There is a cartoon about government and the people. In the picture there is one man standing on one end of a wooden board with a rostrum and a microphone in front of him on a high mountain. On the other side is a group of people probably protesting to the speaker.
The cartoon comes with the following words “The people don’t know their true power”. Yes the people don’t know their true power because the speaker was still standing because the protestors standing on the other side of the wood were the only reason he had not fallen.
Why do I have to recount this cartoon story? That is the case of politics. In Ghana every four years people come appealing to us to give them the mandate to “Serve Us”. They claim they have seen all our problems and if given the chance they will fix it in no time.
We give them the mandate and instead of serving and solving our problems we the electorates suddenly become the bad step child (Abanoma Abeiku). All bad things are our fault. We are beating for every challenge of the family and in this case nation.
Suddenly taxes they have fought while in opposition become very important and little. The NPP fought VAT but found it useful and increased it when they came to power. The NDC didn’t spare anything at telling us of one-time payment of NHIL, currently the scheme has not just been run down, the managers are calling for the increase of the levy from 2.5 to 3.5 percent.
Instead of finding alternative at solving problems increasing taxes is the order of the day. In all this what sacrifice is the one who combed the length and breadth of towns, villages and cities asking to be allowed to serve making.
They continue to enjoy fat allowances, huge salaries and drive free car fueled by the master (electorate).
For political score government rushes to implement single spine. Instead of streamlining the scheme “Abanoma Abeiku” is punished for the error of government. All statutory payments go into arrears. As if that is not enough allowances to nursing and teacher trainees are stopped.
By the way has anybody being able to tell us how much government has saved as a result of that policy? No, who is the master who has a short memory. He will give his mandate to serve instead of being served.
Today the National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS) has been forced to react to a cost sharing programme by the ministry of education. The ministry was looking at sharing the cost of utility bills with students. In short students will pay water and light bill in addition to school fees.
My question is where does the integrity of our so called servants’ lie. Why are they not considering paying their own rent, utility bills for their air-conditioned ridden homes? Why are they not cutting down on their fuel? A lot of the politicians were able to go to school because it was free or next to free, why are they making it difficult for others.
It it’s the plan of politicians to make people poor and shallow in thinking so that they can manipulate them for their political gains? Today the poor has to cough 2-3 years rent advance contrary to the rent law. Our parliamentarians do not complain because it will affect their GHC 50,000 rent advance.
To hold political office is an opportunity for one to serve his nation and people. The statement has changed; politics is the ticket to free from poverty forever. Looting and sharing is the game “ill gotten money” (you remember Mutala) is being used for ill things.
When the masters ask for the corruption to be checked they are taken to the cleaners to have been possessed by the opposition.
As for Abeiku, he is asked to pay increased taxes in the phase of reducing prices on petroleum products. To sum it, the servant continues to feed fat at the expense of the lean master.
Am happy some of the masters are up to go and truly serve, occupyghana, members of the media and learned societies. I hope we would find these people on both side of the divide minority and majority. Am looking forward to days where people will vote against policies irrespective of the party they belong if is not in the interest of Ghana.
Until then we will continue to see a nation where masters (electorates) continue to serve the servants (elected/government).
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