The ‘double’ Standard; A Ruthless Choice Of ‘bain’ Over Brain!

A generation that is not enlightened is not only a burden but also a threat to existence. With five Ghana cedis the likes of ‘Double can take any precious life. Anonymous.

About 11 years ago, if I knew partisan politics could make me wealthy overnight, drive in an ostentatious V8 and be followed by thugs when invited to the police headquarters making me a hero overnight or own fuel stations even as a propaganda secretary I would have pursued my student politics diligently.

Today, I see many of them as aides to leaders supposed to be sensitive to the plight of the nation and becoming allies just like their older folks. Others by sitting on wooden benches under trees on campus as supposed speakers of parliament and clerks have become Members of Parliament.

But I guess I was too much of conscience and of the look for the best for all. I thought like Pastor Adeyimi, instead of thinking of a car for myself a bus for an entire community is best fit. Perhaps I was too much of a patriot and people centred. Politics has no moral and common sense.

Same way, almost 10 years ago if I knew I could join the national security service by being a phone repairer/seller and a party branch chairman and be called ‘Slim’ if not ‘Double’ because of my unbulky frame to borrow from ‘Hon. Gyata’, I wouldn’t have bothered much of education and schooling. After all I could read, write and speak after Junior High School and I was even the third best candidate with another lady. I doubt if ‘Double can just do any one.

But then again, I thought with good education I could be of much better service to my nation using my brains. I was also concerned with the porous nature of our security situation haven had a bit of exposure with Amnesty International.

So, with months to complete my national service I applied to be enlisted into the Ghana Armed Forces as an officer. Out of the almost 6000 applicants that year I was shortlisted among the over 800 applicants for the 100-slot including short service commission officers. The ordeal if you have ever experienced such an exercise is a book on its own.

I didn’t know anyone and for the ways and means I will leave it on the chest of mother ‘Aboagyewa’ and the works of the late Ghanaian literary colossus Efo Kodjo Mawugbe. Simply because even those looking to become clerics were having their ways and for tertiary graduates to be under such scorching sun while others were picked as and when to go through the exercises as relatives of some ‘big men and women’ was awful. A clear picture of how messy the nation Ghana has become.

Today, the least rank for my enlistment batch is Captain. Some are Majors. I went through the processes including taking an aptitude test.

I don’t quit easily so the following year I did apply again. This time around I wasn’t shortlisted. Age will always not be on your side if you want to go that line so now I find myself somewhere while the likes of ‘Double’ are the custodians of my security and safety and breaks laws with disgusting impunity claiming to even have powers providing protocol for unauthorised conducts. Others are brokering deals for illegal mining. The very same menace the nation is spending resources to curb.

This is how messy the Police Service is also, especially those on our roads and are harassing, tormenting and extorting from motorists and their prosecutors wasting exuberance by pleading for hash sentences for minor offences at the least chance and inducement. Bains have occupied brains and now we rely on strength than intelligence. Now it’s our bane.

Here in Africa, Rwanda has made a choice, making the most of intelligence both human and artificial instead of relying on strength. Presumably that’s the only country that heard former President Obama speak of strong institutions and not strong men as pillars of every nations development.

Well, should tomorrow find me and if the likes of ‘Double’ have sent me to my grave I will gladly join my maker, unseen sibling Nana, Papa and all my ancestors. No one should even be surprised nor share tears perhaps except Manna because with the likes of ‘Double’ I am only walking dead surviving only on God’s Good Grace.

The country I call home and my birth right has her leadership handed me a double standard which is a ruthless choice of ‘bain’ over brain. Sad, I must say.