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Opinions of Friday, 17 September 2010

Columnist: Ashiagbor, Kwaku Kele

State Property Looting Democracy.

THE GHANAIAN CONDITION (PART11)




Never in the history of Mother Ghana was so much State Property Looted by so few in the name of a bogus political ideology called “Property Owning Democracy.
The recent revelations about the illegal and secretive sale of State Lands to the former Government Officials including the Chief Justice is just mind-boggling to say the least.
The whole episode is straight out of that famous book “Animal Farm” by George Orwell,there is no other way to put it in perspective.

What is even more galling is to listen to the irrational and illogical argument being put foreward by the Chairman of the Lands Commission who wants us to accept that an illegal act can be deemed legal .His logic was that it will cause the Government so much money ant time to reclaim some of these lands and so matters should be left.alone. In fairness to him he stated that he will call a Press Conference this Friday so let’s see what other tricks he has under his sleeves.
It is becoming patently obvious that in Ghana if you are a big man or woman,you can steal,maim ,rob and commit any crime under the sun and you will not be prosecuted.
Our Society is now polarized into two camps, viz the “Touchables and the Untouchables” depending on what Political Party you belong to and how high your Social Status is—surely this a recipe for disaster if this phenomena is allowed to continue.
It is obvious that the dictum, “ However High You are the Law is Above You “is not applicable in Ghana. In fact not only are some people above the Law, they are the law themselves.
If not how come that we have some crooked and unscrupulous Politicians and Pastors robbing the nation and their Congregations blind on daily basis and no one bats an eyelid.
Our Politicians are stealing using the Pen and our Pastors are stealing using the Bible.
As for some in the Judiciary they will not hesitate to sentence Jesus Christ to life imprisonment if he were to appear before them because he would not be able to bribe them.
Let a poor person steal a bunch of plantain or few tubers of cassava and he will definitely be put away for a very very long time in Prison but the rich and powerful steal millions or billions of cedis and he will surely be set free on a clever technical argument completely ignoring the substance of the case..
Just look at the case of the former Speaker of Parliament who literally stripped naked and looted every movable item in his former bungalow and up today nothing was done to him.
Another case is the Ghana@ 50 Saga.Both Mr. Mpiani and Dr. Wereko-Brobbey are still free men . Even today ,we do not know how much has been spent on the Construction of the Jubilee House which is a Presidential House.

I am not sure if the defendants of these looting brigade have ever read or heard of “Equity Theory “ as postulated by John Stacey Adams in 1963.
Equity Theory is based on relations and perceptions of fairness in distributions of resources within social and professional groups. Equity is simply about fairness in the distribution of resources.
As the famous dictum goes “ Where Equity and the Law clashes,Equity Must Prevail”.
I am pleased to read today that the Ghana Armed Forces are taking steps to re-posses all their lands illegally acquired by private people. Likewise the Lands Commission is re-acquiring the 25 acre land of the former International Students Hostel and re-allocated it to three State Institutions,--there is hope.
I sincerely hope and pray that the current Government take all the necessary LEGAL STEPS to re-posses all State Lands for the future use of this country. No body is above the law.

KWAKU.KELE.ASHIAGBOR