THE GOVERNMENT, GITMO AND THE SPIRIT OF COMPASSION

Prez. John Mahama

 Since news broke that our government has in a ‘secret’ meeting accepted to house two former Guantanamo terror suspects now declared ‘low risk’ suspects, the media, political opponents and the country’s conscience has been pricked. A lot of talk, some based on genuine concerns, others for political advantage and others joining the chorus, has gone on for weeks unending.

I’m not interested in the debate as to whether the two ex-detainees, Khalid al-Dhuby and Mahmoud Omar Bin Atef, are terrorist at all or ‘low risk’ and it’s defined. According to the government spokespersons, who seem to be singing from one ‘this-is-what-you-must-tell-the-people’ note pad and quoting a 2010 US Security document, these two have been cleared of any wrong doing thus are innocent.  According to government spokespersons, the often quoted 2007 US Security Report on the detainees listing them as ‘low-risk’ terrorists is inaccurate.

The former GITMO detainees

I’m not interested in the palpable fear these two may pose to the security of Ghanaians. The argument has been made that their alliance with Al-Qaeda-which we are told is far-fetched, could put the country at risk of future terror attack.

I’m not interested in the question of whether the government is footing any bills for hosting these two individuals. The explanations to this question has been, for lack of a better description, akin to an agbadza dance (two steps forward, two back).  Earlier, the Communication Ministry through the Deputy Minister, Felix Kwakye Ofosu said the government is not bearing any cost in hosting the GITMO 2. Later, the US Embassy official contradicted the government position saying the government of Ghana is bearing a fraction of the cost. Later, the US Embassy came to retract its statement.

Who I’m I to doubt the President, when he said at his meeting with journalists’ fortnight ago, that he accepted to host the GITMO 2 based on his Christian principle of compassion. As a Christian, it is your duty to express compassion to the suffering. Legitimate.

In the whole GITMO 2 conversations, one point I keep hearing is why the government or president didn’t inform the people of Ghana before taking this action. In other words, why wasn’t the views of the good people of Ghana, who have elected the president to its position and for whom he should be accountable to, decided to side step us; keep us in the dark about the whole affair with the US.

I chuckle whenever I hear such point made by political opponents, opinion leaders and ordinary Ghanaians. My chuckle is born by this: whether if those making these request really know a time in our history when the governments we have had had ever consulted us on any of its actions.

The only time the government(s) come to ask of our views or opinions on any subject is when it is time to elect a new government, which is every four years. That’s the time they remember how important we are in shaping the destiny of the country.

I won’t attempt to know the reason why the framers of the Constitution chose for us a hybrid system of government-where there is an Executive and a Legislative branches exist independently. But, I’m tempted to think it’s to ensure that the chosen Parliamentarians, who are our representatives-would speak for us (their constituents). That is, when there is a serious matter at stake, these Parliamentarians would consult their constituents and would communicate the consensus reached by their people.

But again, wasn’t the Parliament of Ghana side stepped in this arrangement? And they heard it via the Fox News reportage about Ghana accepting to house these two Yemenis like all of us?

Isn’t it the usual occurrence that many a times, when serious national issues are to be discussed in Parliament, our representatives choose to put forth their political parties cloak rather than that of Ghana? That’s they vote based on their political party sympathies rather than consider the national interest? There are a lot of issues to give credence to this issue. Recent example; the Ghana and AMERI Power deal.

Truth be told, this brand of democracy we have been practicing since 1992 has many positives which as people, we are very proud and happy to continue advancing. But, when the people feel they are being treated with contempt, their views not considered; their government lying to them and making excuses for their actions, then the tenet of democracy is being defeated. And that could be dangerous.

But, we are told the President has a record of taking very unpopular decisions. This is not the first. These unpopular decisions, according to government spokespersons, yield positive outcome at the end of the day. After all, the mark of a great leader is your ability to take bold, calculative and far fetching decisions when the time comes.

We dier, Ghana We Dey.