The Dragon's Decline

We cannot pretend that things are moving smoothly in the country. To do so would be joining the group of propagandists on the payroll of government.

Such a hypocritical conduct would also be indicative of the extent to which some of us can ignore the positive interests of the nation no matter the fallouts.

Ghanaians were yesterday morning greeted with yet another grim news story.

After much propaganda about a large chunk of money coming from the Chinese, the Asian giants have declined our request for a loan portfolio.

The so-called gang of three, by this action, would remain in their current state until another country decides to risk doling out a facility to undertake the projects.

The action of the Chinese, we believe, was informed by critical variables we need to consider to obviate more diplomatic embarrassments in the future.

On individual basis, it is embarrassing for one's request for a loan to be turned down, especially after a long wait.

Diplomatic finesse would not allow the Chinese to be categorical about what informed their decision. Suffice it to point that many factors have been adduced by Ghanaians on the sideline for the failure of the Ghanaian application to be considered.

The debt stock of the country, in spite of the President's position that we have the capacity to borrow more, is one of the reasons which the Chinese are not enthused about.

Our propensity to breach agreements and contracts is being observed globally. The Destination Inspection Companies have had their share of this notoriety. And do we think that this unbecoming conduct is not being observed?

The high level of corruption has attracted not only the attention of local observers who are feeling the negative effects of the anomaly, but others outside our borders. After all we live in a global village driven by an ICT superhighway.

The Chinese have also observed our poor management of corruption and would not be foolhardy as to dole out so much money to us.

Many would not have given the Asian giants any dog chance of caring about the corruption level of a country requesting loan from them. Such persons are wrong. This is a country which has taken a consistent stand against corruption and has gone to the extent of executing government appointees who have been found to be enmeshed in corruption.

It is sad that what the Chinese have done to us is already international knowledge. Which other country would risk dealing with a country the Chinese have rejected. That is how bad the implication of the rejection is.

We better sit up and stop paying lip-service to the fight against corruption. It is so bad that even medical care is not being spared the contaminated fingers of white collar thieves.

The recent scandal over a foreign funding for the fight against diabetes is still raging. The names of those behind the missing whopping money are still being protected.

A recent press statement sought to dismiss the allegation as nonsense without basis, leaving Ghanaians still confused.