Opinions of Sunday, 16 July 2017

Columnist: Michael Kessey

Hypocrisy killing our politics

Ghana's democracy is considered one of the most enviable in Africa Ghana's democracy is considered one of the most enviable in Africa

It’s rather unfortunate and pathetic that Ghanaian Politicians have chosen to dance to the tune of the perception of some Ghanaians who must have tagged politics as a dirty game instead of seeing it as a noble profession aimed at raising the standard of living of the ordinary man.

It’s sad that the unscientific attitudes of some Ghanaian politicians have given room for majority of Ghanaians both the educated literates and illiterates to believe that politics is indeed a dirty game.

Service to mankind is service to God and as such our politicians should not play games with it as if it is a chess or draught.

Countless number of prominent Ghanaians who entered into politics to serve their constituents had lost their lives not because they had committed a crime but because of greediness and wickedness of some politicians who can’t add even a second to their days on earth.

No wonder we are sitting on wealth and yet we cannot depend on our own apron. Mother Ghana is fortunate to have been blessed with countless number of natural resources and yet we are professional beggars.

Our dear nation Ghana was at the same scale with the likes of China, India, Japan, Malaysia, North and South Korea in the olden days.

Can we today compare Ghana to the above-mentioned nations in terms of development?

These developed countries are where they are now because politicians there believe in putting their nation first in all matters unlike some of our politicians who use their opulent bellies, operates on mere rhetoric, hullabaloos, innuendoes, academic ignorance and social pride.

Ghana which should have been called “African London” by now is still sitting in its ABC all because majority of our politicians are greedy and grafty. God did not put us here to be poor, we are poor because majority of our politicians are in there to impoverish the country.

I strongly believe politicians in countries we go for support don’t just say with their mouth they are patriotic but they love to practice patriotism.

Politicians in the elite countries operate on clean bill of health that is why their countries have developed and we are lacking behind and we take delight in going for support from these countries whose natural resources come nowhere near us without shame.

Borrowing in real life is not bad at all, but when our politicians borrow money from the elite countries with the motive of executing a project that will help its citizenry and they failed to use it for that purpose.

We have the natural resources but money and technology we have none.

What is wrong if we decide not to borrow money and misuse it, but rather allow our donors to come and invest their money and technology to empower the private sector to create more jobs to employ our unemployed graduates whose knowledge acquired from school is going waste and we share the benefits.

I find it difficult to understand why some politicians pretend not to understand this simple logic. This is just sheer hypocrisy by all standards.

It would be of good use to the nation if our politicians learn to exchange our natural resources with technology instead of the leverage they acquire and misuses it.

It is the wish of every patriotic citizen to see our politicians putting in place good measures that will help manage our natural resources properly to also offer leverage for interest to other West African countries to eradicate poverty which has eaten deep into the fabrics of the Ghanaian society like a cankerworm.

It saddens my heart if I look at the way and manner our politicians behave.

The same people who were advocating for all inclusive government are now worried Dr. Edward Nasigri Mahama accepted the appointment to serve as Ambassador at Large under President Akufo Addo’s government.

Meanwhile, if they were given an appointment to serve on a board they would not delay in accepting it.

When Ghanaian workers demand salary increment, the only politicians who will support them as making justifiable demands are the ones in opposition. When politicians are demanding for salary increments, they all see it as justifiable.

Having forgotten the fact that, “what is good for the goose is equally good for the gander”.

They will tell us we are in hard times and we should tighten our belt and they will lose theirs and eat fat while we grow lean.

We need to emancipate ourselves from the dull drums of darkness to the penury of royals. Ghana, our beloved country, will continue to live in poverty until thy kingdom come if our politicians don’t change their attitude.

The mindset, prime objectives of our politicians is to usurp power. It’s surprising to see some politicians donating expensive Landcrusers to chiefs; meanwhile most of the roads leading to their communities are in a deplorable state.

They give Hyundai i10 or Atta Camboo vehicles to some University students when their schools have no good vehicles.

Laptops were given to undeserved people whilst ICT teachers in our basic schools have none to use for practical work, outboard motors, Clothes and sewing machines including huge sums of money were also given to some electorates just to maintain power.

This has a biblical allusion “what will it profits a man if he gains the whole world and loses his life”. Can they be able to give a good account of themselves if God calls them today?

Whenever they are in power everything government does is good but it is the opposite when they are in opposition.

NDC before the 2008 elections tagged the erstwhile John Agyekum Kufour’s government as the most corrupt administration and that they will make sure when Ghanaians give them their mandate they will jail all the corrupt personalities.

Surprisingly, not even a housefly in erstwhile J.A. Kufour – led administration was convicted in NDC’s eight (8) year regime. All that NPP’s accusers could tell the good people of Ghana, it was just a political talk.

The NDC once again told us that the Jubilee House built to be the official residence for all Presidents befits a poultry farm and we thought upon completion they will use it to keep our guinea fowls that fled to Burkinafaso.

They quickly moved in and changed the name to Flagstaff House which became a Buckingham Palace.

Now, the table has turned and NPP in their campaign revealed to Ghanaians their predecessors were corrupt and when they are given the mandate to rule the country, all looters of the tax-payers money under erstwhile president John Dramani Mahama’s government would be arrested and prosecuted.

We are waiting patiently to see if those found culpable in the previous government will be brought to book.

As soon as NDC assumed power, they begun to seize vehicles of ministers in erstwhile J.A. Kufour’s administration and they saw nothing wrong in what they were doing.

NPP is back and they are paying them back in their own coin and they are complaining bitterly making it looks as if it has never occurred in the history of our politics.

When they are in power everything their vigilante groups do to their opponents is good and acceptable. Politicians must not tolerate any kind of indiscipline by our party activist.

It is ridiculous for a deputy Sports minister in the previous government who knew there were lots of corruption going on in Ghana Football Association( GFA) and he kept mute and now that his party is out of government he wants the sitting President to prosecute people in GFA.

Has he forgotten negligence of duty is a serious crime? The 2016 election results should send a clear signal to our politicians they can’t take Ghanaian electorates for granted.