“A thief passes for a gentleman when stealing has made him rich”—Dutch Proverb.
I’m very sick and tired, and, I believe, so are many of my compatriots. What are we sick and tired of? We are sick and tired of the wanton looting and wastage in the name of democratic governance. My good friend, Professor Kwame Arhin of blessed memory referred to it as “banditry by legitimized bandits”.
For the avoidance of doubt, my Advance English Dictionary describes “bandit” as a noun which means “a criminal, an outlaw or one who exploits others”. Legitimized bandits are, therefore, organized groups of criminals allowed by the laws of the state to engage in nation-wrecking acts without any form of inhibition. One of such acts is the retiring package for Article 71 office holders.
Every four years, we go through the cycle of paying astronomical sums to so-called Article 71 holders. Some of them, such as Members of Parliament (MPs), are recycled every four years and are, thus, entitled to receive such huge sums every cycle. What this means is that some MPs have received as many as five ex-gratia packages and are anxiously waiting for the sixth one.Whenever my compatriots and I complain, the politicians give us bizarre explanations to justify the wanton dissipation of state resources. Interestingly, it is the only issue on which the two main sides of the political divide always see eye to eye. Tell me, it is a coincidence and I would you the late Bob Marley was a Russian.
Just last week, our ears were inundated with accusations and counter-accusations about missing vehicles at the Presidency. While Eugene Arhin shouted “missing cars oo, missing cars”, the opposition screamed that no car was missing. We, the poor citizenry, were thus left in a maze of confused thoughts as we wondered where the said 208 missing vehicles could be.
The fogs in our medulla were, however, cleared when Sam George, the Member of Parliament for Ningo-Prampram, told us what really happened. He explained that the said missing cars had been bought by Agya Ogwanfunu’s Presidential staffers as part of their retirement package. He further argued that, though he opted not to buy, his colleagues did no wrong because it was not frowned upon by the laws of the state.
You see, the man accused of stealing a goat is finally seen entertaining his guests with goat meat. How can he claim innocence? For sure, this is nothing but legitimized banditry. How can a poor and struggling nation like ours afford such profligacy and looting in the name of democratic governance? How can we allow such disguised thievery to continue when we still have communities in this country sharing the same source of water with animals?
I don’t believe Madam Chief of Staff understands fully the sentiments of the masses. The masses abhor the retire-with-your-saloon-car policy. All they seek is a directive for all such cheaply-bought cars to be returned to the state, and the policy subsequently abolished.
Yes, I’m very livid. But what can the anger of a non-entity like me accomplish? Nothing, I guess. But that will not stop me from ranting until the message reaches its intended target.
It is an understatement to say the expenditure on Article 71 holders is a burden on the state. I’m of the opinion that it is a noose around our neck, waiting to squeeze the breath out of the state.
As for the Council of State, the least said about it, the better. I’ve always maintained that it is a useless body whose existence is only a drain on the limited resources we have. We all know the title “Council of State” could be synonymous with rubber stamp. The actions of the body since 1992 would buttress my point. Let’s scrap the body, and I can bet my last cedi that no one would miss it.
I‘ve always supported the call that those who seek to make money should leave the public sector and go to the private sector. Public service, as President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has said, is not a place for making money. So those who agree to serve must be willing to do so in the interest of the public good and not personal gain.
My love for Nana Addo and the Great Osono is no secret. It is because of that love that I would criticize the new government when I see things going contrary to the expectations of the masses. I know choosing Nana Addo over Agya Ogwanfunu was a wise choice; so I wouldn’t rest until I’m vindicated.
I, therefore, take this opportunity to remind my incorruptible president that my compatriots and I eagerly await his decision on the retiring package for Article 71 holders. The country overwhelmingly voted for change. We did so because we want to see a departure from the status quo. So we expect to see that change and pronto. Not being a dead goat, I know Mr President would listen to our cry!
See you next week for another interesting konkonsa, Deo volente!