The Scramble For State Properties: An escalating obsession

It has become commonplace for political parties in power to find it prudent to inexpensively sell state properties to their party members, even when it is obvious that it is wrong. What is disheartening is the defense put up by party communicators to justify this condemnable act.

Party sympathizers put up the "see no evil, hear no evil" attitude when it has to do with the political party they support. When one tries to bring attention to these ills, one becomes the public number one enemy, facing denigration that would lead to one asking where our sense of patriotism has gone.

What is intriguing is that these same property-grabbing party folks are not able to purchase state properties when in opposition. Is it that the system is intentionally made loose for them to take undue advantage of when in power, or all loopholes are plugged to make buying such properties difficult in opposition? The answer is to just enjoy it while it lasts.

As much as individuals and businesses must thrive does not mean that the nation should be milked dry, leaving the citizens in an unhealthy state. The undue fixation on acquiring state properties by friends and families of politicians should be condemned in no uncertain terms. It must be treated with the disdain that it deserves because it is not doing the nation any good, but rather compounding the never-ending problems of the nation.

What at all are power wielders doing to this dear country? A select few have hijacked the nation at the expense of the whole country. People who were struggling to earn a living when their political party was in the wilderness of opposition all of a sudden have the financial muscle to purchase properties and live opulently.

In other jurisdictions where one accounts for every dollar earned or spent, such a person will undergo proper scrutiny, but the reverse is practiced in Ghana. What do we see? People are cleared when it is obvious they are complicit in crimes due to their connections to those in power.

The President tasked Ghanaians to be citizens, not spectators, but it is doubtful whether both the President and Ghanaians have lived up to that billing. It seems we are not angry enough to drive a point home to the first gentleman of the land. Could it also be that most people have given up on the country and so do care less whether the nation is driven into an abyss or not? The nonchalance on the part of Ghanaians is deafening!

People who shouted their voices hoarse in the past about seemingly the same issues are currently observing table manners because they are now dining with appointing authorities. When they are called out, they either pay less or no attention or retort by asking those probing to do what pleases them. The hypocrisy is cancerous!

When is this country going to have a President who will have the testicular fortitude to deal ruthlessly with his own appointees and party members when it is glaring that they have fallen foul of the law? If a leader wants to prove to his citizens that he and his government are incorruptible, he must first deal with any government official found culpable of any unethical behavior and not shield them from facing jail time. Protecting law breakers emboldens them to further wreak more havoc.

Some state institutions clothed with the powers to deal ferociously with crime have become lame ducks because they are seemingly either in bed with the perpetrators of crime due to party affiliations or a hidden hand somewhere is calling the shots, thereby rendering them ineffective. If this attitude persists, the country will perpetually remain doomed.

Also, leaders need to know that they are voted to turn around the fortunes of the nation, so if they feel it is beyond their pay grade, they should humbly hand over the baton to the one who would lead the nation to the promised land.

All governments must work diligently to revive all struggling state businesses or properties rather than selling them off cheaply to their cronies. What legacy are they leaving if they continuously sell state properties to their friends? The nation will always be the loser if this canker is not eradicated.