Monumental embarrassment?

The baton-changing from Week One of September 2024 hitting the ground running, to Week Two was seamless.

Galamsey continued to be “in a comfortable lead” while the word “embarrassment” appeared to have emerged as the “running mate” to “Galamsey!”

On his way to Cape Coast for the Fetu Afahye Festival in the first week of September 2024, Otumfuor Asantehene Nana Osei Tutu II described the River Pra he crossed en route as an “embarrassment!”

Former Black Stars captain, Stephen Appiah, said, “Playing a qualifier outside Ghana, except in a tournament is a ‘national embarrassment.’ We must prioritise hosting our own games and protect our football pride!”

However, it was Joy FM’s Sports Analyst Victor Atsu Tamakloe who described CAF’s ban on the Baba Yara Stadium, Kumasi as a “monumental embarrassment.”

This was after Ghana’s abysmal performance losing 0-1 in Kumasi to Angola on 6 September and only managing a 1-1 away draw with Niger in the CAF 2025 qualifiers in Morocco.

Perhaps of little interest and therefore scantily mentioned during the week was the 23rd anniversary of September 11 (9/11), 2001 in the US.
Now, a quick history of the date “September 11.”

September 11, 2001

On September 11, (9/11) 2001, two hijacked commercial airliners crashed into the twin-towers of the World-Trade-Centre, New York, while a third hijacked plane crashed into the Pentagon in Washington DC.

A fourth plane crashed into a field in Pennsylvania as passengers overpowered the hijackers who had taken over the aircraft. In all, over three thousand people died.

History of the date ‘September 11’ in books shows that while the US was the victim of the 2001 incident, September 11, 1973 saw US as the perpetrator of the September 11, 1973 bombing of the Presidential palace of Chile, South America, in the overthrow/death of President Salvadore Allende.

September 11, 1973

In 1970, Marxist Professor/Medical Doctor Salvadore Allende was elected president of Chile, South America. Being Marxist and a close friend of Cuba’s Fidel Castro, Salvadore Allende’s presidency was immediately opposed by the USA. President Nixon tasked the CIA to initiate action for Allende’s overthrow.

On July 23, 1970, following attempts to overthrow the president, Gen. Rene Schneider, Allende’s Chief of Army Staff (Army Commander) loyally stated in support of the president what is now called the “Schneider Doctrine” as follows:

“The Armed Forces are not a road to political power, or an alternative to that power. They exist to guarantee the regular work of the political system, and the use of force for any other purpose than for its defence, constitute high treason.”

“The only limitation is in the case that, the State stopped acting within its legality. In that case, the Armed Forces have a higher loyalty to the people, and are free to decide an abnormal situation beyond the framework of the Law.”

Gen. Schneider was assassinated three months later on October 24, 1970. Following the resignation of Gen. Schneider’s replacement Gen. Carlos Prats, President Allende appointed Gen. Augusto Pinochet as the Army Commander on August 23, 1973.

Pinochet led the September 11, 1973 CIA-backed overthrow of President Allende in which over one thousand persons were killed.

Discussion

On Friday, September 13, 2024 on Joy FM, children including an eleven-year-old appealed to the president’s conscience to stop galamsey, and not jeopardise their future, with the reckless destruction of our water/environment.

Otumfour described the effects of galamsey on River Pra (and other water bodies) as an embarrassment. When he destooled three chiefs, surprisingly or maybe not, considering the depths we have sunk to, some sympathy was expressed towards the chiefs and their dependents as the destoolment meant loss of jobs for the galamseyers.

On September 10, 2024, TV showed the angry youth of Akyem-Asuom chasing away galamseyers in their district. The Krontihene of Akyem-Asuom Nana Boadi Amponim Abodade III backed the action of the youth in the face of the government’s inaction/failure.

Footballer Stephen Appiah described the ban by CAF of the Baba Yara Stadium, Kumasi as a “national embarrassment!” A Joy FM Sports journalist described the ban as a “monumental embarrassment!”

From Africa’s football powerhouse being the first to win CAF trophies four times in 1963, 1965, 1978 and 1982, today we manage to lose to tiny islands such as the Comoros! Unfortunately, we blamed the pitch for the loss to Angola, as if the visitors played us on a different pitch. Lack of player commitment was blamed in the 1-1 draw with Niger!

In an earlier article, I concluded as follows

In the words of anti-galamsey-crusader-journalist Erastus Asare Donkor, galamsey is the result of failed leadership. “Galamsey” is a national disgrace! Galamsey is a dishonourable legacy!

Have we become an “Esau-Republic” selling our birthright/existence to foreigners for diseases/extinction?

Meanwhile, MPs want to have blaring Police-riders clearing us lesser mortals off the road for them as we suffocate in heavy traffic, instead of addressing the crisis.

Has the self-destruct button been pressed? Remember UN Secretary-General Guterres’ warning on environmental degradation saying, “we are digging our own graves! Either we stop it, or it stops us!”

Summary

Galamsey is an embarrassment! Football (Sports) is an embarrassment! Food Security is an embarrassment! Filth/open defecation is an embarrassment.

But perhaps, the greatest embarrassment is the disrespect/arrogance/uncivil language fired into the faces of Ghanaians, by those who have power/authority and see nothing wrong with goings-on, by our rulers/“misleaders” as Professor PLO Lumumba calls them!

In “preacher-man” English, “embarrassment has located us!” We have sunk so low we have no choice but to rise again like the phoenix as the beacon of Africa we started as, at Independence in 1957 and a Republic in 1960 under Osagyefo whose tears must be in torrents in his grave!

We started as a great nation in 1957 under a selfless leadership. Ghanaians do not deserve this self-inflicted “monumental embarrassment” of drinking galamsey-water contaminated by mercury/cyanide/lead because of conscienceless/greedy/selfish oligarchs!

Otumfuor and the youth of Akyem-Asuom have shown the way! Leadership, lead by example! Fellow Ghanaians, wake up!

The writer is former CEO of African Peace Support Trainers Association, Nairobi, Kenya/Council Chair Family Health University College, Accra.
E-mail: dkfrimpong@yahoo.com