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13.04.2015 Editorial

Chauvinism Gone Haywire

By Daily Guide
Chauvinism Gone Haywire
13.04.2015 LISTEN

The Tamale airwaves last week presented a picture of what governance has become at the hands of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in today's Ghana.

There could not have been a better representation of the impunity-infected government than when a deputy minister who straddles the Northern Regional capital like a mini-colossus or so he thinks, spews swear words as though inebriated with power – which is what he is anyway.

The speed with which the offensive loud-mouthing penetrated the country's political landscape explains its level of contagion.

When power inebriates absolutely, insolent conduct and indeed hubris, can hardly be regulated in the hands of the political noveau riche.

They take more delight in throwing the crumbs from their dining tables to the streets to attract their poverty-weakened compatriots than doing what can salvage such persons from their sorry state.

The story of Murtala Mohammed, the man with an impeccable academic pedigree as he chose to describe himself, is a byword for hubris, an attribute forbidden for both Christians and Muslims.

A turf war has gone beyond its seams and in the event exposing further the level of corruption in a government which is synonymous with graft of the highest order.

Given the pitch of his voice as he showed off in the recording which has expectedly gone virile, we were disappointed that Murtala failed to mention the name of his kinsman he subjected to obscene and cowardly innuendos.

The reference to filthy money is one laden with myriad questions which Ghanaians, especially anti-graft crusaders, should want decrypted.

There are obviously a lot of things we do not know about some very rich appointees and their contribution towards the corruption collar around the neck of government.

For a minister of state to declare himself a chauvinist and continue to hold the high office of state is suggestive of the sorry state of governance in the country.

We would not be surprised if no eyebrows are raised at the presidency over the offensive and unbecoming conduct of the deputy minister. Perhaps he is one of the untouchables who we have often heard about.

The ethnocentric aspect of his rhetoric is already the subject of vehement reaction from some persons across the country.

Even as we clobber Murtala for his chauvinist remarks, we should spare some plaudits for him. After all, he has told us that some of his colleagues are basking in filthy money while their government pretends to be fighting corruption.

The situation government appointees find themselves in is akin to winning football pools and not knowing what to do with the unexpected proceeds except to as it were, engage in tomfoolery.

Murtala stopped short of calling his colleague's filthy money stolen money, which is what the ill-gotten money represents by all standards.

It is disappointing that government appointees, including Murtala, are overlooking the infrastructural deficit being suffered in their part of the country, preferring to flaunt their ill-gotten wealth and trading insults in an unproductive effort to protect their turfs. How sad when such educated sons of the land become the exploiters of their people's ignorance and sorry state! Cry a beloved and scarred country.

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