Economic crimes must be made an extremely high-risk venture

I have just settled down after a hectic morning running-around and just gotten the news that Abuga Pele and Philip Akpeena Assibit have been jailed six and 12 years, respectively, over the GYEEDA rot.

Now, here is my prediction of what is going to happen: within just a few days of their incarceration, these two convicts, as characteristic of all jailed Ghanaian Politicians, will feign the following acute ailments;

1. Heart attack

2. Asthmatic attack

3. Diabetic attack

4. Mosquitoes attack

5. 'Nsonkosuo' attack

6. Malnutrition attack

7. 'Kumkum bagyea' attack

8. English Premiership attack

9. European Championship attack

10. Conjugal attack [sex deprivation]

They will then be rushed to fully-air-conditioned Executive Wards in Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital where sumptuous meals will be delivered to them by their wives, and also, have the opportunity to enjoy both the company of family members and normal social life.

They will then be declared fit to continue with their prison sentences but will again be struck down by any of these big ailments listed above, and will, once again, be rushed to the cosy emergency rooms of Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital.

This cycle will be repeated for a few times, and then there will be the usual media clamour for them to be released on compassionate grounds because "we don't want to repeat the incident where some top political figures died in prison".

But my point here is this: there are ordinary Ghanaians who steal a few fingers of plantain, tubers of yam, a goat or Nokia-3310, and are jailed for 40 years but are never set free when they are sick, and therefore die in prison.

Consequently, I know the usual sickness trick will be activated by these two who have been jailed today, but my advice to the powers that be shall be: these people must be made to serve their jail term in full, even if their prison cells were struck by an earthquake with the magnitude of 7.9 on the Richter's scale.

People, irrespective of social standing, must be made to fully pay for their misdeeds against ordinary people of this country, so that socioeconomic crimes, whose effects are worse than genocide, will be an extremely high-risk venture.