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03.05.2019 Feature Article

Antoa Can Single-Handedly Cure Corruptions In Ghana

From Voice Of Reason
Antoa Can Single-Handedly Cure Corruptions In Ghana
03.05.2019 LISTEN

CORRUPTIONS, CHRISTIANITY, AND SUPERSTITION are the nation’s major headaches and heartaches. Incredibly, churches and prayer camps are filled to capacity but how many of us are Heaven bound?

Unfortunately, we live in a country where one pastor has allegedly acquired a fleet of 13 luxurious cars. I wonder what dividend those cars add to the national development and the welfare of the congregation.

Well, I don’t know from where I read this, but I would like to share it with you. A man arrived at an Arab country’s airport pushing a lot of luggage on the trolley. And he saw a sign printed boldly on the arrival hall: “You can leave some of your bags here for now because there are no Christians here” – oops, go figure!

Now let’s get back to corruption. Corruption has killed more people than any disease or any epidemic in the history of Ghana. It has also negatively affected every area of our lives and put our development as a nation in a chokehold indefinitely. And, I wonder who the perpetuators are, since Ghanaians claim to have a speed- dial on God the Almighty’s phone line.

With all the exhibition of our religiosity or Christianity like a Swiss bank account, we’re also cheesy on integrity. On top of that, we have developed an entitlement syndrome and acquired pathetic -whining disorder and self-induced amnesia to convince ourselves that our actions are normal and we’re heaven bound candidates.

Unfortunately, until we find permanent solutions to this manic, the country has no future. Corruption is a serious socio-economic destroyer than what we make it to sound.

Yes, colonialism planted the seeds of corruption and its young brother, bribery as a way to entice and recruit African leaders to do their masters’ biddings. So they franchised corruption all over Africa even after gaining independence. So it is not going to be easy to get rid of it over night. That is why we can’t use the conventional approach to deal with it.

Before I dive right into this controversial and treacherous topic, I would like to make it clear to you readers— and the religious fanatics among you—that I’m a practicing Christian like many Ghanaians, so you can’t put me in any religious strait-jacket .But I’m sure I’m going to get a lot of flak from the religious groups— because they’re sensitive to any piece that attacks anything that has something to do with the orthodox religion or Christianity.

With the setting up of the Independent prosecutor’s office, a lot of people (including yours truly) thought corruption will soon be a history in Ghana. But that is not the case. It’s everywhere and there is no end in sight.

Given the fact that we can’t change the chromosomes and the dynamics of corruption we are either part of it or nurturing its growth and therefore we have decided to live with it forever.

Yes, we all know that the role of the orthodox churches in the development of the nation cannot be quantified or underestimated— from the building of schools to putting up hospitals and other social enhancement projects.

However, recently with the introduction of charismatic and evangelical churches into the equation things have changed very remarkably. They are deeply involved in the cockamamie schemes to milk the wounded souls to their bones; all in the name of miracle deliverances and empty prophecies.

In essence, our contemporary ‘Christianity’ has become part of our headaches and heartaches. Our type of Christianity makes us feel good but it doesn’t make us good. All our television frequencies have been hijacked by these ‘highest bidders’ (pastors, evangelists and ‘angels’)—at the expense of an educative programs— to sell their magic oils, spiritual stickers and special water that they claim to cure any imaginable diseases .They don’t preach the gospels anymore because churches are now gradually becoming casinos— where money is the name of the game.

How can we depend on such an institution to deliver us from the evils of bribery and corruption when it’s also corrupt to the core?

Based on this negative development, another school of thought has suggested that the introduction of our ‘traditional religion’ into our body politics and everyday life is the answer to our out –of control corruption tendencies.

Yes, corruption can also be found in the developed world but, the laws work there, therefore the role of any form of religion in their daily lives is not important. However, on this side of the Atlantic, it’s way different. So to fight this cancerous disease they believe invoking our local traditional gods like ‘Antoa’, to check and balance the behaviors of our politicians, civil servants and policymakers would be a step in the right direction—hallelujah to that.

And, I think they have a point. Can you imagine what would happen if a contract is awarded and the President Nana Akuffo Addo Dankwa, told the head of that ministry to swear and vow to Antoa shrine that the money will be used judiciously and that no corners would be caught and the right amount of cement or materials must be used?

Just imagine again, during election campaign season the electorates would ask the politicians to back their promises by swearing to the same gods that they will honor all their empty promises within their four-year in office.

In our one –man churches, the congregations will hold their pastors with the same standards held by the politicians all in the name of cleaning up the system. This will be repeated in our offices, schools, businesses; and before you know , Ghana will be free from bribery and corruption .

Trust me, if this formula is put into a high gear for just four years, Ghana is not going to be the same. Inflation will go down, productivity will go up and employment will flourish all over the place and there will be no embezzlement.

Not only that ,once we start to see the positive signs of ‘Antoa’s handy work’, a lot of African countries will import some of these ideas ,and before long the entire continent will flourish and be free from corruption and its brother, bribery .

You’re mad. Aren’t you? Oh well, I don’t really care how many times I’m going to pluck your fragile heartstrings and your inflated ego. Grow up and take a chill pill because you’re part of the problem.

Oh yeah,I know the overly-sensitive folks out there may have their blood pressure soar about this piece because they can’t stand the truth. But before some of you go ballistic and write tacky comments, you have to understand that we live in a very challenging time and we therefore can’t use conventional approaches to solve our complex and hardcore emerging problems any longer.

Do you like what you see around your town and neighborhood ? Can you see the mountainous garbage in our midst ? Do our children have playgrounds and recreations centers during vacations ?Do you like where the country is heading? Can’t we do better than that? What about our accident-prone and pot –holes infected roads ? Aren’t you tired of wearing ‘kuntukuni’ every Saturday because of road accidents and other needless deaths in our hospitals ?

Are you proud of Ghana’s achievements so far? Don’t lie to me. Yes, you do like them; otherwise you would have done something drastic about them.

Either you’re part of the problem or part of the solution, so do something about it fast because when things fall apart none of us would be no longer at ease!

Are you mad enough? Oh heck, just check out the way we handle our river bodies and natural resources—you will throw up! And one more thing: Please don’t spend time in the prayer camps to pray for the cedi because we import everything that we consume and our churches’ demand for foreign currencies is very alarming.

Come next year we’re going to vote again based on ethnicity, not on issues—because the politicians know that the electorates cannot think for themselves. Fifty Ghana cedis can buy a vote so why should they campaign on issues? Oh well, let’s invoke Antoa and see what’s going to happen in our dealings with them. I can’t wait!

Oh I know, I’m not always right but I’m rarely wrong on the issues. Hello, are you there? Stop scratching your hair!

Until we meet here again. Be educated, informed and blessed and don’t sell your vote.

Kwaku Adu-Gyamfi (voice of reason)

*The author is social commentator and a concerned citizen of this great nation.

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