Tag Archives: elections

“Dumsor” is Real!

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As time passes rather than getting used to “Dumsor” I get more nervous. My nervousness arises from or for 4 different reasons:

1. Inability to plan because blackouts are unscheduled, unplanned and without warning

2. The rising cost of surviving means that managing recurrent expenses and taking care of daily affairs has become extremely difficult. The monies used for the generator mean less for other important things.

3. The wear and tear on the generator is perhaps amidst the rest of my fears, the biggest. The cost of replacing or repairing generators is massive and knowing that generators like any and all machines have a limit on usage and life

4. I provide “free” power for a few neighbours including the local pharmacy who desperately need power for care… Today was my nightmare day … the machine broke down …. business stopped and alternatives had to be sought! There was no comfort in learning that Adom, The Guide et al have all suffered similar or worse fates!

All I can say to those people who cannot see any correlation between “Dumsor” and productivity is clearly that they have never had to work or been truly productive before … maybe they have simply benefitted from society and individuals and therefore simply do not get it! “DUMSOR” is real

2012 Elections in Ghana …… Observations

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There were times over the last few days when i wondered about our future.

I knew that some of our institutions were “suspect” to say the least and with raised tensions, massive and at times polarised security, unnecessary press conferences, citizenry armed, misleading result information and evidence of mistakenly or intentionally wrong election data.

The emergence of untruths and dodgy rumours meant that as the media failed us, the EC site mysteriously crashed and various live feeds were not the real deal.  We were, seemingly on a course of possible violence and anarchy.

The fact that we didn’t owes more to the natural self restraint of the Ghanaian citizens than to the various institutions established to legitimise both the process and peace!

Given the sad ethnocentric theme which kept rearing it’s head throughout this election (more so than others) we need to be lauded for the present peace.

What i find extremely fascinating, given many factors, was the restraint shown by the apparent loser Nana Akuffo Addo. Given the information which was quickly emerging about numbers fraud in some areas. It would have been easier for a determined and ambitious politician like Nana Akuffo Addo to decide to make allegations of fraud, cheating and conspiracies publicly prior to the EC’s announcement last night confirming John Dramani Mahama as victor but he didn’t.

The fact that he didn’t and chose to seek redress through other means is what makes this process workable in our context.

The future is still uncertain but what is important is that peace is maintained even in the context of any allegation.

Ghana after all must always come first!

Ghanaians

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Friends, please pace yourselves these next three to four months. We’re in beginning of the midst of the toughest time of the year. Lots of tension, misinformation, misunderstanding etc.

It is a time when we must fall on our faith and be guided by the light!

It may be of help if we find a way to release the steam that doesn’t involve assaulting those we love!

It’s easy to destroy now. But if you work at understanding what’s driving you, and recognize when you’re getting burnt and look underneath for the cause, there will be a lot of healing of issues that have trailed you for some time.

We all seek and need peace but we have to recognise that talk alone is never enough. We must start by looking into that mirror!