Until my beloved country Ghana is able to overcome her three apexes of evil – political populism, infatuation with religious charlatanism and institutional corruption, the socio-economic emancipation of Ghana will simply be a mirage.

The nation’s political demagogues with their teeming supporters, most of whom are not politically savvy but are simply walking with their stomach, play dirty politics. They whip up the sentiments of the electorates, promising them heaven on earth at the crack of their finger. The political leaders play on the weak-mindedness of the citizens; promising them the delivery of all their wishes should they vote for them to manage the affairs of the nation. The citizens demanding better life delivered to them on a silver platter by the swing of a magic wand or the application of abracadabra or at the blink of the eye, easily fall for the deceits by our politicians.

The politicians know their soft spots and always touch those areas which often end up with the politicians having played on the electorates’ intelligence. If the citizens will for once cease expecting their living conditions to become better at the word go, but endure a bit longer with a seriously-minded and honest political leader, e. g. His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, giving him time to deliver his/her promises, Ghana will eventually become a country many a discerning Ghanaian will become proud of, and to call it “my home”.

The haste with which Ghanaians expect things to change overnight to better their standards of living, will forever make them fall victims to political crooks who will come only to embezzle public funds and assets, insult their intelligence and walk over them without ever willing to listen to their concerns to address them. They will give them a double slap across the face with their “me ntie obiaa” lyrical nonsense.

Yes, it is alleged that the current NPP government has in less than two years borrowed more foreign money than the entire four years or so of the Mahama-led NDC government. If it is true as alleged, is the money being put to a better use without suffering seepage in what is embezzlement into some people’s pockets unlike it was in the era of the Mahama-led NDC government? If the money can be accounted for in transparency and the managers pass the test of probity, why shouldn’t Ghanaians bear with them a little longer for the projects they are using the money to execute to bear fruits?

For all the obvious embezzlements by former President Mahama and his brigade of similitude of the Arabian Ali Baba and his forty thieves, he is shamelessly staging a comeback. Mysteriously sorrowfully, he has a large following. No wonder that he teases Ghanaians as having a short memory. Once more, he is capitalising on the Ghanaians’ weakness of impatience to bear a little longer before reaping the full ripen fruits of their sweat and toil, to aspire to come back. “Once bitten, twice shy”, I emphasize to my fellow Ghanaians.

Populism is “a political strategy based on a calculated appeal to the interests or prejudices of ordinary people”

There seems to be more churches, mosques and deity shrines in Ghana than there are people to fill them. Ghanaians claim to be more religious yet, they are at each ticking of the clock committing evils that cut deeper across the bones to make our Creator God probably regret for creating us. Our religious leaders are the worst. They are not after the welfare of their church members, mosque members or those frequenting the fetish shrine. They are simply there to exploit people in the hope of living in opulence while their members live in abject penury. Ghanaians think by being utterly submissive to their religious leaders even in the clear face of being exploited, they will go to heaven. This attitude of which I may say is a stupid belief, has made most of our religious leaders super rich to continue to churn out silly fantasies but which are all acceptable to the Ghanaian.

A person who claims to have power to make you rich overnight, demanding human parts for rituals to that effect, requests you to pay him/her money. Why cannot they use their powers that can make you rich to make themselves rich through same mystical means? There is a video trending on WhatsApp of two arrested self-styled fetish priests who like their other fellows, sit on Ghana television and radio stations claiming to have the power to make people rich by medium of their fetishism but are unfortunately caught with loads of papers shaped in the form of many and various foreign currencies.

Our church leaders and some mallams claim to have the power to resurrect the dead, make people rich and to foretell the future yet, they cannot resurrect their family members when they die. They cannot make magical monies for themselves but to exploit their followers by means of compulsory offertories, tithes and other donations to live the life of affluence. They don’t preach salvation but materialism. To me, this is BULLSHIT!

The Ghanaian’s fondness for religious charlatanry has retarded our nation’s progress by several years. These charlatans put fear into us and make us believe that by being humble even in the face of abuse, one will go to heaven. Therefore, the ordinary Ghanaian succumb to their exploitations without uttering a word all in the hope of going to heaven when they die. Sorry, heaven is not for fools but for those who wisely do the wish of God.

A charlatan is “a person who pretends or claims to have more knowledge or skill than he or she possesses” and charlatanism is the practice or method of a charlatan.

In Ghana, it is very obvious that ramified corruption has become the bane of the nation’s economic progress. Corruption in all its forms and shapes – embezzlement of public funds and assets, abuse of power culminating in the creation of human monsters, cronyism, nepotism, etc., as perpetrated and perpetuated by our political leaders, civil service heads and our security forces, is retarding, if not retrogressing, the development of the nation.

Until we avail ourselves of the Free Senior High School education to progress further to acquire knowledge where we can read through the tiny lines of promises made to us by our politicians, see their true nature to hold them squarely accountable, we had better forget it, only to see our progress as a nation and a people purely a mirage.

As we blame our leaders, we have to blame ourselves for being ignorant, cowards and good-for-nothing if we continually sit down with our arms folded around the chest doing nothing while the few leaders in whom we entrust our life and wellbeing keep on fooling us.

Many a time, I hear people say, Rockson Adofo is a brave person. Rockson Adofo can no longer go to Ghana because of how he has taken Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II on. By the way, does Ghana belong to Asantehene? Are we leaving in a total monarchy or in a republic where there are laws to be obeyed and the law is no respecter of persons. “Cowards die many times before their death”. If you are telling the truth, you fear no foe. Truth is itself an effective weapon to cut down the evildoers.

How I wish all Ghanaians were like Rockson Adofo, Kennedy Agyapong (Hon), Martin Amidu (Hon), Chairman Wontumi, Abronye, Kofi Basoah, Charles de Graft and all those who are honest and bold to take on the few political, religious and civil service leaders who are ruining Ghana just for their selfish gains.

Until I die, I shall be of selfless service to my people and country. I shall be a soldier of the Lord to ensure that justice and peace for the downtrodden subjects of Kumawuman become a reality but not elusive. Therefore, Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II has an uphill battle to fight if he thinks he can go scot free twisting the arms of Kumawuman to suit his insatiable greed.