The abuse of human rights has long bedeviled the Ghanaian.
Criminal practices continue to be perpetrated by both foreign
and local elements. Of explicit memory was the case of an
African American, who married a local girl and put her up at
Adenta some sixteen years ago. He brought upon her grave
abuse, which was reported, but did not go viral because there
was no social media at the time (or that he was American).
In one of his effusions, he was said to have told her to
remember that she was the child of slaves, ironically,
forgetting his roots were from this beautiful continent called
Africa.
There was also the case of a Chinese person who made an employee
lick back his own spit because he spat on the factory floor.
But we did not agitate, why?
HOW CRIMINAL and HEINOUS!
I was deranged to hear of a rather bizarre incident at the Labadi
branchof Marwako. It was alleged that a foreigner managing the
place shoved the face of a lady employee in fresh ground pepper
for ten minutes, and locked her up in a room for over six hours.
Something must have happened, but my colleague media
practitioners should have been more professional and circumspect
with their reportage in their zeal to fight injustice.
Professional media houses like Peace fm and citi fm to whom I doff
my hat, should have heard the other side of the story instead of
starting a crisis for a local business company with over four hundred
employees. One couldn’t stand ten seconds in pepper much less 600
seconds (10 minutes). Besides, Ghanaians will never stand aloof and
watch such gross abuse of human rights take place before their very
eyes. So I would have thought that responsible reporting might have
done this case a lot of good such that justice would be obtained for all.
In light of the revelations, it so turned out that the culprit splashed the
ground pepper into a bowl and some jettisoned onto the victim’s face.
Yes, he was foolishly and unnecessarily angry but to have locked her up
in a room for well over six hours without treatment would have killed the
girl.
So my brethren, it is a matter of reasoning. There is no doubt in my mind
that the girl needs to be compensated appropriately and the culprit
deported soonest.
However, all said and done, having noticed the backlash of
unprecedented xenophobic rhetoric against Lebanese and
foreigners in general, it is the civil responsibility of every citizen
to understand that we do not wish a second South Africa in our
country. As we fight foreign authorities to save the lives
of Ghanaians abroad, we must also endeavour to be fair
to foreigners in our land.
There is no doubt that singular and isolated incidents of abuse do
happen, and when they do, no particular race must be punished
collectively for such individual cases. Why must a whole race be
punished for a singular incident of this nature? Lebanese have
been in Ghana for well over one hundred and fifty years.
Some even toiled with their local brethren in the Ghanaian
fight for independence, so must such a rich history of
inter-racial coexistence be jeopardized because of the
criminal folly of one individual?
Calling for the boycotting of Marwako is tantamount to destroying the
livelihoods of over 400 employees of that fast food chain. These people
are paid and well catered for. For what it is worth, it is as criminal as
the isolated acts of abuse that we kick against to begin a boycott
campaign against Marwako. On the night of March 5, I stopped by
the Abelenkpe branch of Marwako to satisfy my grumbling belly.
Lo and behold, four thugs on bikes pulled up to the side of the building
and rushed into the restaurant. They ransacked the place, struck the tall
chicken grill with a chair, and tried to make away with the cash register.
As they did that, they hurled many xenophobic abuses until they were
accosted by the security and some workers of the branch, who got
beaten up in the process, too. Is that the kind of mob justice
we journalists want to hype?
My colleague media folks, is this the line we want to tow as Ghana
celebrates her 60th Independence anniversary?
Never shall the days of undignified assault return to our dear country.
We will never allow that we be tormented in our own country, but we
must also never allow ourselves to torment foreigners who have been
at peace with us for over one and half centuries due to the singular
and individual act of a raging brute.
Let us diffuse this unnecessary tension as the victim seeks legal redress.
We call on the Police to investigate this matter fair and square. We also
demand of the Ghana Immigration Service to revoke the permit of the
assailant and tag him as “Persona non Grata”.
Signed
Fadi Dabbousi
Convener, Alert Ghana
Cc: All media Houses LMVCA
Ghana Must Know Forum
All Civil Society Groups
Source: Fadi Dabbousi/ Convener, Alert Ghana
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Foreigners abuse of our hospitality and our generous hearts towards them. How on earth treat your worker in this manner, is it because foreigners residing in Ghana do not respect us? There have been several incidents of foreign employers/supervisors maltreating Ghanaian workers. We are now fed up and sick a tired of these unacceptable behaviours. The Ghana government should close down that flipping Marwako fast food. They should go back to Lebanon and meet stay with the Hebollahs. Can the guy do this a daughter of a Hebollah? Wallahi, that person would have been shot dead. Why come to Ghana and enslave us in our own land. I reiterate these behaviours are barbaric and should be considered as crime against humanity. Four hundred jobs and so what!
This act will not stop with the preaching of xenophobism. We were all worried when the South Africans started their attacks. So why do we want to do that to others. Again we are calling on Government and for that matter H.E Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo Addo to create jobs for our unemployed youth so why do we want to destroy this and render about 400 people unemployed. the issue is that we should turn our energies to the authorities and make sure they do their work. The Police, immigration, judiciary and others should do their job. To me the culprit shoud be jailed and after that deported back to his country. The supervisor or whoever prevented the arrest of the culprit on that faithful day should also be dealt with. I think this will send a strong signal to all others. We need peace to develop.
Fffoolishman !!!
Enough is Enough.Who do you want to decieve sir, with this piece of writing?It is a known fact in Ghana that because we are people and a country that welcome foreigners,foreigners including lebanese in particular take Ghanaians for granted and cheap.Ghanaians living abroad are hard working ,very respectful and law abiding.But foreigners living in Ghana are law unto themselves and neither respect Ghana or Ghanaians because they get everthing easy including our beautiful women.So it is about time foreigners in Ghana a taught about some basic lessons of respect to native.How much do lebanese pay their Ghanaian worksers?400 job loss my big fuut.My nicece was working with a lebanese company in Ghana and stopped because she could not stand their abuse,disrespect and arriogance.I can also tell you many stories of abuse by lebeanese and other arabs,indians.chinesse and others of their Ghanaian workers.I have heard many horrible stories in the past of foreigners abusing their Ghanaian workers also Ghanaian women.Do you still remember some old brutal story that, a lebanese made his god to fuck a Ghanaian woman?How do lebanse treat their Ghanaian workers in Lebanon?we have heared many wicked stories of mistreament of Ghanaians in Lebanon too.But now the world has changed and arabs are unwanted people anywhere and we dont want you in Ghana too/Do you understand?So you can pack your stuff and go back to lebanon or america ok?
WHAT IS THIS MONKEY CALLED FADI TELLING US? HE IS NOT BETTER THAN THIS MONKEY ALSO CALLED JIHAD WHO COMMITTED THE UNTHINKABLE ACT. FADI COULD NEVER HAVE BECOME WHO HE IS IF GHANA HAS NOT GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITIES AND TREATED HIM AS A HUMAN AND TODAY HE SPEAK ONLY ***barred word***. GHANA IS NOT LIKE LEBANON WHERE SATAN AND DEMONS CONTROL AND THEREBY EXHIBITING WICKEDNESS. GHANA IS COUNTRY WHERE THE FEAR OF GOD IS AND THEREBY EXHIBITING LOVE AND CARE.
Fadi, i like you but this one, is very shameful. Who cares about 400 jobs in jeopardy. Can this even happen in your own Lebanese country. Its time this silent ***barred word*** must be stopped once and for all.