Hajj and Cathedral Feuding

Lots of fury is being written and spoken latterly about the con­struction of a Hajj Village officially without state funds, but vehe­mently doubted in a nation-wide chorus of protest with innuen­does’ government is lying. The protest’s theme compares the criticisms of ruling NDC party in opposion against the erstwhile NPP administration.

There is incongruity in that. Primarily, the former, President Nana Akufo-Addo, promised to build a national cathedral as his personal thanks to God, if elected 2020. He had previously failed 2016. He went to court and lost the verdict. The quick backgrounds for that personal pledge was that he had twice previously failed his party’s nomination primaries against John Kufuor, eight years priorly. Akufo-Addo came third in the first contest at Sunyan after the late J.H. Mensah, then a leading economist in the party. (I shall come back to complete Mensah’s formidable testimony in the par­ty—UP to NPP and country, al­beit as my posthumous tribute to a trusted friend and compatriot from Elmina. The second was in Kumasi, challenging Kufuor who run out his second stint in 2008. Kufuor’s wife, ‘’Sister’’ Aba of blessed memory was Mensah’s only sister among two boys).

Anyway, the fulfiment of the Akufo-Addo’s promise turned into a ‘’National Hole’’ for which millions of US dollars’ public money totalling a huge current economic ‘’waste’’ and controver­sial political sore arguments after Akufo-Addo left office. That very plain difference between the Hajj Village and the Cathedral seems lost but it cannot be left un-pointed for emphasis. That floors the case of presumed al­leged lying, inevitable for lack of proof. Yet, the truth, in the run of the mill is even though every governments’ tricks can hide the accounts until after elections just as being found in the aftermath of ‘’Dec 7, 2024’’.

That is one plausible pro-side of the debate. The opposite is this country is different, wide awake against tricks. The last elections have made it clearest to the political class. I found quite curious, more perhaps question­ing for any to warn the country to watch out over-concocting majority catering for minori­ty. Firstly, it is crass; secondly preaches class; and thirdly, this is a-governing Social Democrats. And is there anything from Christianity through Islam to Pagans which bans supporting the under privileged.

It leads to going back in our history. President Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah was left alone in detention of the ‘’Big Six’’ Mar. 12, 1948 by colonial Governor, Gerald Creasy, with a dog and bare footed Jantuo policeman. One of their com­panionship conversations turned on why the policeman thought he wore no shoes. Nkrumah explained that it was a policy to keep him under in perpetuity. Therefore, policy directed before independence to provide them with boots. Dr Nkrumah went further as Leader of Govern­ment Business in 1954, ordered that Southern Ghana compulso­rily absorbed 80 per cent of the national budgetary taxes in the North to enable free education specifically.

Class system that existed in the South was displeased. There were noises but failed. The tax order was relieved in the Third Republic 1979-81. Might there be a sinister intent that could be both not surprising and a renaissance is very doubtful, in spite of politics today which has removed the old strata, few though left, with neo-privi­leged of a near-confederation of spurious wealth which are allegedly seen as partners or in fellowship with leaderships of political parties or indeed may call the shots wielding power behind seats. The trouble with the power brokers is their profit margins at the expense of right politcal decisions for positive development that benefits all. It would be needless to state that their takes-away are rather cheat­ing and robbery of a nation and ultimately feeds unpopularity in public opinion with direct conse­quences in the polling booth.

This country has made that truth a classic last December. The political bubble was burst in an official explanation in a terse message on X which read: ‘’The Hajj Village is primarily an Airport Terminal Building for check in and Pilgrim facilitation owned and being built by the Ghana Airport Company. Not a pesewa of Tax Payers’ money involved.’’ Whereas that makes the hula fizzle, it was belated for Government’s communica­tions. However, beyond that, the purpose is imaginably to decon­gest the queues and attendant confusion at the main Terminal. It sorts out decades-long perennial issues, since the manage­ment was military Hajj Committees, succeeded by politicisation with all kinds of accounting alleges and partisan counter-accusations.

Throughout the shrills of crit­icisms until hopefully guillotined by the quoted official reaction to correct ostensibly, a certain reading of a want to cause religious hatred laid between the lines and voices of dissent. I want to believe that I am the only person. Christians and Muslims have lived exemplarily here for centuries, starting from the years of ‘’Fantse and Asante Nkramo’’ (the Gas ‘’TUBA’’) inclusive. [The cribs for this scarecrow are found in the rumour that Dr Bawumia, misinterpreting his early campaign overtures, might attempt to turn the country into an Islamic State, quashed; and the current hobby dissection of separating ethnic balance of government’s cabinet, finding faults. (It’s such an awful error in Parliament for that jibe against Rawlings’ daughter, a Deputy Minister of Health-designate as I write in good faith and respectful reconciliation that no one was likely to re-rake mud and cause commotion characteristically as this nation has come to be upset by subsequent disruptions).

Former President, Kufuor, re­ceived verbal darts thrown at him when he had delayed appointing someone to fill in a regional slot up-country because he was yet to find ‘’a suitable’’ person. [The compulsory evens in the com­position is thorny. The Con­stitutional Review may have to grapple with it and draft an exit proposal in its recommendations. It is not an easy stuff, most deli­cate and intriguing].

And now J.H.: He was second­ed from the World Bank with two other Internationally- known Economists.—Prof. Arthur Lewis and Prof. Nich Kaldor- to help drafting Seven-Year- devel­opment Plan. It was such a world acclaim. He turned to DOMO for personal reasons. He was a good political strategist. He had a bit of temper—not brooking illogical.

By Prof. Nana Essilfie-Con­duah.