Dear President,

I extend to you and your family God’s blessings and warm regards. I trust you’re keeping well by God’s grace.

I express profound gratitude to you for all the sacrifice and interventions you make for, and on behalf of us, your “Fellow Ghanaians.” Thank you for everything.

Excellency, Sir, this is one of your “Fellow Ghanaians” into whose home you usually come to give update on the COVID-19 situation in Ghana. I thank you for the many times you’ve addressed us, and the conscious efforts you make in assuring us that you care for us, and that remaining faithful to your directives and the COVID-19 Protocols, “This too shall pass” because “The battle is still the Lord’s.”

Your Excellency, you didn’t mince words in telling us in your recent address that you’re coming into our homes with “unpleasant news.” This “unpleasant news” surely, is the deteriorating situation of the COVID-19 cases in Ghana. Indeed, even before you came into our homes to give us this terrifying update, the Ghana Medical Association, had issued a caution in that regard. The situation is in dire and life threatening.

Mr. President, you mentioned some of the things we’re doing wrong, which are contributing to the upsurge of the cases in Ghana, as well as indicating that persons attending parties, weddings, funerals, gatherings and other social events, are most at risk. That much is true, but not the entire truth, Mr. President.

Your Excellency, in as much as I agree to some extend that our disregard for the protocols is reason for the upsurge in COVID-19 cases, I also believe that the major contributing factor to our current unfortunate situation, is the political activities you and other politicians and political parties engaged in, before, during and even after the 2020 General Elections. Sir, you, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, Commander-in-Chief of the Ghana Armed Forces (NPP), President John D. Mahama (NDC), Mr. Christian Kwabena Andrew (GUM), Mr. Ivor Kobina Greenstreet (CPP), Madam Akua Donkor (GFP), and all other Presidential Candidates, together with all the Parliamentary Aspirants (independent candidates inclusive) for the 2020 General Elections, are very much responsible for our current situation. Some of you and your supporters, engaged in your campaigns and rallies, walks and whatnots, acted somewhat selfishly and irresponsibly. You threw caution to the wind, all because you needed to canvas for votes. Some of you behaved as if the virus had travelled on a vacation, just to allow us conduct our elections. We surely could have acted more responsibly than we did. It looked like our political aspirations and ambitions were more important to us than human life and the health of our nation. The attitude and posture of you, our leaders, communicated erroneously to the common people that the virus didn’t really exist, or that it wasn’t as serious and deadly as we made it appear to be.

Some of us had a hard time, convincing people to wear their masks and observe social distancing, just because you, our leaders, were showing a very bad example. We learn from you, Mr President, we learn from our leaders. If you want us to act right and responsibly, please act right and responsibly. Show good leadership and we shall follow your lead. Some of us do what we see you do, even when what you do is wrong. We expect you, our leaders, to be guided by the motto of Holy Child School, “Facta, non Verba” – “Action, not Words.” In fact, you leaders confuse us when you do what you tell us not to do. WEAR your MASK, and we shall also wear ours. Observe SOCIAL DISTANCING and we shall do same. If I’ll be arrested or punished for not wearing a mask, you should also be arrested and punished for not wearing your mask. There shouldn’t be any kind of selective justice. Let all who deserve punishment be punished. Let all, without exception, who deserve to be cautioned, be cautioned.

We pray the voices of hope – Peace Council, Ghana Catholic Bishops Conference, Ghana Charismatic Bishops Conference, Pentecostal Council of Ghana, and other Civil Society Organisations – who usually speak on our behalf to be proactive – in recent times, these voices appear to have maintained a very loud silence. It looks like they have become SPECTATORS instead of CITIZENS. We are all responsible, and to blame, for what’s happening in Ghana now, but our leaders must take the greater blame and assume full responsibility.

Ahaa, Your Excellency, in the current situation we find ourselves in, in respect to COVID-19, you’ve directed schools in all levels to resume. I don’t intend to question your authority oo, but as one of your sons, I’m worried about the reopening of schools. Facilities in some schools definitely can’t support nor accommodate the protocol of social distancing, especially in classrooms, dormitories, halls, etc. I know you may have all the best of intentions but these young ones are too difficult to control o, Your Excellency. Even with your best of intentions, I can promise you that should anything untoward happen, you’ll be blamed. Honestly, I don’t envy your position at all, Your Excellency, but you asked for it so I guess you’ll carry your cross. We’ll keep praying for you.

Your Excellency, please pardon me if I’m appearing to “talk” too much. Kindly permit me to mention one last concern of mine. I try my best to remain as lawful and disciplined as possible. I don’t countenance irresponsible behaviour and speech. I stand against anything that seems to promote violence and threaten public peace. I’ll therefore commend and congratulate state institutions such as the Ghana Police Service, NIB, etc that are mandated to ensure that careless words and actions are duly cautioned and or punished.

My worry, however, is the situation where some people are picked up to be questioned, investigated and or punished, but others are let go unpunished. This is quite unfair and unacceptable. We shouldn’t treat some people better than others. We should all be equal before the LAW. If “Bulldog” is arrested for “threatening” you, the President, Honourable Kennedy Agyapon, MP, should equally be arrested for “threatening” President John D. Mahama. We lose faith and hope in state institutions when they appear to act in a discriminatory manner. If indeed no one is above the LAW, then the LAW should be seen to be acting above everyone. The LAW can’t be blind to the ills of one, but appear to see the ills of another. As human beings, we’ll always complain about one or the other thing, but that shouldn’t deter us from doing what’s RIGHT. I believe it’s always RIGHT to do what’s RIGHT, so whether people complain or not, state institutions should be allowed to do their work.

Excellency, Sir, you have taken an OATH and have assured us that you’re in office to work for us, please DO what you SAY you will DO, and SAY only what you know you will DO. We don’t want to lose faith in you. Give us hope that Ghana will be better. Please help us to TRUST your WORDS. And always remember, your REPUTATION is at stake.

I’m praying for you, Your Excellency 🙏🏿

Thank you, Your Excellency. I await your next visit into our homes.

God bless our homeland Ghana, and make our Nation Great and Strong.

Your “Fellow Ghanaian”

Emmanuel-Mary.

Source: Rev. Fr. Emmanuel-Mary Ofori