The Great Decision

Disclaimer***For the purpose of this post,please assume that all generalizations refer to “majority” and certainly not the whole entirety of the generalized group. Now let’s read on.***

My country Ghana is blessed amongst countries. We are fairly and relatively tolerant of each other’s views( except in politics).Even our favorite past time, Football, enjoys this tolerance on and off the pitch and also at our various places of gathering; homes, bars, churches, mosques etc .It is common to see a group of men( sometimes with a sprinkling of women  ) arguing fiercely over a football match ,for or against a particular team or player. Such arguments can be so enthusiastic that one might go ducking for cover thinking a fight was eminent. But give them few minutes and these same people would all be laughing just as loud as one of them had just made a funny but good point in support of his/her team. Even on rare occasions when things would get out of hand, one or two people within the group would automatically assume the role of peace mediators and make sure the argument (discussion) got back on track. Such arguments never got bloody ,although they can go on for days. My uncle, a huge Hearts of Oak supporter still has one going on with his best friend who supports Ashanti Kotoko.  It started 12 years ago. We just do ' onua do' like that without any hesitations.   

My recollection may be more nostalgic than the actual norm but it does point to one fact; that Ghanaians are inherently peaceful people. The question then would be why are we peaceful? Are we just born peaceful or were we just brought up that way?  Some of these questions would make for a PhD thesis, which is neither my intention at this moment nor do I plan on pursuing that in the future. 

During the 2012 elections, our love for peace was tested. Our patience to tolerate the opponents view was stretched to its limits. Some politicians involved didn't help but rather made issues worse in certain parts of the country.  Thankfully, the elections ended without any bloodshed. 

A lot has happened since the elections were held last November.The

result is being contested in court and in a few days, we will have the judgment from the Judges. Since this is a court case, it is safe to assume the outcome could go in anyone's favor. Whatever the direction the Supreme Court takes, tempers are going to flare up. Emotions about the elections have just started cooling down and the Supreme Court’s decision, regardless of which side it goes, will heat then up again. There are calls for calm and peace from all the country; from Civic leaders to our traditional rulers.

Both President Mahama and Nana Akufo-Addo have come out asking their respective supporters to remain calm and respect the decision from the courts. If these calls for peace from these political leaders and other leaders in our country are anything to go by, one can sense the uneasiness in the voices of these leaders. As a matter fact, the atmosphere within the country itself is uneasy pending the decision of the Judges, which makes the trumpeting of peace all the more relevant and timely. Counting on the inherently peaceful nature of Ghanaians, the country is going to return to normal ( whatever your sense of normalcy was before the whole thing started) and nothing of the kind that has happened to many of our neighbors would happen to Ghana. It is my prevent hope that our leaders have contingency plans (not including parading armed police and soldiers on the streets) to suppress any unruly behaviors within their respective support base. We have to understand that this is a test of our democracy in many ways and in the end, whether Ghana wins or loses would be determined by our reactions to the decision from the courts. With that understanding, we should be circumspect in celebrating a favorable decision or showing of anger towards an unfavorable decision.Let's make Ghana proud and remain the peaceful and law abiding citizens we are known to be.