Towards a Meaningful Referendum
July 24, 2026
Transcript
The Standard
January 29,1978
The spate of propaganda for Union Government in its diverse interpretations is rapidly attaining the proportions of a veritable blitz. Every available stratagem and channel has been pressed into service by the government which is the major proponent of the idea and which appears to have staked all its reputation on it.
A film “The Search” has been showing on television and cinema screens for some months; a song has been composed to land the virtues of Union Government and to denounce the evils of party politics, political groupings masquerading as movements, councils, associations, friendship societies, etc. are mushrooming in the country to support the campaign: prophecies have been mi made about the unique potentials of U G” and a quasi-presidential campaign has been under way.
Lately, however, the whole campaign has taken a bizarre turn: a quaint theological framework—blasphemously parodying the doctrine of The Most Holy Trinity—has been developed as a further boost to the propaganda. A motley assortment of seers, prophets and soothsayers of varied hues and climes has now moved from the fringes to the centrestage to provide spurious divine justifications for this still nebulous concept of Union Government. As Christians we can only condemn this cynical exploitation of religion for whatever political objectives an utterly despicable and unpardonable. And is it not paradoxical that a foreigner with no expert knowledge on African political systems should pontificate to us on an “indigenous form of government?
The state-owned media, not unexpectedly, are straining every nerve to ram the UG propaganda down the throats of Ghanaians while pretending that they are being fair and objective. There have so far been three television debates on Union Government.
These debates have been uneven in quality, ranging from trite and insipid contributions to stimulating and provocative ones. What, one may ask, does the government want to prove by these debates? The answer is simple: that there is enough freedom for people to discuss the issues frankly and freely. But is this not a mere pretence? If the government really wants people to discuss the issue freely. and frankly, why does it not allow those who want use channels other than radio and television to do so?
As long as “U G” fanatics under their various guises and nomenclatures can disrupt rallies and symposia with impunity and as long as people who want to use the print medium are prevented from so doing by oppressive deerees, so long will reasonable people continue to believe that all the efforts to make the outside world believe that the issues are being freely debated are a tragic farce and a shameful sham. We are most unimpressed by the government’s efforts so far and believe that the pretence should be stopped forthwith.
The ruling Government has said times without number that if it wanted to force the Union Government idea on the people, nothing could stop it. Indeed nothing can stop it. Just as it came into power on its own. steam, so can it proceed to a political transformation of Ghana on the same steam. But then why pretend that the people are being allowed to make a free choice when in actual fact everything tends to leave no one in any doubt that the idea is being forced on them by crude and subtle means?
The STANDARD humbly but forcefully suggests that if the government is not prepared to guarantee the freedom and safety of those who are opposed to the “U G” idea to campaign against it by any peaceful means of their choice, then it might just as well pretend that there is no opposition to the idea and decree Union Government into existence. Otherwise, all the money and energy spent on the referendum after this relentless avalanche of “U G” propaganda will be a wanton waste of scarce resources which might be more profitably used to provide Ghanaians with at least matches to light their fire,
On the other hand, if our reading of the situation is not correct, then we demand as a matter of right that as citizens in a free country we be allowed to air our views openly and fearlessly on this issue of grave national importance. Those who are are opposed to Union Government may not be in in a a posit position to import prophets to plead their cause for them. They may not have any divine insights or the whole arsenal of the state-owned media to put their case across, but it is their God-given tight to put their views acr by any channels of their choice. This is what the whole fight for freedom in Africa has been about, and it is extremely hypocritical that we should be pretending to be asking for the people of Zimbabwe and South Africa freedoms that we ourselves are not allowed to enjoy in our freed, liberated and redeemed country.
The wanton and sadistic brutality with which anti-UG demonstrations were recently suppressed should convince all but the unseeing that on the democratic front, things are terribly out of joint in this country and they should be put right. The verbal assurances given by the Government have not abated our scepticism, on the contrary, they have increased our cynicism and inflamed our suspicions that there are people in this country who are determined to force Ghanaians to accept the Union Government proposal by hook or by crook.
The government of the SMC proposed the idea of Union Government and set up a committee to collect and collate views on it. It deserves our congratulations. The committee has done its work however well or badly one estimates the report. The Government has discharged itself of its self-imposed responsibility. The best thing it could have been self-denying enough to stand back and watch the debates provoked could have done was to have by the report. This the Government has not done. By taking sides and using the whole of the state apparatus and some state funds to promote the Union Gove Government idea, legitimate questions are being raised not only by disgruntled politicians and professionals but by many other reasonable people about the impartiality with which the SMC Government can preside over the referendum.
Whatever mistakes may have been made so far, the national interest demands that the Government and all its individual members withdraw into the background and let the people debate the issues freely. The Government has expressed its point of view clearly, forcefully and often enough. Secondly, the Government should scrutinize the activities of political groupings masquerading as youth councils, friendship societies, patriotic movements, etc., and if they are found to be going against the present laws, the law must be openly invoked against them.
If for any reason this cannot be done, then we suggest that the same guarantees of safety and impunity which have been given to these groups should be extended to those opposed to Union Ge canvass their point of view. This is the only fair way in which the boring ion Government to openly monologue can be transformed into a meaningful dialogue. Short of these measures we are proposing in the name of human dignity, freedom and justice, the present inane comedy cannot but degenerate into a tragic circus of self-delusion.
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