‘If you get scared, it gets worse’ – Martin Kpebu rallies Ghanaians to hold government accountable
Private Legal Practitioner, Martin Kpebu, has called on Ghanaians to speak out boldly against government corruption and hold the country’s leaders to account.
According to him, without the voice and support of the ordinary Ghanaian against political tyranny and corruption, the vicious cycle of corruption will continue to prevail at the expense of citizens’ wellbeing.
He noted that whereas speaking out may be a risky venture as seen in a recent Afrobarometer survey, where 67% of respondents say one has to be careful about what they say about politics, he intimated that the “tree of democracy is watered with the blood of patriots and villains” thus it is only right to not remain silent.
Speaking on JoyNews’ PM Express, he stated that should Ghanaians remain silent on the ills of government, the country would not be able to reap the benefits of its democracy.
He said, “That also ties in with the fact that now that people are supporting media its good because you see that apart from they saying that 69% say now it’s risky to report, there’s also another question which is different.
“Even common politics they say people have to be careful about what they say about politics, 67% so it tells you that though we are saying we’re embracing democracy, one of the very fundamental tenets to democracy which we say in Twi, ‘Ka bi ma me nka bi’ we’re not realizing it. 67% say they have to be careful what they say about politics that’s too huge.”
According to Martin Kpebu, citizens would have to be encouraged to speak truth to power despite the consequences of such actions.
He explained that without the sacrifices of citizens in the fight against corruption, the phenomenon will continue with impunity.
“I think we should roll out more programmes, encourage more people. Look, listen, citizens have to realize that a man has got to do what a man has got to do in every society at every point in time tyranny will always exist and citizens must also come up and like they say from time to time, the tree of democracy is watered with the blood of patriots and villains so some people will have to come up and fight and in the process, yes, there will be casualties but that is how it is.
“Some pay the price for others to enjoy. So this 67% I think that JoyFM maybe there should be some series about encouraging citizens to fight; bring the Anases, bring Manasseh – is Manasseh not still walking around? You see after he did that militia in the city and then he was hounded out of the country, he came back and did the Zoomlion thing.
“Is that not that story that goes back to the desk of the President? You see how the President wasted our money by asking that some Covid spraying be done over a hundred and twenty two million. The President should be answering for that. We will talk. …We’re going to talk death can come. Listen, we will not run. Kwame Nkrumah did his bid, people died along the way….
“We’re not going to run. Listen, in every society some people must talk okay and then the rest of the citizens must also back us. So those of our fellow citizens who are home and are scare, if you get scared it will get worse, that’s why they say evil thrives when citizens, good people do nothing about it,” he said.
Source: Ghana News
