Making Some Sense Out Of IGP’s Phrase

There is an electoral competition coming in November God willing. A competition to win the thumbs of the people to lead the people.

The political temperature is heating up and will get to its peak a few days to the election day itself and could probably get worse or better depending on our actions and inactions as a people on the streets, in our rooms, homes, offices, towns and villages, cities, political party offices, schools, colleges, universities and most importantly on the back of the animal called social media where many people shake hands with the world every second.

Depending on your orientation, capacity to think and your ability to know what is good or bad, wrong or right. You could use social media to “make or unmake” society and cause social chaos and turn back the hands of time.

There are bandits, badnuts, misfits and even madmen and women on social media who usually appear faceless on Facebook fanning tribalism and promoting religious hatred in a nation that hitherto knows no such idiocy.

Today, they have extended it to politics and politricks, tricking all of us with cooked lies and half truths to force us to hate one person or another to suit their parochial personal interests, whims and caprices and try to indoctrinate all of us to hate one political party, people, one religious group or another.

They try to insight us to kill one person or another for no crime committed. They feed us with very toxic materials to read all in the name of social media.

Looking through his security lenses and sensing the threats and dangers posed by these groups of faceless individuals on Facebook ahead of our elections, the IGP says considering the dangers social media poses today and as part of the many strategies and plans they are considering is a “possible blocking ” of social media on election day and bam! Hell breaks loose.

We all love social media but I will like us to reflect deeply on his proposal and if possible hold a public debate to proffer alternatives on the way forward instead of the blanket condemnations.

Wouldn’t it be beautiful if we sat together as a people over a bowl of cola to debate on the proposal of the IGP than castigate him?

Is our democracy not about expressing varied opinions?

When did we get to this that a common proposal sparks war of words between people who eat, drink, sleep and wake up talking security and people who eat, sleep, drink and wake up loving Facebooking, Tangoing and whatsapping?

Come on! Let’s respect our leaders small and trust on our institutions to deliver us the great nation we all wish for ourselves.

Have we thought of a situation where the security of the state on election day will be breached and the whole country blaming it on the security services and the IGP for that matter and people saying he is the only IGP who has failed this nation in terms of keeping the peace of the country intact during election since 1992?

Have we thought that the challenges that social media poses today is a thousand times greater than it did in 2000 through to 2012?

I will like to plead in the name of God that instead of engaging in the battle of words, let’s consider engaging ourselves in a battle of ideas so that the best idea carries the day.

Let’s stick to caution always instead of factions and colours. When it comes to security of the state, let’s all strive to be colour blind, be spiritually strong and stand firmly behind those we have given the mandate and duty of “watchmen ” to take care of our nation to.

Let’s avoid the situation whereby when we talk about rain, there’s an Npp rain and an Ndc rain. When a goat thief is arrested, he is either an Ndc thief or an Npp thief.

This behavior is killing our country gradually and pushing away people who could have contributed ideas for the betterment of our country from commenting on very important matters of state.

Let’s stop the battle of wits and pull ourselves together in a battle of wills and can do spirit. Let’s do the battle with our mouths now than be forced to do it later with our fists, legs or even lives.

The IGP may have been wrong in proposing this idea but it falls within his remit as a security capo to think ahead and take proactive steps instead wait to be confronted with trouble to take take reactive measures.

We all love our social media especially Facebook, Twitter and whatsapp and can’t afford to go a day without it, but shouldn’t we be happy that the IGP decided to throw it up in the public social space to test the pulse of the nation than to spring a surprise on us on election day?

I love social media with all my heart just like many other Ghanaians do but I will not descend into the gutters and insult leaders for only making a common proposal to block what I love so much for a day to ensure I live in peace.

If social media has the tendency to breach our peace, let’s talk about it now or never!

MOHAMMED ABDUL HANAN EL-SAEED
Chiraa Police Station
Sunyani District
Brong Ahafo Region
0244087295
[email protected]