Bribe Price-The National Debt

Bribery and corruption is just like a piece of cake in Ghana. It is easy to have a taste. Bribery is as easy as ABC is Ghana. It is not difficult to practise. It’s not hobby. It’s like a habit in Ghana. You must take bribe for the services you render so that you can bribe others with that money for the services they render to you.

It’s either direct or indirect. Bribe is like a bride price so I call it ‘bribe price’. Like the universal truth, bribery and corruption is the universal price in Ghana.

Although there are exceptional individuals and exceptional groups that avoid this practice but I don’t know which sector in Ghana is innocent of bribery and corruption. I am not a saint so are you. If you have never involved yourself in bribery and corruption your mother, father, brother or … has. The bread winner of your family has been involved before. Meaning bribery and corruption was once your source of living or survival. ‘He who has never committed sin, let him cast the first stone’. If bribery and corruption was/is your source of living who are you to stop others from following the same path?

Bribery and corruption is a killer of conscience. It robs Ghanaians of their apathy, mercy and love for others. It makes you and I ruthless, money-thirsty and empathetic. It makes the law invisible.

The question is what is the way forward? Where do we start from? Whose responsibility is to stop this madness? It is obviously the responsibility of the leaders of Ghana. Every institution behaves the leader. If the leaders of Ghana do not find a solution to this cancer who should?

We can all tend deaf ears and be blind to bribery and corruption but at the end this universal price is a nationwide debt we are all paying for and the future generations of Ghana will also pay for. God save our homeland Ghana.

Janix K. Asare

Teaching and Research Assistant

University of Cape Coast