The recent violent reactions to the nominations of chief executives for the various assemblies by President John Mahama have to do with indiscipline rather than political intolerance.
The President, under the Constitution, has the sole prerogative to nominate the political heads of the assemblies. Of course, his choices cannot be automatic; that is why the provision also gives the assemblies the power to accept or reject his nominations.
It is only when it is becoming clear that the President is trying to go beyond his constitutional powers that lawful resistance could be called into action. Even under those circumstances, resorting to violence, resulting in damage to lives and property is out of the question.
Under the rule of law and in our democratic dispensation, there is still a way to challenge through judicial process the excessive powers of a President who wants to run amok.
Second, it is wrong for a group of people to declare a person unfit to head an assembly simply because he is not seen or known as an active party activist. We all know that the country does not belong to any political party to be shared like plots of land among so-called supporters.
The only strong grounds for rejection are incompetency, dishonesty and such vices, if they could be proved. In such cases, we would also expect the President to respect the sentiments of the people.
The madness we are experiencing generally on the political landscape, which Lawyer Ayikoi Otoo has partly attributed to something known in Ga as Gbeshie, has got all to do with personal and institutional indiscipline.
Some of us do not see why disagreements on political issues should turn into physical and verbal assault on regular basis. That is why some people still find it difficult to be part of the political game even though, who knows, they could have made lots of positive inputs into our political discourse for the general good.
Having dealt with politics, we can easily turn our attention to other areas of our national life to see glaring ingredients of indiscipline on full display. You can acquire a plot of land anywhere in Accra; whether legitimately or otherwise and decide to do anything on it and damn the consequences.
The only thing you may suffer is an eyesore of notice: "Stop Work! Produce notice". After that, full work goes on without anyone producing any notice and the matter would be forgotten until there are floods or fire outbreak or a collapsed building that claims many lives.
Our roads have become a massive jungle where the survival of the fittest prevails. Drive on any day on the Spintex Road and you will appreciate the problem. I will be surprised, if there is another country that will surpass Ghana, where unregistered vehicles are competing to outnumber registered ones on the city streets and on the highways. As for the motorbikes, the least said about them, the better. The police will blow hot air once in a while when it suits them and that ends the matter.
It is a common sight to see vehicles overtaking you on both sides on some of Accra's roads while the police concentrate on inspecting 'papers'.
There is no doubt that lawlessness and indiscipline are destroying this country slowly and we seem not to care. So pervasive is the canker that some of our footballers can arrogantly tell us in the face, to hell with our national team, the Black Stars, and that they will tell us, when they think they are ready to play for the national team again. Those who accept the opportunity to serve the motherland want to be treated like tin gods and the monarchs of all that they survey.
Strangely, as if such arrogance and indiscipline have become acceptable norms of our society, people who should appreciate the values of discipline, nationalism and patriotism best are the same persons who are at the forefront interceding on behalf of such people, thereby making mockery of any effort to stamp out the menace of indiscipline from the country.
If it is generally agreed that indiscipline is eating away this country, then it must be fought in all directions without exception.
By Kofi Akordor/Daily Graphic/Ghana
kofiakordor.blogspot.com
