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26.01.2015 Opinion

Of Hypocrisy, Bigotry And Propaganda!  

By Agya Kwaku Ogboro
Of Hypocrisy, Bigotry And Propaganda!
26.01.2015 LISTEN

The word 'hypocrisy' has become dominant on our airwaves for some time now. I was a little puzzled seeing the mouths vomiting the word, so I decided to look it up in the dictionary. It isn't because I do not understand the meaning, but just to be double-sure that my ears had heard right.

My Oxford Dictionary tells me 'hypocrisy' is a noun which originated from the Greek word 'hupokrisis', meaning 'acting a theatrical part'. Hypocrisy therefore means 'a behaviour in which a person pretends to have higher standards or beliefs than is the case'.

It's an undisputed fact that with the exception of the few privileged government and party officials who enjoyed the largesse of state and lined their pockets through 'create, loot and share' schemes, the majority of my compatriots endured a bitter and harsh economic conditions last year. The promise to make our lives better did not materialise as we were virtually given doses of bitter pills to swallow.

One of the few good things to have emerged from that bitter experience was the creation of 'Occupy Ghana'. The group, mainly comprising of the middle class, has the sole aim of making government accountable and ensuring that the scarce state resources are put to good use in order to better the life of the ordinary Asomdwekromanian. It has so far abided by its objectives and put the heat on the Accountant-General to retrieve all cowries stolen from the state's chest.

The effective nature of the campaign has suddenly sent shivers down the spines of some government officials. Obviously dazed by the menacing punches being delivered by the group, the government officials have resorted to name-calling. The say the 'occupiers' are nothing but hypocrites who are only propagating the interest of the opposition.

Hypocrites? Ha,ha,ha! One does not become a hypocrite simply because bigots and propagandists say so. And calling a man a hypocrite for fighting the cause of the downtrodden would not stick because actions speak louder than words. Indeed, we all know the real hypocrites, don't we?

We do know those who rode on the back of Committee for Joint Action (CJA) to come to power and then suddenly forgot about the suffering masses. We remember vividly those who said they would reduce fuel prices drastically, but ended up increasing it exponentially. We also remember those who shouted their voices hoarse about the hardships of the suffering masses, but soon became dumb when their CJA colleagues wrestled power.

Is it because their mouths are now so full that they cannot shout anymore? Or is it because their daughters have been awarded scholarships to study abroad?

As I listened to the ravings of the bigots and propagandists, I felt greatly sorry, not for myself, nor even so much for the bigots, but for this great country. I felt sorry for this country not only because bigots and propagandists are currently at the helm of affairs, but also because these bigots have expertise in the art of looting.

Some of their 'create, loot and share' schemes such as the sad SADA saga and the akomfem debacle are the rots that Occupy Ghana is trying to clear. Is it, therefore, any wonder that they are verbally abusing individual members of the group?

In the midst of desperation and hopelessness, it is groups like Occupy Ghana that give the downtrodden some little hope to cling on to. They rekindle lost hope and reassure the ordinary person that all is not lost. It is the reason I'm not ashamed to associate with Occupy Ghana. Indeed, I'm proud to support a group which has personalities who do not allow negative comments from their detractors to dissuade them.

I, therefore, use this opportunity to urge the group to continue ignoring the ranting of bigots whose only claim to patriotism is their ability to loot state resources. I implore the group to continue its struggle because its motivation is the love of country and the desire to bring the sweets of a higher standard of living to the downtrodden.

By the way, I just heard that IMANI is ranked the second most influential think tank in Africa out of 65. Last year, it was number 4. Please permit me to use this opportunity to pat Franklin, Bright and the other blokes at IMANI on the back for the great work. More grease to your elbows, IMANI.

The African Latin Poet, Terentius Afer, makes the claim that he is a human being, and all that touches humanity is his concern- 'Homo sum, nil humanum a me alienum puto.' Of Franklin Cudjoe or any member of Occupy Ghana, it may be said that, 'Ghanesis sum, nil Ghanese a me alienum puto.' To wit, 'He is Ghanaian, and all that touches Ghana is his concern.'

See you next week for another interesting konkonsa, Deo volente!

 By Agya Kwaku Ogboro

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