It’s plain to see, looking in the face of Ghanaians that they are suffering from abject poverty and neglect in the land of Ghana. Even though their land abounds in rich mineral endowment, Ghanaians in the midst of plenty are tormented by indescribable poverty. The origin of their sufferance lies with their obnoxious attitudinal “leave it to Providence to deal with it” (“Fa ma Nyame. Nyame bekyere”), when crooks are ransacking, pilfering or plundering the national coffers.

They have resigned themselves to fate taking its natural course, instead of bending it to suit them. When the few fortunate ones in government, although ethically and professionally wrong, have resolved without shame to duping the people, all what the poor masses keep saying is, “God will take care of the situation Himself”. The poor very rarely demonstrate their anger. When they do, it is mostly on the radio. The perpetrators of the atrocious crimes pursue their intentions with audacity, in the hope that the whirlwind will settle in the end (“ehuru a ebedwo”), and the belief that the poor in society are just mere toothless barking bulldogs.

With both despicable attitudes often expressed by the Ghanaian, a few those in the political arena, the mint house and the scene of amassing illegal wealth; the Sugar candy mountain overflowing of honey, will forever be encouraged to milk the country dry. This is exactly what the “we shall not listen to anyone” (“yen ntie obiara”) John Mahama/Arthur-Amissah NDC-led government is doing. They are killing Ghanaians softly through their blatantly unpropitious acts of stealing.

Ghanaians are unfortunately satisfied with given promises and reassurances by their oftentimes clueless, incompetent and corrupt administrators. How many times has President Mahama not given Ghanaians promises that are never honoured? How many times have his appointees not been accused of corrupt practices, leading to the near depletion of the contents of the public coffers, but the President watches nonchalantly?

The few those in government and in charge of the political parties, especially the National Democratic Party (NDC), are scandalously availing themselves of the national coffers to the detriment of the poor masses. The government collusively involves herself in what has infamously become a “create, loot and share” judgment debt payment scheme or scam. Yet, in the face of all these rampant acts of misdemeanour, Ghanaians remain docile, keeping to themselves saying, “I do not want any trouble” (“me mmpe me ho asem”), unlike Rockson, the defender of the poor and the needy in society.

Unless Ghanaians become conscious of the repercussions of their lukewarm and nonchalant attitudes, to begin to hold their leaders accountable, the few crooks in positions of responsibility and their agents will forever hold them at bay.

A lone voice is crying in the wilderness, seeking to rally Ghanaians to teach them about their rights and how to defend them. Who will respond to his call that will eventually culminate in the liberation of Ghanaians from the abject poverty they are always confronted with? Once they become aware of their rights, they will never again sit down with their “Nyame bekyere” attitudes while they are killed softly by the intentional infliction of corruption on the economy by their presumably “untouchable” leaders.

Rockson Adofo