Indiscipline has perhaps never been so widespread in the country as now. Appearing in almost all spheres of society, we would like to confine this commentary to a portion of the business district of Accra, Tudu, specifically.
A line-up of mostly Nigeriens is easily noticeable at a section of the Kinbu Road towards, ironically, the Greater Accra Regional Police Command Headquarters. The money traders are conspicuous and they beckon passersby to what they sell as though there is nothing wrong with it.
They are the backbone of Accra's black-market business and they ply their trade every day, with nobody raising an eyebrow.
They sometimes try pulling one by the arm to showcase the wads of dollars and other convertible currencies in their possession.
They continuously breach local laws as they buy and sell foreign currencies offensively, given the fact that they feel they can buy their way out when they are arrested.
Although they are occasionally arrested by the police, they are never prosecuted and almost return to continue the business as soon as they are picked up.
Nobody knows what happens when they are rounded up and taken away, usually in police vehicles, but it is believed that something prompts their early release from the grips of those who take them away.
On their return, a lot of tongue-wagging takes place about what happened or not when they are taken away.
Sometimes, we wonder whether the laws have been varied to allow for their operations or maybe there is something we do not know or even understand.
Our beef is more about how mostly foreigners can engage in illegalities in our country with no eyebrows raised by those in charge of enforcing the laws. Indeed, the manner in which they beckon passersby smells of total disrespect for our laws.
Their operations, we are told, affect our economy in one form or the other. Indeed, there are genuine reasons their operations are outlawed.
When we therefore turn our attention from them, as though winking at them to continue, we are shooting ourselves in the foot.
There is need for us as a country to begin interrogating some of these anomalies in society. Why would people who are not citizens in the first place have the temerity to undertake illegal activities in our own country and expect not to be taken on by law enforcers?
It is a question whose answer can lead to a lot of interesting revelations and perhaps give a hint at what is wrong with us as a nation.
Such little things impact negatively on our efforts at cleansing our nation of the anomalies which rob us of international respectability and rather enhance indiscipline which is already endemic in our society.
Source: Daily Guide (Editorial)
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