Opinions of Monday, 30 June 2014

Columnist: Owusu-Gyamfi, Clifford

The Ghana man's schizophrenia

There is this chronic illness which as a people, we’ve all come to ignorantly feel comfortable with. We call it schizophrenia. Some of the symptoms include:

We explored for oil and we’re queuing for fuel.

We overthrew Kwame Nkrumah and hailed him as a hero 50 years after.

We spoke against the construction of the Akosombo Hydroelectric dam as waste of funds and 50 years later our only hope of electricity power; even that we cannot maintain it.

We complained that Nkrumah is wasting cement to construct the Tema Motorway and 50 years after, it's the only surviving high way since Nkrumah's time.

We complained of the introduction of the VAT and today it's the top source of government revenue.

We shouted for joy when Atta Mills was dead, and we're mourning Mahama's government.

We insulted Rawlings for his cruel action against corruption, and today we're being humiliated by cruel and corrupt bureaucrats.

We insulted Kuffour for selling Ghana Telecom and now we're all enjoying the great packages of Vodafone.

President Mills fired custom officials for the practice of bribery, but never put any measures to curb corruption.

We complain of corruption yet we enjoy passing by the wrong door.

Everyone talks about corruption and yet we don’t see the ones who are practicing it.

We put people in jail for 60 years over the stealing of goat, yet corrupt bureaucrats are walking free.

We voted NDC out because of suffering and then we voted NDC in again to continue our suffering.

We insult politicians but we keep voting them in.

We insult Delta Airlines for delays and long routes, yet our own Ghana Airways is turned into a restaurant.

We insult the white man yet we keep selling our properties and belongings to go to the white man's land.

We insulted Asamoah Gyan for failing to score a crucial penalty and again we insulted him when he decided not to play penalties again.

We struggled hard to appear in the World Cups and yet we wished an ill omen for the Black Stars to come home.

We insulted the government for an unnecessary spending for spending $3million USD to the Black Stars, then we complain for not doing the necessary (by giving them their money) earlier after the Black Stars lost to Portugal.

We are calling for the firing of coach Kwesi Appiah whiles the Minister for Energy is walking on his arrogant shoulders over “dum so”.

Today, we’re complaining of Mahama’s government but in 2016 we shall ….. ?????

We Ghanaians are suffering from Schizophrenia.....We hallucinate for a better Ghana agenda without reaching for pragmatic agenda. We're an ill-fated minded and confused citizens. We like talking, but fail to ACT. It’s time we all face the truth and move toward one possible direction to realize our objectives.

Clifford Owusu-Gyamfi

University of Lausanne, Switzerland