I grew up in an extended family where respect was and it is still key in determining what a person will be. The elders would pray for you if you were respectful and that we expected could send you faraway in life- success. Do you remember the adage “a child who washes his hands will eat with the elders”?
Life is about respect and nothing but respect. In deed, respect is reciprocal. The young must respect the elder and the elder shall also respect the young ones. This when happens will create harmony amongst us in the society. If it doesn’t happen, it implies a generation gab will be created.
People have defiled morality and culture up to an extend that someone can call my president , your president , our president a thief and go scout free. This same person if given the same opportunity can’t call his village chief a thief. Why belittle our president?
These days, it is not uncommon to hear high seasoned journalists or lawyers including politicians call the president a liar or a thief. I perfectly agree that when you call the President a thief or a liar, you don’t defile any constitutional provisions or perhaps, if you like, the Constitution of the Republic of Ghana. But can similar extension be invested and lashed on our village chiefs. You dare not do that. If you try, the consequences will be more unbearable. You will be summoned before the chief and charged instantly for being disrespectful. Will it be called “contempt” of chieftaincy institution? I don’t know about that. That’s the benefit of indirect rule. We need political sanity in our country.
A soldier can’t call his senior officer a liar. A teacher can’t call his headmaster a liar. A nurse can’t call his in-charge a liar. The respect is there in the world of work for us to see.
Insofar as one can’t insult the president , let us not try to insult opposition leaders. They can equally become presidents some days.
I respect Alhaji Dr. Mahamud Bawumia not because he is a northerner but because he is an elder. Similarly, Nana Akufo-Addo, Dr. Tia Alfred Sugri, Dr. Paa Kwesi Nduom, Dr. Edward Mahama and many others my be respected on the basis of culture and tradition. History is a window to the future. My culture teaches me to respect an elderly person. And that ends it.
Ladies and gentlemen, the point I want to make is that let’s respect our leaders so that one day we will also be respected. I will not insult an elderly person because I want to be recognised by my party. I don’t also expect anybody to also insult somebody because of his political party.
Certain times political excesses will come but let’s exercise patience. The Mamprusis always say if there’s patience one will be able to push through a cloth inside a bottle.
Are we not young? We are and if so then we need to be foresighted so that we will not face challenges when we grow old.
Let’s respect our president. He represents Ghana in the international scene. I will definitely respect your president even if you don’t respect my president.