Shameful Mutual Blasphemy…

“Daughter of a murderer, sit down! Daughter of a murderer, sit down!” was how someone in the Chamber of Ghana’s Parliament yelled at and described  Dr. Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings,  biological daughter of the late former President Jerry John Rawlings and instead of the leaders present uniting to condemn the blasphemy, they have decided to be split of partisan lines.

On the same day, that the unnecessary comments got yelled at Dr. Zanetor, a Member of Parliament and Minister in Government, while speaking in the Chamber, had boldly described a member of Ghana’s Big Six – Dr. Joseph Boakye Danquah of blessed memory – as a CIA undercover agent and a traitor who betrayed his country.

This MP saw his comments as the best tribute he could give in on a day which marked the 60^th anniversary of the death of J.B. Danquah, a national hero by all standards.  He has no apologies for it and insisted his evidence was in a book he had read.

Again, instead of the leaders present uniting to condemn the blasphemy, they have decided to be split of partisan lines.

The development is shameful to say the least.

If one politician, based on what he read in a book,  feels he is justified to describe the late  J.B. Danquah as a CIA undercover agent and a traitor who betrayed his country Ghana, why would another politician not feel justified to call another MP the “daughter of a murderer” and say he also read same blasphemy in a book.

Both acts are wrong and unwarranted. Even among crooks, there is honour; therefore politicians ought to know the limit to which they stretch their partisan antics and theatrics, especially those blasphemous statements that stink to the highest heavens.

There is something troubling about the approach to partisan politics in Ghana else how can our politicians, at least those in parliament decide to chose and pick which of the country’s past leaders they defend and which ones they desecrate with impunity.

Perhaps it has escaped their minds  that they would one day be dead and gone and posterity would be left to judge their legacies same way they, today, judge the legacies of the country’s leaders past.

The boldness with which they justify and glorify insults, offensive language and offensive conduct targeted at politicians from rival parties ends up sending a message to their followers that unprintable language is permitted in addressing political rivals.

They are leaders who ought to be role models and their conduct has a direct influence on the young Ghanaians  out there looking up to them.

Offensive language is offensive language irrespective of who said it and who it is directed at. The Members of Parliament involved in this conduct ought to know better.

They are as guilty as the ones who do not use such language yet, lack the courage to openly condemn colleagues who use them. They seem to forget that evil triumphs when supposedly good men decide to not speak against them.

We certainly deserve better as a country.