“Isn’t this what most of us (Ghanaians) would have done?,” asks, the United Nations Radio Chief Executive Producer, Ben Dotsei Malor, on his Facebook page. While applauding Bismark’s great act of honesty and admitting that Ghanaians are not angels, the former BBC presenter and editor worries that some Ghanaians appear so surprised, awe-stricken and perhaps goose-pimpled by “this great story as if it is so strange for a Ghanaian to give back what did not belong to him.” He added on his Facebook page, “Maybe not all Ghanaians would return the money but I want to believe that the majority would, especially those who value their conscience and faith plus strong traditional upbringing.”
So, a recap of the story goes this way: A low paid employee of Wal-Mart helps a couple with their shopping to their car. As they drive off, he sees that a rather fat envelope filled with loads of cash had fallen out of the lady’s purse. He runs after the car, signalling them to stop. He keeps running–with greater urgency–until they pull over. He hands over the envelope to the couple. The amount in there is about $20,000 Obama dollars, being part of down payment for the couple’s house. They offer him gifts, propose dinner and lots more, including the possibility of getting this good “honest” guy to date their daughter, but Mensah humbly and politely turns down all of them. He did what he did in a good and open spirit. His employers later confirm that the deed is very much like Mensah; he always brings back stuff and many shoppers have testified about his honesty and genuine helpful nature. He is always wearing an infectious smile. The retail giant gives him a big award.
Is this an extraordinary feat or is it just an ordinary gesture by an extraordinary person? Bismark Mensah almost instinctively returned what did not belong to him and answered what Dr Luther King calls the most urgent and persistent question in life: What are we doing for others? Bismark, with the humility and attitude he has shown all the time must be wondering what the fuss was about, I am sure. We define our place in life and write our names in the sands of time by doing things for people around us, not by accomplishing great feats for ourselves. This why men of honour are celebrated; they are quick to swap places with others, ever ready to forfeit timely pleasure so that others can experience timeless comfort. That is how the world should be, Mensah’s world, where the only thing a man could be greedy for is the other person’s misery and lack. We succeed in making life a little liveable when we go ahead to do something to release people from their miserable conditions.
“There is a Mensah in every house,” goes the Ghanaian adage. This is usually applied in situations of shame or crime. But in a reverse fashion, prompted by Bismark’s act of honesty, we have to ask: “Could we easily find Mensah’s manner of man in the average family in Ghana?” We sure would, even in the midst of our deprivation, poverty and harsh living conditions.
Before he became a vice-president, His Excellency President John Mahama offered to sponsor an honest lad who did something similar to what Bismark Mensah has done. He was a young unemployed boy who also chanced on some big dollars and had the apostolic audacity to withstand the temptation of grapping and keeping what belonged to another. He sent the heavily stuffed wallet to a media house in an effort to trace the owner. I personally witnessed a similar incident where a hungry-looking fellow chased an MTN employee in Accra to hand over a dropped wallet full of Ghanaian cash and valuables. The MTN man rewarded the Good Samaritan with half the cash contents of the wallet. Onlookers were very generous with heavy tips for an honest job honestly done. Aye, there are still some good Ghanaians out there.
Yet the commentary on Mensah’s story gleaned on many Ghanaian friendly websites has been surprising and revealing. Understandably, Americans and some non-Ghanaians have reason to express surprise, shock and disbelief at Mensah’s exemplary gesture, but Ghanaians should pat our brother on the shoulder and thank him for not doing the unthinkable by pocketing the cash. It shouldn’t surprise us that a Mensah has been honest. Any Mensah you see in America is Ghanaian and most Ghanaians could do what Mr Bismark Mensah has done, the capitalist setting of the incident notwithstanding. There is a human and moral side to triumphant American capitalism.
In an interview, Mensah explained that his conscience wouldn’t permit him to keep the money. Thieves also have conscience, just that it is a bad one. Frankly, if Mensah had kept the money, it would have been considered simple theft and not as a gift found in the middle of the street. That is where conscience comes in: reward yourself in secret by punishing the carelessness of the owner or reward your conscience with the kind gesture of returning what isn’t yours anyway. In fact, it looks easy until we are confronted with a real life situation where free money is staring us in the face while our many needs are also frowning at our empty pockets. That is when we would appreciate Mensah’s unusually kind gesture. $20,000 cannot solve all Mensah’s problems but even for those who earn big bucks, liquid cash doesn’t sit in the savings account for a long time.
Life is a tough school, isn’t it? We are encouraged to have ambition, but we are also warned against inordinate ambition, greed and dishonesty. Capitalism teaches us never to deal fair with a stranger if we want to succeed big. At the same time, we are constantly reminded of the dangers of greed, opportunism and covetousness. Moderation is the ideal juncture where we should aim to rest. Yet, we know that those who rest too long at this junction never do big things. All those who became rich or achieved great heights may have done something unusual. If Bismark worked in hedge funds and he displayed that gesture, he would have just lost millions. The kind Mensahs of this world are slow to quick money. You would wish the Heavens will be quick in rewarding them.
Kwesi Tawiah-Benjamin is a journalist. He lives in Ottawa, Canada
Email: bigfrontiers@gmail.com
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