Dear reader: are you one of those Ghanaians who thinks our country desperately needs military rule to “cleanse it of its sins” and put its “broken” house in order?
Well, if you are, I regret to inform you that Ghana will never, ever again, return to the dark days of military juntas.
Perhaps, given the spate of lawlessness in the country, and the glaring inability of the government — the ruling NPP— to curb it, you are among the many entertaining the notion that the Ghana Armed Forces should step in, push the incompetent civilians aside and bring some calm.
Strangely, those who should know better have expressed a misplaced desire for the return of military rule. Former President John Kufour brought it up a few days ago, and so did the ever talkative former Brigadier General Nunoo Mensah.
Both Mr. Kufuor and Brigadier General Mensah, respectable statesmen that they are, did not arrive at their conclusions out of the blue. One vividly understands what prompted their yearnings for a return to military rule.
Like millions of their country men and women, they are clearly exasperated with the current state of affairs in the country.
Things have steadily been building to a crescendo and culminated in the senseless murder of Captain Maxwell Mahama last month by a band of violent small town residents leaving no doubt that our dear nation is in the throes of unspeakable violence.
Small time crooks, aggressive and deadly armed robbers and opportunistic political vigilante groups have all contributed to the atmosphere of fear and panic hanging over our country.
Ghanaians are helpless and with their political leaders seemingly incapable of providing relief of any kind, they have began to entertain the notion that perhaps, just perhaps, military rule will be the antidote they have been looking for all along.
But I have my doubts whether the Ghana military will take up the offer of intervening to restore law and order. You see, the Ghana army of today is not your grandfather’s army of bygone eras. Today’s army is well trained, better educated, and well paid.
Renown worldwide for its discipline and professionalism, the Ghana army just does not have the appetite for anything remotely close to staging a military coup. Members of the armed forces would rather discharge their constitutionally mandated duties of defending and protecting our national sovereignty from internal and foreign aggression than usurping political power.
I am sure the high command of the Ghana army is acutely aware of the reputational damage that would befall the institution should it even contemplate forcefully removing a duly elected democratic civilian government.
That aside, there will be immediate repercussions: regional and international partners will isolate the new military regime, and do everything in their power to weaken and delegitimize it. Economic disruption will certainly follow and with it the unavoidable social upheaval.
It is worth noting that the global political climate no longer tolerates adventurous military types. Period. In fact, military rule is a relic of the past; it is obsolete and unfit for the modern era.
Our country has come a long way since we decided that democracy was our best way forward. Of course, our democratic journey has not been perfect;democracy can turn ugly sometimes and we have had our successes and shortcomings; but that should not deter us from plodding along.
We should not be lured into thinking that military rule would be the magic wand for our social problems. Far from it. Any change of our government should always occur constitutionally, through the time-tested method of voting.
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