“If Satan ever laughs; it must be at the hypocrites; they are the greatest dupes he has, they serve him better than any other, but receive no wages.” ? Charles Caleb Colton.
We are humans, not angels; so we’ve all at one time or the other exhibited a hypocritical tendency. That does not make us hypocrites. But exhibiting such actions consistently certainly does.
I’ve on numerous occasions recounted in this very column the hypocritical actions of those under the eagle-headed Umbrella. One that easily comes to mind is how they vehemently opposed the Free SHS policy for years only to make a U-turn and claim to be its originators. Another is publicly proclaiming their patriotism only to plan nocturnally to unleash mayhem and kidnappings on their own kith and kin in order to make the ruling party and government unpopular. Indeed, time and space would not allow me to recount all in this write-up.
Abusuapanin, the dreaded virus called corona has finally extended its destructive tentacles into our shores and we all seem worried and agitated about its presence. Trust me when I tell you not all who pretend to be concerned are really concerned. Some pretend to be worried but are screaming for joy inside. They are even praying for the virus to further extend its tentacles in the country so they can mischievously push their political agenda.
Long before corona landed on our shores, there had been a raging debate as to whether to compile a new register or not. It is an open secret that those under the Umbrella belong to the latter. They even embarked on a series of demonstration to drive home their point.
After losing the debate and having nothing more to say, they decided to put all their hopes on corona. Now that corona has finally arrived, one does not need a soothsayer to know that Zu-za is feverishly praying for it to spread across the country so the Electoral Commission (EC) would be compelled to cancel the compilation of the new register.
I’ve heard and seen many from the Umbrella stock since the arrival of corona here in Ghana. None sounded or looked as concerned as they wanted the world to believe. One could easily see a smirk on their faces as they struggle to blame the government for the arrival of the dreaded virus into the country. One Member of Parliament exhibited a wry smile as he shamelessly said he was worried the virus would spread and the country would struggle to contain it.
We cannot be fooled by their wry smile because we can distinguish between a genuine smile and a wry one. We will not allow ourselves to be fooled by smiles from those who inwardly wish the downfall of the Nana Dee government.
You see, they will pretend to be worried for this country and even suggest solutions on how to solve the corona menace. They will pretend to be saddened by the latest development and even swear to be more patriotic than anyone or any group in this country. But we will not be fooled because their actions have already revealed their true nature to us. As Steve Maraboli once said, “You can speak with spiritual eloquence, pray in public, and maintain a holy appearance. But it is your behaviour that will reveal your true character.”
I read somewhere that the only vice that cannot be forgiven is hypocrisy; because the repentance of the hypocrite is itself hypocrisy. How profoundly true!
I clearly remember how, in 2012, the then running mate of Prof. Atta Mills, John Mahama, proclaimed that theirs was a new party which had departed from its unfortunate history. It was a hypocritical repentance from hypocrites, which fooled me and my compatriots into voting them back to power. We recognized, albeit belatedly, that theirs was hypocritical repentance from a bunch of hypocrites who would never change.
But we wouldn’t be fooled twice by the same group, would we? We can see through their wry smile and would be very foolish to allow them step twice on our proverbial testis.
In the meantime, we entreat our compatriots to be careful and follow religiously the safety precautions outlined by the World Health Organisation. We also appeal to the powers that be to do their best to minimize the rate of spread of the virus because our weak health system cannot withstand the devastating effect of the pandemic.
Frankly, I shudder to imagine what would happen should corona spread its tentacles cross the length and breadth of the country. If developed nations like the US are struggling to control the pandemic, one can only imagine our fate should the unimaginable happen. When fresh leaves are falling off the tree, then one can only imagine the fate of the dry ones.
Don’t forget to say a prayer for this country whenever you prostrate or go on your knees. And see you next week for another interesting konkonsa. Deo volente!