Corruption,lies & deceit on the part of our Politicians started from student politics!

One controversial excerpt from the inaugural speech of the incumbent president

admonished Ghanaians to be citizens but not spectators henceforth! Likewise, I,

holding the pen into a position in which I can say what is right and what could

transform our society for the good of all must not be done with fear or favour.

Setting the records straight, our politicians have been labeled by the populace as an

embodiment of corruption, embezzlement of state funds, lies and deceit and many other

acts that retard societal growth. As a result, the cry of the masses have been geared

towards how to find an antidote to fight these aforementioned societal cankers.

However, we've failed to eliminate them because the fighters continue to put

square balls in round holes in their bid to solve these critical issues at hand.

Simply put, they've failed to locate where corruption, embezzlement, lies and

deceit on the part of our top officials or better still our politicians originate.

On records, majority of Ghanaians who're occupying top ministerial positions and

many other enviable positions in the country started their leadership dreams from

student politics in the various tertiary institutions in the country. That's the

very grounds where they germinated and watered corruption, embezzlement, lies and

deceit in their hearts! Fast forward, the students leadership front (SRC) is more

corrupt than the word corrupt! Starting from department and faulty elections, residence

(halls) elections, TESCON & TEIN elections and the worst of all happens to be the

SRC and NUGS elections. These are the grounds where lies and deceit are nurtured and

gradually find their way into our parliament and other top ministerial positions.

Therefore, if measures are to be put in place to minimize the rate at which our

leaders are draining this country with social ills, the journey must start form the

grassroots (student leadership of elections).

It'll interest you to know that the campaign budget of some SRC aspirants in our

tertiary institutions are estimated to be not less than GH¢5000.00. So after winning

the elections, what do you expect from such candidate? How can he deliver all the

propaganda promises when he has not defrayed all his campaign debt? Indeed, my

country is in crisis! These days, student politicians go to the extreme of seeking

sponsors and also form a team of communicators who're committed to deceiving the

electorates with perpetuated lies in order for their candidates to win the elections

over the expense of their capabilities as a leader. Truly, there's no way a

person can win campus elections without having a strong financial backing. With this,

good people who can stand in as a bridge between the students body and the school

authorities have all been sidelined because student elections continue to be

fraudulent!

The reality is that, from day one, we've been told that the easiest way for one

to acquire his or her dream job after school is to get some extra “certificates”

apart from the degree. Fair enough, so you'll see a particular person after

becoming the president of a particular hall of residence, the next step is how he can

be the next SRC or Local NUGS president. So instead of focusing on his current

position and working hard to achieve all the campaign promises, that's not his priority.

Likewise, after becoming the SRC, NUGS, Tescon or Tein president, he's dreaming

of how he can manoeuvre his ways to enter into parliament someday. A typical example

is Hon. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa who has been labelled as “a baby with sharp

teeth" in our Ghanaian politics. The impression is that after holding these

positions in the various tertiary institutions, they give the candidate the nod to

become a parliamentarian especially in a country where favoritism and “whom you

know" have become our brand ambassador.

Now going forward, things must change. We cannot continue to keep mute and pretend

all is well. Very soon, most of the tertiary institutions will have their elections,

because it's more of a tradition which happens in every second semester. These

days, the student vigilante does not see the essence of voting during SRC elections

because the winners continue to disappoint the electorates when they assume office.

The respective SRC presidents in the various tertiary institutions in Ghana continue

to bloat expenditure in every trivial project they embark on, especially when it

comes to construction of shuttle stations and summer-hut of which majority of UCC

students can attest to. As a result, some crop of undergraduates are even calling for

boycott of SRC elections as the winners have nothing good to offer. They're

simply fraudsters who come to power and steal or better still amass wealth for their

parochial interest.

Adu Sarpeah (Publicist @Ghbase.com)

0241210870/0506140870

UCC