Thread:Bribery during election campaigns the genesis of Africa's leadership problems. (1)

I once read a renowned western leader summing the problems of Africa as corruption, poorly trained human resource and lack of committed leadership, who have conviction to see change. I think his observation couldn’t be better. I however think corruption and lack of conscience (sense of right and wrong) are the bane of Africa and in partucular Ghana's development.

The unfolding bribery and corruption of the delegates to the forthcoming New Patriotic Patriotic(NPP) presidential primaries should worry every genuine minded Ghanaian and people who believes in mature democracy and good governance. Men and women who fought tireless to root out despotic and autocratic regimes in Ghana should be highly worried about the presidential aspirant and political leadership bribery phenomena. Moreover, people with good conscience if any, should let us hear their voices as the increasingly trading of favors, influence and vote buying spree of some aspirants unfold. It cast a slur on the democratic aspirations of the party and Ghana as a whole and seems to justify why everybody every where seek money or some favor before they discharge their mandated duties or responsibilities. It seems to me we as though we have lost our senses of dequorum and differences between what is bribe and gift. We behave like the ostrich and ought to bury our heads in shame! Why, has the party and the country accepted corruption and indecency to this level?

It’s very unfortunate the leading candidates in the competition have resorted to manipulation and bribery. It is repugnant that all the candidates accused of this unsavory act seem to justify their unethical conduct with frivolous and funny explanations. In any civilized society public opinion would have been at its peak against their conduct and would have eventually forced them to withdarw from the race since their potential election by the influenced delegates would have cost the party dearly. Why not? Because the constitutional body mandated like the electoral commission to over see the 2008 general election would have marshaled its investigative arsenals on the candidate and party’s conduct. Moreover, the media that reputes itself as guiding common morality of the people and as the fourth estate of the realm would also be preparing with serious investigative findings to dent the candidate and the party. Any party and candidate with conscience given the level of allegations of bribery and the justification by their spin doctors would have been worried. The delegates to the congress ought to represent the conscience of the people or party if they so have any. Why do we revere, respect and worship people who shower on us gifts and our own "recycled resources"? We have to say no to them! I challenge all Ghanaians and for that matter all Africans to rise up to fight and rid our society of the deep seated national consciousness of revering and respecting men and women who go about corrupting people with their wealth even if genuinely acquired. We should demand greater responsibility from our selves. If we were to manage our resources well to bring about developement to our people and the continent at large.

The display of oppulence by people aspiring to the highest office of the continent is a clear sign of danger ahead for the generations unborn. Do you agree.........?