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Ghana: When hypocrisy preaches ‘melodious honesty’
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In a democracy, the authority of the government derives solely from the consent of the governed.
The principal mechanism for translating that consent into governmental authority is the holding of free and fair elections.
Indeed, elections are the central institutions of democratic representative governments. And all modern democracies hold elections, but not all elections are democratic.
According to Jeane Kirkpatrick, scholar and former United States Ambassador to the United Nations: “Democratic elections are not merely symbolic …
“They are competitive, periodic, inclusive; definitive elections in which the chief decision-makers in a government are selected by citizens who enjoy broad freedom to criticize government, to publish criticisms and to present alternatives.”
Democracies thrive on openness and accountability, with one very important exception; the act of voting itself.
To cast a free ballot and minimise the opportunity for intimidation, voters in a democracy must be permitted to cast their ballot in secret.
At the same time, the protection of the ballot box and tallying of the vote totals must be conducted as openly as possible, so that citizens are confident that the results are accurate and that the government does, indeed, rest upon their “consent”.
The fact of the matter is that, the practice of Ghana’s democracy is riddled with a lot of ‘election issues’. From internal party elections to inter-party elections or national general elections; there are a whole lot of issues.
And it is compounded by our District Level Elections and election of Metropolitan/Municipal and District Chief Executives, after their nominations by the President of the Republic.
For instance, some political analysts say with certainty that during the ‘primaries’ to select or elect presidential and parliamentary candidates to represent their various political parties in general elections, a lot of “underhand dealings happen.”
According to the analysts, the contesting candidates in the primaries, “flood the election venues with ‘pure cash and all manner of goodies’ including television sets, motorcycles, bicycles, sewing machines, wax prints, food and drinks to ‘grease the palms’ of the electorates, so that they could influence them to vote for them.”
The analysts contend that,”this is an open secret in Ghana’s internal party contests,” stressing that, “this is replicated by the political parties, all the way to the national elections.”
And for the election of Metropolitan, Municipal and District Executives (MMDCEs), other political watchers also claim that “the unspoken rituals” are known and performed by some nominated MMDCEs and their acolytes, irrespective of whichever political regime in power since the 4th Republic.
And the “rituals” are said to be turning the whole “confirmation process” into ‘moneycracy’ thus, influencing ‘the small-small honourables’ to vote in a certain way to confirm some of the MMDCEs.
And even in Parliament, some political watchers say, “some opaque rituals” are performed by some persons nominated for ministerial appointments during the vetting process, adding that “all these are presumably done to enhance the chances of the approval of some of the ministerial nominees by the Appointments Committee”; even though such activity is indirectly related to elections.
Mr. Elvis Afriyie
Ankrah, NDC’s Director
of Elections
•Mr Kwabena
Mintah Akandoh
Again, some political watchers claim that when some institutions are “pushing” or “lobbying” for Bills to be drafted and passed by Parliament to enhance their performance, such institutions are said to sponsor hotel bills, meals and transportation costs of the parliamentary committees discussing such Bills, insisting that “such acts by such institutions, together with Parliament, fly in the face of good governance practice and democracy,” even though it has no direct linkage to elections.
It is in line with such arguments that some critics have taken the Juaboso Member of Parliament, Mr Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, to the cleaners, about the statement he read on the floor of Parliament on Tuesday, November 2, 2021.
Mr Akandoh’s statement on the floor of Parliament demanded action from the House over the way some of the approvals of MMDCEs had been carried out in the midst of allegations of vote-buying among others.
Mr Akandoh mentioned the Juaboso District where a Presiding Member is currently challenging the approval of the DCE nominee in court, alleging that his confirmation was conducted on the blindside of some Assembly Members.
Mr Akandoh urged Parliament to probe “questionable election” of some of the MMDCE nominees, adding that, “at the core of our democratic practice is elections.
“The plethora of locations where such horrible examples occurred, included Suaman, Bebiani Ahwiaso, Bekwai and Sekyere Kumawu.”
He said, “as Members of Parliament, we have through democratic processes emerged as voices for countless thousands.
“For this reason, we must raise our voices against such acts,” and urged Parliament to institute a probe into areas where such schemes were reported to have taken place and to propose measures to rectify them.
According to the critics, however, Mr Akandoh and his cohorts in Parliament ” are acting ‘hypocrisy’ and preaching and singing ‘honesty’ with melodies.”
The critics contend that Mr Akandoh and his like-minded friends in Parliament are very much aware of the many of the “underhand election processes ” in the country, especially the performance of “monetary rituals” to influence voters at all levels of elections.
Readers, Wikipedia defines hypocrisy, as the practice of claiming to have higher standards or noble beliefs than is the case.
Hypocrisy is typically caused by an inflated sense of ego and self-righteousness, coupled with an inability to be humble.
Synonyms for hypocrisy include insincerity, pretence, deceit, falsity, duplicity and phariseeism.
The critics say, for Mr Akandoh to single out the election of MMDCEs for mention and attention on the floor of Parliament, while ignoring other related and very disturbing ‘election schemings ‘ in the country, smacks of hypocrisy and dishonesty.
The critics are, therefore, urging Mr Akandoh and “his friends” in Parliament to be candid and courageous to “open all the cans of election-related worms ” on the floor of Parliament for thorough scrutiny and redress; instead of using the election of MMDCEs as “an escape route.”
Per the recommendations of the critics, “the ball must be kicked, back into the court” of Mr Akandoh and his cohorts in Parliament.
Contact email/ WhatsApp of the author:
asmahfrankg@gmail.com (0505556179)
By G Frank Asmah
The average modern Gold Coaster born and bred in Sikaman is an adventurous creature. Go to any part of the world and you’ll find Ghanaman diligently slugging it out either in the snow or in hot sweltering weather, earning a decent living.
Go to Guinea and see Ghanaman in the garb of a herbalist, curing the sick of various ailments. He makes the Guinean understand that not all diseases are caused by James Lucifer alias Jimmy Satan. On the contrary, most diseases are caused by kooko which can even attack the human nose and turn it upside down.
That kooko is also the cause of poverty and the internal bleeding of personal back-pocket economies. And that kooko can be cured using the chemistry underlying Sikaman herbal medicine which has been blessed by the gods of Larteh.
And before Ghanaman starts dispensing his herbal concoctions, he must attract the passing crowd with some Sıkaman-originated choreography, akin to a combination of adowa and agbadza, such that the dancer can easily dislocate a shoulder and start crying for his mother.
When the crowd is enough to form a quorum, Ghanaman must perform magic as a side-attraction, and proceed to sell his drugs. The drugs are genuinely made from potent herbs which the Pharmacy Board of Sikaman says it has no confidence in. Believe me, Ghanaian herbalists are practising in neighbouring countries like Guinea, Cote d’Ivoire, Sierra Leone and Benin, while we are discouraging them from practising in Sikaman.
Go to Las Palmas and see Ghanaman as a fisherman. He sails on Korean-owned boats and is forced to eat garlic and raw tuna for radiant health. The garlic is also supposed to protect him against witches. But sometimes, he is not good bedfellows with some Korean crew members, and once in a while a fight breaks out.
The typical Korean is a Kung Fu expert and before displaying a golden dragon data. He must first terrify Ghanaman with a Korean dance which consists of wild arms and leg throwing. But Ghanaman is usually not daunted. Why has he been eating cancer kenkey all years without developing cancer? It mean is a superhuman capable of countering Kun fu side-kicks to the ribs.
Anyhow Ghanaman’s most potent arsenal lies in his fists. If he is a southpaw, it mean left fist is probably insured and can cause damage. When Ghanaman lands a cassava blow and it lands on a Korean chest, it has the effect of a cruise missile. If there is no ceasefire a funeral cannot be ruled out.
Greenland
Go to Alaska and find Ghanaman there. Greenland, Iceland, Brazil, Argentina, Madagascar, everywhere and you’ll find him. He has become an international citizen and is generally lauded for his hardwork, sincerity and honesty.
However, some bad nuts are also condemned and despised.
The world and all its parts and corners are for the human race, and anyone can choose to live anywhere and earn a decent living so long as he doesn’t misconduct himself or become a social misfit and a law unto himself.
Sıkaman for instance accepts foreigners, and we are so liberal that people just come in through our borders and we welcome them with the best palmwine in town and goat light soup. Who cares about passports and visas? Our hospitality is, as it were legendary.
So we have Liberians, Nigerians, Sierra Leoneans, Togolese, Europeans, Americans, Scandinavians and Koreans in Sikaman. And some of them have misinterpreted our overzealous accommodation to mean “foolishness” and are misconducting themselves.
The newspapers carry stories of some unscrupulous Nigerians stealing, defrauding and collaborating with their Sikaman counterparts to rob people. You’ll find some good and law-abiding Liberians around but some other Liberians are in the business of fraud, robbery, money printing, money doubling, anything criminal.
Ghanaian hospitality can no longer be extended to such people. I do not think Ghanaians will be treated kindly either, when they misbehave anywhere in the world. Those who come from outside with the intention of bringing down their evil deeds and to practise them here professionally must be getting ready because Ghanaians are getting fed up with the menace.
These days, you’ll find strange people following you as soon as you emerge from a bank. If you are not careful, they’ll wrestle your briefcase from you and speed away in a waiting taxi.
Someone was just saying that many foreign criminals are flocking to Ghana because in their countries, they are enable to operate either because they are being looked for by the police for offences committed or fear instant justice at the hands of mobs. Ghanaians, it is said, are humanitarian in dealing with criminals.
Well, in some African countries, a thief who is being chased runs directly to the police station in his own interest and begs the officer at the counter to lock him up. Otherwise he’ll be lynched or be burnt to death. In Ghana, it is the opposite. The thieves run far away from the cop stations.
The criminals must reform and stay peacefully in Sikaman or quit. No court case!
This article was first published on Saturday September 5, 1998
The human condition is defined by two absolute, biological bookends: the commencement of complex cellular animation and its ultimate, irreversible cessation.
For centuries, medicine treated life and death as strictly separate states. Today, modern pathology and molecular biology reveal a more profound truth: the mechanisms that allow us to live are the exact same mechanisms that dictate how we die.
Understanding this relationship is no longer just a philosophical pursuit. It is a clinical necessity for managing public health in the 21st century.
Part I: How we live – The mechanics of animation
At its core, biological life is a continuous, high-stakes battle against entropy (the natural tendency of systems to degrade into disorder). To maintain form, consciousness, and function, the human body relies on three fundamental pillars:
1. Cellular respiration and energy production
Every second of human life is powered by the conversion of oxygen and glucose into Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP), the universal energy currency of our cells. This process occurs within the mitochondria.
Without a constant supply of ATP, the microscopic pumps that maintain electrical gradients across our cell membranes fail, causing cellular collapse within minutes.
2. Homeostasis: The balancing act
To survive, the internal environment of the body must remain incredibly stable, regardless of external chaos. This balancing act, known as homeostasis, regulates:
Blood pH: Strictly maintained between 7.35 and 7.45.
Core Temperature: Ideally kept around 37°C (98.6°F).
Electrolyte Balance: Precise ratios of sodium, potassium, and calcium that allow nerves to fire and muscles to contract.
3. The Autonomic Nervous System (ANS)
The ANS acts as the invisible conductor of life, split into two complementary branches:
Part II: How we die – The path of cessation
Death is rarely a singular event; it is a progressive biological cascade. Whether caused by old age, chronic illness, or sudden trauma, the final pathways of mortality generally follow a predictable trajectory.
1. The cellular horizon: Senescence and Apoptosis
Every time a human cell divides, the protective caps at the ends of its chromosomes-telomeres-shorten. Eventually, telomeres become so depleted that the cell can no longer divide safely. It enters senescence (a state of permanent arrest) or triggers apoptosis (programmed cell death). This gradual, systemic loss of cellular renewal is the underlying engine of aging.
2. The clinical cascade of somatic death
When the body can no longer maintain homeostasis, somatic death (the death of the organism as a whole) begins. This occurs in a distinct sequence:
1
Clinical Death
Zero to four minutes
The heart stops pumping blood, and respiration ceases. While breathing and circulation have ended, the body’s tissues still contain residual oxygen and cellular energy reserves. At this stage, resuscitation is often still possible.
2
Brain Death (Infarction)
Four to six minutes
Deprived of fresh oxygenated blood, the brain’s highly sensitive neurons begin to starve. Lacking ATP, the brain cells lose their electrical charge, swell, and begin to burst. Permanent, irreversible neurological damage occurs within minutes.
3
Biological Death
Hours to days
The organs fail entirely. Without central control or blood flow, individual cells throughout the body consume their final energy reserves. Enzymes that once aided digestion begin to break down the body’s own tissues from the inside out, a process known as autolysis.
Part III: The modern collision of life and death
In the modern era, the boundary between how we live and how we die has blurred. Historically, humanity died primarily from infectious diseases and acute trauma. Today, global mortality is dominated by non-communicable, chronic lifestyle diseases.
Modern Pathology: How we live (the cause) how we die (the result)
Cardiovascular disease, chronic stress, poor diet, and lack of sleep keep the sympathetic nervous system hyper-activated, damaging blood vessels .Occlusion of coronary arteries leads to myocardial infarction (heart attack) or ischemic stroke.
Metabolic syndrome over nutrition and physical inactivity overwhelm cellular mitochondria, leading to systemic insulin resistance. Multi-organ failure, chronic kidney disease, and severe vascular complications.
Neurodegenerative Disorders Chronic systemic inflammation and sleep deprivation prevent the brain from clearing metabolic waste. Gradual loss of synaptic connections, leading to dementia and the eventual loss of basic autonomic functions.
Conclusion: The unified theory of health
Ultimately, how we live directly shapes the path of how we die. The micro-choices of daily existence-how we manage emotional stress, the quality of our rest, our communal connections, and our nutrition-either preserve the integrity of our homeostatic systems or accelerate their decline.
True medical advancement is shifting away from merely extending the final, frail stages of biological death. Instead, the focus is turning toward optimising our living years-ensuring that the intricate, beautiful machinery of human animation runs smoothly until its natural, quiet conclusion.
By Robert Ekow Grimmond-Thompson
