A Lion Cannot be Entrapped with an Orange: Why Anas is Still a Hero and a National Asset

Once again Anas Aremeyaw Anas and his Tiger PI Team have held a giant mirror to the face of our society; revealing our true nature to ourselves. And once again, a "section of Ghanaian society", belonging to the 'Entrapment Fraternity' are throwing temper tantrums on social media like over-pampered two-year olds, questioning his modus operandi.

I've been following their arguments. When distilled, they erroneously assume that the people caught on video:

1. May not have encountered such acts of bribery and corruption in their regular operations, but for Anas.

2. Would not have taken those bribes if they weren't "entrapped".

Anyone who holds this view is on a long walk with Alice in Wonderland, and has completely lost touch with the reality of the wanton abuse of leadership in this town.

The premise of their argument makes nonsense of the concept of extrapolation (which has some mathematical applications) by dwelling only on some of its minor deficiencies.

For clarity, this is a quote on extrapolation from Wikipedia: "Extrapolation arguments are informal and unquantified arguments which assert that something is true beyond the range of values for which it is known to be true. For example, we believe in the reality of what we see through magnifying glasses because it agrees with what we see with the naked eye but extends beyond it; we believe in what we see through light microscopes because it agrees with what we see through magnifying glasses but extends beyond it; and similarly for electron microscopes".

The argument is simply this: if they accepted the bribes from Anas, it is reasonable to assume that they would from others, as it is safe to say that the methods employed by the Tiger PI team is consistent with those used by more 'legitimate bribers'. Unless there's evidence to the extent that Anas' team hold guns to the faces of those who so gleefully take the bribes in exchange for the fiduciary duty they are expected to exert towards the Ghanaian people.

One can’t “entrap” a lion with an orange. An explanation for our economic predicament is just how limited our expectations from our leaders are; both morally and legally. We’ve become such an easy people to govern it’s heartbreaking sometimes. It is disingenuous, downright hypocritical and monumentally illogical to assume that those implicated in the Anas expose were decent and incorruptible people prior to their “entrapment”.

Do we have any idea the hell corruption has unleashed on our people? About 25% of Africa’s GDP, averaging $148 billion, is lost to corruption annually. That number represents the sweat, blood, tears and hopes of her citizens. In it is the beggar on the street, the accident victim who cannot access an ambulance, the student studying under a tree, the child who goes to bed hungry, the young woman who abuses her body for economic survival, the people who drink from the same stream with cattle, the mother who sleeps under a bridge with her babies, the young man who is left to die like a dog in the street because he couldn't afford a mere GHS 300. It is the dignity of the black race going down the drains!!

And yet some people tell us we ought to question Anas’ methods for exposing corruption? Any method that exposes acts of corruption, so long as it is not accomplished through intimidation, must be hailed not condemned. ANY METHOD!

As decent citizens, what we ought to question is why only a few of those caught on tape have been held to account. That should be our preoccupation. We should be on the streets demanding justice, instead of throwing tantrums on social media and demanding the head of our national heroes like Anas. We aren't where we're supposed to be as a people. We deserve more. #JesuisAnas

Kwadwo Agyapong Antwi

The writer blogs on social, political and economic issues at www.thinkingwityou.wordpress.com

Follow him on Twitter at kwadwo_aa