I almost didn’t make a post today. Hands full. Lights out. Deadlines. Readings. Other duties. All the same, I got some little time on my hands and so here goes… Today has been eventful after reading and hearing all the news about what ensued at some polling stations during the special voting. Interestingly, social media has served me more news than the radio station I tuned in to. Anyway, guess it’s about speed now when it comes to social media. Today, I attempt to discuss tolerance with regards to the elections in Ghana.

Religious

I did some rounds yesterday and spoke to a few people. This year’s elections is a very interesting one in terms of religious difference. For the first time a Muslim is seeking to lead the nation. It isn’t so surprising as most Ghanaians are Muslims too. I remember listening to a preacher man who once stated that Ghana is a secular nation and so attempts to get him predict the elections was going to be impossible.  I got the message. But how many people get the message too. In a country that is densely Christian, it is easy for people to judge.

Tribal

I believe a lot of us have gone past this phase though. Intermarriages. Project partnerships. Business sense. Once in a while, we all share a meal or two with people outside of our tribe if not buy from them. How come when it is time for elections, we quickly put on the mask of tribalism? Despite our tribal differences we need to have an open mind about each other’s culture and appreciate one another for where we have come from. There is no need to go wild over which tribe comes before the other. This is not the time to tell the other person to take the back seat because of where they come from. Let us be guided by how we communicate to each other especially in these delicate times.

Views

We can share our views and are free to associate with any political party of our choice. That said, it is worth noting that in sharing our dissenting views, the other party must always be in mind. And even when we are at fault it is always okay to seek redress than to take matters into our own hands which may lead to violence. See the other person’s opinion as unique and important to the conversation at hand rather than resorting to arguments that may fuel anger and fights.

Reporting

Political party reporting is interesting. Although I haven’t had firsthand experience with that, I have watched as many brilliant journalists do the deed. It is important that while interviewing, reporters avoid hate speech which may result in disagreements. The right figures, regions, and names, should be collated and well reported to avoid misinformation. When electoral processes are not well reported, citizens become restless and that may cause tensions. Let us therefore be mindful in our dealings, comrades. I rest my case.