A story was told of a couple who rented an apartment at Kumasi Ayigya and paid a 5 years rent advance. The wife was heavily pregnant with a child, they had an 11 months baby boy and the husband had just lost his job. They had stayed in the apartment for only 5 months when the Landlord’s son decided to eject them from the house. His argument was that the rent they paid was too low so it is either they pay extra or be ejected. Of course this generated quite a storm and the Landlord’s son reported the matter to the Rent Control office in Kumasi.

The husband being an educated person conducted a research on the rent control laws of the country and became quite convinced the law was on their side. They proceeded to the Rent control office to argue their case out but something bizarre was happening which they found out too late. At the rent control office was a certain gentleman called Paul who they later found out was highly corrupt and unconscionable young man. This effeminate young man had engaged in practices of colluding with greedy landlords to eject tenants whose rent is not due for bribes. He is a notorious bribe taker without conscience who will do anything for money.

Paul then took money from the Landlord’s son and frustrated this poor couple during the hearing. He eventually told them to quit the house and collect their remaining advance or he will take them to court. He further threatened the husband who is not a native of Kumasi to be careful of him or else he will ensure they never rent a room in Kumasi. Greedy Paul then proceeded to give them only a month to quit from the residence and gave them their money after deducting $180 from it which he claimed is for administrative purposes. The shock of such gross injustice forced the woman to go into force labor which she eventually lost the baby!

The Kumasi Rent control office has turned into a place where landlord’s run the show instead of poor tenants. A tenant seeking for justice who has no money to pay bribes is sure to go home empty handed because of Paul and his greedy bunch of hopeless civil servants in that office. The greediness and corrupt practices of this demented Paul caused a married woman to lose her baby. In Ghana, everything is upside down. While the politicians are reaping heavily from places they did not sow, greedy civil servants like Paul are also reaping from the tears and blood of innocent tenants in Kumasi. Kumasi is the easiest place to get ejected as a tenant than any place on earth because of the injustice of Paul and his greedy officers.

Now I ask, why is a greedy, corrupt and morally bankrupt persons like Paul still at post? Is there no conscience in our dear nation anymore? Do civil servants paid with taxpayers’ money have the right to act with impunity like the way this demon Paul is acting at the Rent Control department office in Kumasi? Who supervises the Rent Control Department? Am so shocked that at this modern age and time, a highly corrupt person like Paul will be allowed to abuse his authority.

Ghana has indeed gone to the dogs if morally corrupt people like Paul still find themselves in position of trust. As long as this Paul guy remains at the rent control office in Kumasi, tenants in the garden city have no hope of survival.

kpakpogh@yahoo.com 0206818129