By: Akosua Appiagyei, Chicago.
In the dynamic, striving Ghanaian diaspora community of Chicago, we face a crisis far more insidious than a lack of funds or even political infighting: a self-inflicted wound of viciousness directed at those who dare to step up and serve. This internal toxicity threatens to rot our foundation of unity, honor, and progress.
The shocking incident within this year’s Ghana National Council (GNC) election cycle, where the baseless rumor was entertained that two opposing presidential candidates could somehow share a single running mate, is not a mere absurdity. It is a blaring, five-alarm siren signaling the depth of malice plaguing our community’s discourse.
The very fact that some members could even entertain the thought of such a transparently ridiculous scheme speaks volumes about the current cadence of distrust and malice. This was not a good-faith question about policy; it was a calculated, deliberate attempt to sow chaos.
The Treason of the Tongue: When Viciousness Goes Viral
The absurdity of the ‘shared running mate’ plot was merely the tip of a much dirtier spear. The depths of the attack campaign against those who volunteer their time,often for a non-paying, thankless job, have plumbed the very lowest points of human decency.
We must now confront the horrifying reality that a candidate who has sacrificed her time and reputation to stand for service has been subjected to a torrent of abuse that includes:
• The Vile Questioning of Identity: The insidious whisper campaign designed to insinuate the candidate is not Ghanaian enough, or perhaps, not Ghanaian at all. This is the most poisonous form of political attack, a cowardly tribal weapon aimed at the heart of belonging. It is a calculated attempt to delegitimize her right to lead based on invented criteria of purity, transforming an election of ideas into a primitive, ugly test of lineage.
• The Utterance of Unprintable Words: Beyond the political tactics lies the savagery of personal attacks, the use of vulgarities, character assassination, and language so base and unchristian that it is truly unprintable by any respectable platform. This abuse, often disproportionately targeted at our female leaders, is meant to do one thing: shame them into silence and withdrawal.
Since when did we, a proud, traditionally respectful people, get this low in our thinking? This descent into the gutter forces us to confront uncomfortable questions: Is this born out of “pin brains,” an intellectual surrender? Is it “pure jealousy or hatred”? Or is it something more dangerous, a systemic flaw that actively punishes ambition and selfless service?
The Compelling and Devastating Effects of This Vicious Behavior
This relentless character assassination and the deployment of tribal-based othering are not just election noise; they are acting like a cultural herbicide, poisoning the soil of communal life and threatening the very existence of a cohesive diaspora.
1. The Decimation of the Volunteer Pool (A Leadership Vacuum)
When the only reward for selfless service is the destruction of one’s character, we achieve paralysis of service. We are struggling to fill crucial non-paying roles, and this viciousness guarantees that the next generation of potential leaders will watch from the sidelines, condemning the GNC to a tragic future of rudderless, mediocre leadership. The message we are sending is horrifyingly clear: Serve the community, and we will destroy your reputation and question your very bloodline.
2. The Erosion of Identity and Unity (The Tribal Scar)
The attack on a candidate’s Ghanaian identity is nothing short of political treason. Our diaspora’s strength is its unity across ethnic lines (Asante, Ewe, Ga, Fante, Hausa, Dagbani, etc.). Introducing the poison of questioning who is Ghanaian is an act of self-sabotage that deliberately fragments the community, ensuring that we fight over ancestral purity instead of pooling our collective resources and intellect. This tactic ensures fragmentation becomes permanent.
3. A Shameful, Toxic Legacy for the Youth
The youth of our diaspora are watching. They are witnessing an electoral process that prizes slander over substance and viciousness over vision. By allowing leaders to be dragged through the mud with unprintable language and spurious accusations of non-belonging, we are teaching our youth that communal service is a fool’s errand. If we want our institutions to survive, we must offer them a legacy of principled, civil discourse, not a toxic inheritance of pettiness and destructive jealousy.
4. Driving Away Professionalism and Investment
What reputable Ghanaian or non-Ghanaian partner,be it a bank, a major business, or a government agency, will take seriously a community organization whose internal politics resemble a toxic, schoolyard brawl? This behavior strips the GNC of its professional credibility and drives away the necessary corporate, governmental, and intellectual investment required to build a strong, impactful diaspora institution.
A Call to Conscience: Rise Above the Fray
It is time for the Ghanaian community in Chicago to look into the mirror and reject this corrosive cadence. An award-winning community is one that celebrates and shields its volunteers, not one that subjects them to the cruelty of tribal purism and unbridled venom.
We must demand accountability for malicious behavior and champion a new ethos where standing for a difficult, non-paying job is met with respect, scrutiny, and support, but never with the vicious, baseless hatred that threatens to undo us all. The future of our diaspora depends on a decisive rejection of this toxicity,and a collective embrace of the unifying truth.
If we may asked who were all those NPP executives and members doing on the GNC executive emergency meeting doing there ? One Mr. Duah is their secretary . Is the GNC turning into politically affiliated organization? What is the stake of that party in our elections ?