Mr. President, we are waiting

Many have spoken about corruption, complained and written about corruption. Some have suggested how corruption could be stopped and why it has to stop. At last, we have a president who has promised to fight corruption.

I want to reiterate our resolve and determination to continue to demand accountability from our public officials/politicians and never to give up until we see change. Mr. President, the onus is on you to keep the promises you made. Do not be afraid of whoever got himself/herself tainted, be they chiefs or presidents, let the law follow its due process.

If you do not, the result will be that Ghana would be thrown into chaos and I will not be surprised if Ghana ends up in a civil war like other African nations, and in addition to that, you will be the one to be blamed for all the evils that past administrations have done.

Those found guilty, from both NPP and NDC governments and have for that matter rendered some Ghanaians poor, should be prosecuted and punished with prison sentences, bearing in mind that the Rawlings administration executed people who only “borrowed” few thousands of dollars.

This process of accountability should be applied in every sphere of government machinery; departments and all institutions including the judiciary.

Public officials in the U.S. such as George Ryan, Rod Blagoyevich, former governor of Illinois, former mayor of Detroit, Kwame Kilpatrick and others are all serving jail terms, some serving about 28 years due to their “corrupt” practices. I prescribe the same accountability, justice and transparency in government for Ghana, without which corruption can never be dealt with and Ghana and Africa for that matter, can NEVER see progress/development. No one is above the law and no one is too big to go to jail.

This effort should start with the government officials, parliamentarians, both current and past. Any government that comes into office should punish corrupt officials of previous administration and its own corrupt officials. By so doing, people will fear to steal. This will mark the birth of accountability and prosperity in our society.

Fellow Ghanaians, we can make ABOROKYIRE right here in Ghana. With the right kind of leadership, we would not have to seek greener pastures elsewhere because the pasture is already green in Africa and as a matter of fact, some have been faced with even worse conditions because they chose to travel. We just have not found good leadership yet. God is waiting for you to change the status quo, Mr. President be that leader.

I want to remind everyone to think of the atrocities that was meted out to our fellow Ghanaians and other Africans in Libya and understand that we cannot continue to try to make other countries our home. Before I continue, I also want to make my position clear as far as political affiliation is concerned. I was born into a CPP tradition. I supported the Rawlings revolution because we believed at the time that he had the right message.

Some colleagues of ours lost their lives and I almost lost mine, but due to the mercy of God, I was spared. I crossed over to the NPP to support Prof. Adu-Boahen of blessed memory. Currently, I am independent, I have no affiliation because after many years of following politicians, the looting has continued unabated and I cannot see anything in the horizon to assure me that Ghana is also striving for excellence, trying to become like Singapore or any developed nation for that matter, or am I living in a fool’s paradise?

If that is the case, then it makes sense to say that we do not also have brains like those who have developed their countries. It is upon this premise that I write this article, neutrality!

Our dear nation, Ghana, is blessed with resources beyond measure. We do not even need Oil for our citizens to enjoy a better life. The African continent is endowed with rich natural resources, but unfortunately, we find ourselves sinking deeper and deeper into a sea of deprivation, scarcity, disease and poverty. Our problem, as we all know, is a very high level of corruption and mismanagement, and I want to add that the other problem that we do not talk about is the African pride.

“Africans” think we are very wise but we still have nothing to show, to prove that. Even with all our education and exposure, we still cannot solve our very basic human problems as cleanliness. Without actually implementing a policy of zero tolerance for corruption, our dear nation stands a chance of going the way of other African countries that have had civil war. There is corruption in every part of the world, even in the U.S. and other developed nations.

The difference though is, if one is caught, it does not matter what your status is or your connections, you will be made to suffer the consequences. We have to do the same. NOBODY SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO SPEND A DOLLAR/CEDI OR CENT/PESEWA UNLAWFULLY. Ghana’s money is your money, it is my money, Ghana’s resources belong to you, and all Ghanaians.

In Africa, and Ghana for that matter, when some people are voted into power, the only assignment they embark upon, their job description has always been as follows:

Enrich themselves by milking the nation.

Amass wealth for their immediate and distant family members.

Making millionaires of their cronies and sometimes their tribesmen.

Saving millions/billions in foreign banks. This time around, Dubai has become the safe haven.

Many African leaders have always made sure that they follow this job description to the letter and they pass with distinction.

The message I want to send to our people is, when we vote politicians into office, they become our employees and the people become their employers. They are employed/voted to serve us, to be servant leaders and accountable to us. We should call ourselves stupid if we continue to allow politicians to come and take what belongs to us all without asking any questions.
Governments come and empty the coffers of the nation, and go unpunished.

This injustice must stop. If Americans have made their home prosperous by being accountable, we can do the same. We need a new African in this world, selfless, new kind of leadership, whose main objective is to carry out the job description outlined for them. It is WE the people who must ensure that the elected leaders follow the job description through.

There was an article on ghanaweb which reported a Cassava thief sentenced to a TEN year jail term, whilst politicians are manipulating contract figures, write budgets, siphon the money into their accounts, steal our money, not in thousands like our past leaders, but this time, in millions and billions of dollars without any accountability. This cassava thief might have been genuinely hungry because the politicians stole the money that was supposed to put food on his table but receives a ten year jail sentence, whilst the judge who sentenced the thief is receiving monies behind closed doors to acquit government/top officials who are the real culprits stealing from our nation. Shame on our governments. They will all answer to God, believe it or not.

We should hold our leaders accountable to strictly enforce the laws of corruption and punish all perpetrators regardless of their social status, ethnic backgrounds or political affiliation. These steps will set Ghana on the path to economic recovery and make the country a beacon of hope for the rest of Africa to emulate. It is very clear that past governments have done nothing about corruption.

If we do not do this now, we shall forever be doomed and posterity will never forgive us. We cannot afford to fail again with all the abundant resources at our disposal. For once, let us be PATRIOTIC. Ghana is for us all. I encourage everyone to join in the fight against corruption, to continue to put pressure on the NADAA administration to punish corruption. The secret or key that unlocks the victory in every undertaking is "ONENESS."

The “devil” is very much aware of this fact, so he has vowed that he will never allow "black" Africans to unite to pursue anything good under the Sun. The moment black folks come together, one says, ‘I am the only one who is qualified to lead,’ the other says, ‘you are not from my tribe or my village so you cannot lead us.’

The one sitting in the corner is thinking, ‘this is an opportunity for me to make some money.’ The next guy is questioning, ‘which political party do these guys belong?’ ‘If they do not belong to my party, then I cannot work with them, I will oppose everything they propose.’

All across the globe, there is a demand for accountability, there is a demand for economic freedom and emancipation and individual liberties, All nations across the globe are calling for economic emancipation, why not “Black” Africa and for that matter Ghana? Africa deserves better, Ghana deserves better, Ghana deserves better than the stench and filth in the gutters of Accra, Ghana deserves better than the schools under trees, Ghana deserves better than the extortions at the ports, Ghana deserves better than police men collecting bribes on our streets rather than carrying out their duties/checking speed limits which could have saved many lives lost to accidents.

Ghana deserves better than the corrupt judicial apparatus, Ghana deserves better, better than what we have, corruption, which is contributing to the current spate of crimes.

In conclusion, I wish to suggest that we apply what I call the “Egypt Spring” method; no confrontation, no fighting, no destruction, just a peaceful demand of our rights. When Egyptians chased Mubarak out of office, they voted for Morsi. When they found out that Morsi was carrying out his own agenda rather than following the job description prescribed for him, what they had employed him to do, they “fired” him from office and I believe they are preparing to execute him.

Next time, people voted into office will learn some lessons. The last but not the least, I think eleven months is a bit too short to cry foul, let us give NADAA some time to fulfill his promises. God bless you all. Long Live Ghana! Long live Africa!