When Anas Aremeyaw Anas revealed corruption in the various sectors of the Ghanaian economy, some of us thought people would be guided by a conscience that reminds them that “someone might be watching”. The situation has however remained almost the same if not worse.
Ghanaians are killing Ghana. We have come so far that if something is not done readily, our future would be more bleak than the difficulties we already are in. The successes we have built in history would be dead if we continue this way. What is the possibility of growth of a forest when the old and almost dying trees consume more of the nutrients needed for younger trees to grow? Can the young plants survive in a forest where the older ones become thorns that suppress their growth?
It was Henry Kissinger who said that “corrupt politicians make the other ten percent look bad” but I have come to believe that corruption in Ghana is not limited to the supposed 10% corrupt politicians. The percentage of corrupt politicians may be way higher than what Kissinger suggested. The politician however is not the only corrupt person we have in this country of ours. Civil servants have also played their part in building the saddening corrupt culture Ghana has come to have. The economy of Ghana has had growth rates that have been below its actual growth capacity because many things that need to be done smoothly have been blocked from growth by corrupt officials.
In spite of the fact that the educational system has been blamed for not equipping graduates with the needed skills and mindset to become independent entrepreneurs, the ‘soil of Ghana’ has been the cause of death of young business ideas and dreams. I would not speak about the economics of it since I don’t know how much influence the Corruption Perception Index may have on investor confidence in the economy.
To my point since I am a sociologist, the social structure we have built for ourselves in which people/civil servants expect extra monies to do what they are monthly paid for is one of the greatest problems of economic growth on the larger scale.
A young colleague friend who was bold enough to step out the pool that has kept many graduates unemployed many years after graduation had to face the barrier set by greedy men at the Registrar General’s Department. He is one of the many people who have been discouraged from starting their own businesses.
His words might be harsh but he said “One pot-bellied man at the department worried me. He said I should bring 500gh for the thing to work fast. The normal money is around 250”. A missionary friend who has refused to bribe corrupt officers in the DVLA to renew his vehicle papers spends 5-6 hours always to do what should have been done within an hour had things been normal. In fact, those who are willing to pay the bribes can get their issues attended to within 30 to 45 minutes at the DVLA. It has become abnormal in Ghana to seek to do what is right.
When would these end? The police receive bribes, recruitment into the public sector is based on who you know and how much you can offer as bribe. Contracts are awarded based on who could pay the highest bribe figure. Procurement processes are just existing in books. Nothing seems to be working as it ought to.
Who would heal the greed, rot and dream killing behaviors of public servants that have been killing this nation over the years? We need as citizens to learn that “It’s not unpatriotic to denounce an injustice committed on our behalf, perhaps it’s the most patriotic thing we can do” (Bucchianeri, in Brushstrokes of a Gadfly).
CHARLES SELORM DEKU 