Slash and burn politics is when good ideas to develop society fall victim to the political sentiment of the day. The term is borrowed from the agricultural practices of peasants and subsistence farmers.

But the difference between the political enterprise and the agricultural ends with their intentions. The agricultural is less developmentally destructive in intent.

In the circumstance of the peasant, this difference is realized when productive elements on the land to be cleared, like long standing fruit trees, timber and other cash producing plants are spared the scythe, regardless of who planted them first. The only measure asked for their survival is if they are economically viable. And this is done for the self interest of the community as well as the individual.

In the political “slash and burn” version, as exercised in Ghana, there is no such stay for economically viable ideas (plants as in the case of the peasant). Unlike the productive trees of the peasant, these ideas are taken down; as is done with the clearing and burning of brushes (political enemies).

Thus the adage that none of your ideas would be sacrosanct for long in the way of a political opponent, in power and seeking vengeance, is always affirmed. In the myopic eyes of such opponent, it is only the politics of the day, his politics, which mattered.

So ideas are taken down in rapid order with the coming of a new government; ideas and the reasons supporting them that could change society for good are forever put on ice because they were planted by a previous government.

Sadly, nowhere in the exercise of this pursuit is it ever considered what the cost for such act of political vendetta brings to the state and society.

After the coup in 1966, the dredging and modernization of the Korle Lagoon as a waterfront for business and recreation was stopped abruptly. Surrounding areas of the lagoon for years to come were allowed to fester with crime and disease. The whole economically viable area was left open as breeding grounds for mosquitoes and denizens of Sodom and Gomorrah.

And now, left in public to rot is the future of Jubilee House, the intended presidential palace and the seat of our executive branch of government and a commemorative of what used to be Kwame Nkrumah’s home and office.

Jubilee House ostensibly stands complete in its entire splendor after the expenditure of some millions of dollars of our money even if much of it was a soft loan from India’s government. It is hard to know what exactly goes on at those beautiful grounds at present. But the building looks unoccupied, vacant of any spirit and purpose and, apparently, of no use to the state since none has been announced.

Jubilee House has been left standing for us lay men to wonder how to recover some use out of the millions of dollars already spent on this project.

It is time to ask whether it is the purpose of using it as an executive office or the honor for our illustrious President Nkrumah which is under attack with this neglect. And whether in this year’s celebration of Nkruma's centennial, the home he last occupied is on our exhibit list?

Equally important to consider, for the purposes of our cultural narratives, is the continuing and embarrassing use of the Osu Castle, otherwise known as the Slave Fort at Osu, as the seat of the executive branch of our government. It looks like the executive seat has become entrenched on these grounds, this historical horror site, while Jubilee House waits or goes to seed.

The question to ask is whether anybody took time to study the face of Michelle or her husband President Obama while they were on location at the Osu, and Cape Coast Castles?

I wouldn’t be surprised if only few did. The festivity of the occasion would be too much. The symbolism of having the first black president of the most powerful state in Ghana, on his first state visit to black Africa, was too intoxicating a moment to allow thoughts about the dark matters of slavery to worry us. Otherwise, we wouldn’t have put our imprimatur on a Slave Fort by making it our seat of government.

But African-American visitors do remember. Their cultural memory of slavery runs deep. When confronted with the experience of the slave forts, they are forced to consider the preservation of these sanctuaries as a place of shame and not one to honor with the housing of our presidents.

I was told a sad story by a videographer, from one of our state media institutions, on a visit to Cape Coast Castle to record the performances of certain cultural troops some ten years ago. What happened should have served as a lesson.

After the Ghanaian troop had performed it came the turn of our African-American brethrens. To the surprise and disappointment of the audience, the African American group refused to perform. It was too much for them to dance on the sacred graves of their ancestors.

In other words, some historical places must demand appropriate usage. The African American group would not dance on what they considered sacred grounds. Our executive seat of government should not be housed in a slave fort.

The surprise at what happened at the Cape Coast Castle was that it had not been anticipated by the Ghanaian organizers; that the Cape Coast Castle was a sacred ground of cruel history and only should be used for somber reflections. You would have thought that our fixation with ceremonies for the dead could have allowed us a premonition.

And you would also have thought that centuries after the horrors of slavery, we would have learnt not to glorify it. But seemingly, a completed Jubilee House has been by-passed for use as the seat of the executive branch of government. The Osu Castle, it seems, is where we prefer to receive our august visitors.
 

Parliament approves ¢252.8million for 2009 supplementary Budget

Accra, Aug 28, Ghanadot - Ghana’s Parliament has approved the ¢252.8 million supplementary budget for the 2009 financial year after a heated debate on the floor of the House for close to about seven hours... More

Jubilee House, victim of our slash and burn politics?

Commentary, Aug 29, Ghanadot - Slash and burn politics is when good ideas to develop society fall victim to the political sentiment of the day. The term is borrowed from the agricultural practices of peasants and subsistence farmers. ...More