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The war on corruption and its sacred cows

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The war on corruption and its sacred cows

By Joseph Edgar… If you have been conversant with the news in the past few days, you would have learnt that, finally, what I have been suspecting has been officially confirmed. Some sacred cows have been named. The book recently written by one Professor who I have never heard of before but apparently is distinguished enough to have his book launched with the high and mighty attending threw up this assertion.

According to the author, the fear of discontent in the Army and the restiveness in the Niger Delta and the general security conditions of the country have led us into not daring to ask some of our biggest ‘thieves’ questions. So where this leaves the government, especially in its most vaunted war against corruption, remains to be seen.

For me, the moral justification for the continued existence of this government has been rudely thrown out except the assertion is the Professor’s personal opinion, which I think it is. The government came on stage with a much vaunted cry to fight corruption in its every form and guise. It immediately started ‘fighting’ everybody. People like Dasuki and Saraki are living witnesses to this. And, a series of weak civil servants have lost their jobs on this score. Some lost their liberties in this war but as we have heard, the real big ones are not going to be touched and this throws up the government as a government of bullies. For how is it easy to fight and destroy the tiny ones and the real big ones you treat with kid gloves?

I remember Jerry Rawlings who took out four ex Heads of State in his own quest. He did not care about the security of the government because he himself was clean and had the total support of the country and his campaign was not cosmetic or shallow. For him, ethnic, political stature or any other factor was not an impediment. You stole you lost your life. Today Ghana is the better for it.

No one is pushing for a death sentence but for the fact that the campaign must be wholesome and comprehensive. If the country’s constituents need to renegotiate its existence, so be it. Otherwise, we will continue to breed sacred cows who will continue raping the country while jumping into the gilded cage of untouchables.

If the government has no political will as asserted in Buhar’s book to try the high and mighty then it has lost the moral ground to prosecute the war against corruption. We should just face the ‘change is me’ campaign my people.

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