I�m Simply Sick And Tired

Good morning, Abusuapanin. I�ve been strong and healthy for a while now so I cannot claim to be sick. As I write to you I feel refreshed after a good night�s sleep; so I cannot claim to be tired. Yet I�m sick and tired. Yes, I�m sick and tired of the �greedy bastards�. Anytime I think about the phrase �greedy bastard�, I just cannot but agree that the description by Dr Jerry Boom is very apt. The combination, �greedy and bastard�, is very toxic. No wonder one wakes up to be greeted by one scandal after the other almost every week. The word �bastard� comes from the Latin word �bastardus�, meaning �a person born of unmarried parents� or �an unpleasant person�. Former President Jerry Boom was, obviously, referring to the latter. The word �greedy�, on the other hand, is an adjective which means �a person with a strong and selfish desire for food, wealth or power.� The phrase �greedy bastard� can therefore be said to mean �an unpleasant person with a strong and selfish desire for food, wealth or power�. When you have a group dominated by such characters in-charge of a nation�s affairs, you can only imagine the havoc they can wreak on the nation. We woke up last week only to be greeted by the news of pure wastage by the boss of the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ). It was reported that over US$203,500 had been spent on renovating her official residence and over US$100,000 also spent on her hotel accommodation. Obviously enraged by such high levels of insensitivity and profligacy, many of my compatriots are now calling for her head. They wonder how the gatekeeper can securely keep the gate, when the gatekeeper herself is busily partaking in the sharing of the loot. The Head of Human Security at the Office of the President, Brigadier General Nunoo-Mensah, has described it as sad and depressing, and I couldn�t agree with him more. Taking a cue from her boss, President Yentie Obiaa, the lady is now busily dancing to the popular �Yentie obiaa� song by Daddy Lumba. She says she has done nothing legally wrong to warrant such calls. So those calling for her head would wait in vain because not even in her dreams would she contemplate resigning. This can only happen in Dr Kwame Okro�s Asomdwekrom. The mention of Dr Okro�s name reminds me of the fact that yesterday was his birthday. Wherever he may be, I�m very sure he is unhappy with happenings in his motherland. In fact �unhappy� is a mild word to use in this case. I�m sure the man is livid at the unadulterated thievery and wanton dissipation of the country�s scarce resources. Asomdwekrom today is a far cry from the country he dreamt of during independence. He never imagined that a day would come when the country would pay �errand boys� US$20, 000. But courtesy the Commission of Enquiry currently investigating the Brazil fiasco, we all know that day has come. Not in his wildest dream could he have imagined that a day would come when government officials would connive with individuals and companies to �create, loot and share�. But the Woyome saga, the Akomfem debacle, the SUBAH rip-off and the tree-planting fiasco point to the fact that those days are here with us. Doc, I would love to wish you �happy birthday� on the 105th anniversary of your birth, but there is really nothing to be happy about. The driver of the Yutong bus has lost control and the bus is heading straight into a ditch. If it is true that those of you in Samanfoland have spiritual powers, then we desperately plead with you to intervene to save the bus and the lives of the passengers. Belated happy birthday, anyway. I was watching Auntie Gifty Afenyi-Dadzie and her Women�s Aglow International Ghana on television last Saturday praying for the nation at the Black Star Square. They prayed fervently for the nation; symbolically put out the flame that is burning the country�s progress; and then broke the symbolic evil pot. I was very impressed with their creativity and dedication to the cause of the nation. I was, however, disappointed that they did not pray to God to cure this country of the corruption disease. From where I stand, this country�s main problem is the deadly combination of incompetence and corruption. If the combination is not uprooted, we can put out many symbolic flames and break as many symbolic evil pots as we want but the country will see little progress. Prayer is good; but it must be backed with action. I read somewhere that the Archbishop who prayed for the cedi is boasting that his prayers are now reaping fruits. After his prayers, the cedi had depreciated from GH�2.3 to almost GH�3.6 to a dollar. Where then is the truth in his claim? Trust me, if this is the result of prayer, then we are better off without it. I hear the country is bidding to host the 2017 African Cup of Nations. I pray we win the bid. My only request to the Sports Minister is to make me the official �errand boy� of the tournament. I would charge only half of the US$20,000 we paid the Angolan �errand boy� in Brazil. With 15 countries coming in as guests, you can only imagine how much I�m likely to reap. Kweh, being an errand boy dey be keke! See you next week for another konkonsa, Deo volente!