10 years like one day

Events indeed do repeat themselves.
A careful look at some of the major Ghanaian headlines 10 years ago, reveal an interesting familiarity.
Not that all the events of today have happened before or that they are similar to the situation that pertained years ago, except that, one gets good food for thought about life by clearly comparing situations.

For example, today, the biggest story on Ghanaian newspaper front pages is the Anlo chieftaincy crisis. The stories point to serious accusations of government involvement in the affair, accusations which in themselves are not new.

The Anlo issue has an uncanny similarity to the Ga chieftaincy crises, in which the government was accused of covertly supporting one faction, using institutions of state.

The NPP government is frantically defending itself from accusations that it is an active supporter of one of the factions in the controversy. (See Story)

Another twist to the saga is the well advertised intention of Ghana's former president, J.J. Rawlings to make comments on the issue this weekend at a rally of his party supporters in Akatsi in the Volta Region of Ghana.
Watch out for his comments on this blog and compare them to what he said exactly 10 years ago as Head of State, on the issue of government and chieftaincy.

ANY SIMILARITIES?
This week the story of a woman who in a fit of anger over the loss of 10Ghc by her ward, beat her to death, shocked and annoyed many.
" People are becoming too wicked these days," "What has Ghana come to?" and so on were some of the comments listeners passed on my show. Please read the full story and compare with what happened 10 years ago around this same period.

But not all references to the past should make us kick ourselves for never learning. Some can be refreshing reminders that things sometimes do change for the better. This week, the newly-sworn-in president of Sierra Leone, Ernest Bai-Koroma.

He was warmly & respectfully received as the president of a country recovering from the ashes of conflict with enviable democratic credentials.
Mr. Bai Koroma won a presidential election as an opposition candidate, a phenomenon not too common in Africa.

A fair election is not necessarily a guarantee for improved lives for citizens. However, remembering that this was a country with a bleak outlook a decade ago, with hundreds of maimed victims of rebel brutality and scores of destitute refugees, puts in context the improvement in fortunes.