How Sad!

President John Mahama has stoked the fire of the raging cocaine debacle with his needless remarks on the subject. We would have rather he allowed sleeping dogs to lie, especially as the comments have done nothing to allay the apprehension of Ghanaians about a subtle complicity or otherwise of government players in the saga.

The scampering of government appointees, most of them still learning the ropes of public service in the face of the emergent social anomaly, has been telling and therefore demanding a soft response and devoid of bellicosity as exhibited in the response of the President.

Investigations are continuing by the relevant security agents in the UK, who as we compose this commentary, have given out little or nothing about how far they had gone. In view of this therefore, we are restricted in our ability to subject the issue to the kind of detailed probe that can bring out the complicity or otherwise of state players in the debacle.

Be it as it may, we can give the little details at our disposal and pose relevant questions—answers to which might not be forthcoming from those who can address these, given their proclivity to regard such actions as polemic.

We find it sad therefore that even as we set about to ask these questions and to make our deductions—which we are entitled to—from the non-response of the authorities, we are tagged ignorant and mischief-makers by the President.

Any remarks by persons in government should be such as to clear the air about the speculations making the rounds and creating disturbing impressions about persons occupying the helm.

The scandal has made headlines in influential newspapers across the world, a representation of one of which appears in today’s edition of the DAILY GUIDE.

That the Austrian newspaper considering its appealing clout, put forth the story the way it did, is a cause of worry for our image as a country.

The President’s response suggests it would appear that he is downplaying the seriousness of the issue at hand and the intelligence of his compatriots, which is unfortunate.

He should be serious about it and avoid such remarks, lest the fears in the minds of his compatriots are reinforced in a manner that would cost him the confidence that he needs badly at this time when things are falling apart in all departments of state.

That cocaine was brought into the country and smuggled out without visible ado suggests how close to failure institutions of state are under the current dispensation.

It should not be surprising therefore the speculations triggered by the seeming dose of complicity—the reason why President Mahama got agitated and resorted to the debasement of his compatriots. How sad!

Source: editorial/daily guide