘Covid – 19 is no respector of persons’ but life goes on. The Americas, Spaniards, Italians and the Europeans etc have registered the worst of Covid-19 cases and deaths, yet they couldn’t keep their citizens under ‘lock and key’ forever because life goes on.
In any case Covid-19 would never stop close to 16m Ghanaian voters from queuing to exercise their franchise in one day on the 7th of December. Electoral violence has the potential of taking lives in a day that Covid-19 might take 1000 days to. Let’s risk and get the register right, while religiously enforcing the safety protocols, while manning our borders with armed security to ensure lives of our citizens who gather to register are not threatened by foreigners who might infiltrate.
When we risk and go to the market places and shopping malls, work places etc to eke out a living for ourselves and families let’s be encouraged to observe the Covid-19 safety protocols. We do all these because corona kills and hunger also kills.
If the constitution would not permit the sitting president a seamless continuation as president after December 7 without election, risking to have a free and fair election outcome is a risk worth taking because Corona kills and electoral related violence also kills.
It has never been right with our electoral register. Both political parties have accused each other in the past over flawed electoral register, so for once let take the risk and get the records right. It is our wish that all citizens could stay indoors and have no need to go out there to interact with people in these periods of Covid-19 but man must survive. Ghanaians must vote. If it must be done, it must be done right.
Sorry for the politicaians who might be going down with Corona but all lives matter. Corona deaths are no worse than electoral ralated deaths. The only contrast is that only the poor, needy, ordinary Ghanaian and the non-entities who carry machetes and defend the Politicians go down with election related violence but as succinctly stated ‘Covid-19 is no respector of persons’
Felix from what I am reading you are ready to accept the coming Covid-19 deaths in the name of an election? Can we achieve the same objective without sacrificing lives? There has to be a better way, we have to be able to think outside the box. we cannot accept the current process and the likely deaths that would go with it as the cost of doing business. Remember dead people don’t vote, and they can’t be voted for either.
Time needed to think outside the box was wasted protesting against the compilation of a new register. We pray no one loses their life just because they have to vote. But there are prices to pay for every choice we make in life.
You have very genuine reasons against the process but the price for a flawed electoral register can be too expensive to pay. Rwanda is on my mind.