GHANA RISKS BEING BOUGHT!!! Many years ago when I was growing up between the 60s and 70s society abhorred and loathed Ill-gotten gain. People who were known to acquire their wealth through rituals or what is popular referred to in Akan as sika duro were stigmatized. This discouraged many from treading that path except a few intrepid ones. Today, the story is different, people with money are the most respected in our society; it doesnt matter how they got their money. They can get whatever they want or do anything and get away with it. A story is told of a rich mans son who raped the daughter of a poor man. The boy was arrested, and the girl who was raped was sent to the hospital for a test to prove that she has been raped or otherwise. It was alleged that huge sums of money was paid to those doing the test to massage the results. So, eventually, the test was doctored in favour of the rich mans son that there wasnt any penetration, and so he was left off the hook! This is just a tip of an iceberg. My worry has to do with what is going on in our political front today. Not too long ago, our Grandpa doled out GHC600,000 to unable him win an election as a flag bearer. Recently, a fantastic young man with great vision who wanted to contest as a national executive member of a political party, had his dream aborted because he didnt have money to give to delegates. When he started his nation-wide campaign tour, he realized that he needed at least GHC40,000 before he could speak to delegates. The delegates nationwide were 800, and he needed to give a minimum of GHC50 to each delegate after delivering his message, not talking of fuel for his car and other logistics for his campaign team members, and also what delegates will demand on the day of voting which could run into hundreds of Ghana cedis per delegate. So, he abandoned the nation-wide campaign tour and resorted to a much cheaper means of campaigning on social media and meeting delegates at regional conferences. When the time came for the national congress, the young man hoping to sell his powerful message, went to the congress grounds much earlier, but the delegates wont grant him audience, they told him, no appearance fee, no message. Even those he trusted will vote for him, told him in the face, no cash, no vote. And, so, out of frustration the young man stepped down. Even though I share his frustrations and pain, I would have wished he had fought to the end, even if he had 0 vote, the whole world would have sympathized with him which could have started a national debate on how serious monetization of our politics has become, and he would have been a HERO even in defeat. In one of my articles in my book, The Gruesome Murder of the Elephant, I narrated how this spectre of political monetization is creeping into our basic schools, and I want to share it with you. Somewhere in 2009, I went to a primary school to promote one of my books. My attention was drawn to a staggering development. I saw some pupils who I suspected came from affluent homes distributing biscuits and other candies to their friends. My curiosity intensified and I enquired from the children what was going on. And I was shocked! There was going to be elections for class prefects and those kids were bribing their friends to vote for them! Do you get the whiff? Now, the question is, in the light of all these developments can Ghana be bought? My answer is capital YES, and Im going to show you how it can be done. It is very simple. In the history of our country the highest votes garnered to win a presidential election are in excess of five million. A coterie of drug barons, both international and local will come together and raise US$1,000 each for about six million illegible voters. They will select some local drug barons, 275 independent parliamentary candidates and an independent presidential candidate with his running mate. After going through registration processes with the EC, they are not going to campaign till one month to the election. Their agents will go to all constituencies in the country with pictures of their parliamentary and presidential candidates and look for voters with illegible voter ID cards and tell them that if they vote for their candidates they would be given One thousand dollars each which is equivalent to more than 30 million old cedis. The only condition is that they would have to swear an oath to a powerful deity or a river body in their community that if they do not honour their promise they should die. Chai, just voting and taking more than 30 million old cedis? Chinekee, I can bet with my head that people will jump over themselves for the offer including constituency executives of political parties. So, Kikikikiki, eventually we are going to have a president and majority MPs in Parliament from the Narcotics Peoples Party. Sosket, can you imagine the kind of laws that will be passed in Parliament? Kai, Kwaw Kese would have been released one time. With a clinched fist, hit the side of your head and shout Abodam. Who just said Amoateng is going to be the Speaker? Please its your own opinion oo, I dont want any trouble wai. Folks, now, you see, this is the threat facing us as a nation, and it is my unalterable conviction that so long as politricks, moneytics, moneycracy and the likes continue to take root in our society, Ghana our beloved country will find itself in an inextricable mess, and there is no way we can be safe as a people. It is, therefore, the duty of you and I, irrespective of our political affiliations to fight against this social menace. Im getting fed up with some of you. Who just whispered that a district was recently bought with 3 billion old cedis? If I call you to tell me who and who received what, will you be able to mention names? Hehehehe, can you Akonfem who got 500 million old cedis? Please Im sitting my somewhere nursing my wounds, I dont want any trouble oo. I shall return in style. Anthony Obeng Afrane.
Posted on: Sat, 13 Dec 2014 16:33:04 +0000
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