10 LESSONS FROM ANAS’ RECENT EXPOSÈ ON CORRUPTION

10 LESSONS FROM ANAS’ RECENT EXPOSÈ ON CORRUPTION

1. Every secret has an expiry date.

2. Greed is a major root cause of corruption.

3. Sin robs great people of their great strength and power.

4. No secret is absolutely secret; somebody knows something about it.

5. Indiscretion if not corrected will eventually debase and destroy a person.

6. A leader’s wrongful decision or impudence has the potential to collapse institutions and sabotage destinies.

7. Sin will always expose a person’s nakedness no matter how hard that person tries to cover or whitewash it.

8. Those who claim to be smart in wrong dealings eventually swallow their foolishness at a very high and painful cost.

9. Those who strive to be famous or wealthy or both through dishonesty and ungodly compromises will eventually achieve widespread disgrace, reproach, sorrow and punishment.

10. The best way to remedy wrongdoing is timely and genuine repentance; not justifying nor defending it because sin can never be justified nor defended.

                            Richard Obeng Mensah, author of Wisdom Thoughts                                                                           Blog: www.richard-obeng-mensah.blogspot.com                                                                                    Email: richardobengmensah@gmail.com

THE GOOD AND EVIL IN ANAS’ EXPOSÈ

THE GOOD AND EVIL IN ANAS’ EXPOSÈ

Bribery blights lives. Its immediate victims include firms that lose out unfairly. The wider victims are government and society, undermined by a weakened rule of law and damaged social and economic development. At stake is the principle of free and fair competition, which stands diminished by each bribe offered or accepted - Ministry of Justice (UK), The Bribery Act 2010 – Guidance, page 2.

Kentumi: Good to see you Anobil; it’s been a great while.

Anobil: I am glad to see you K; we haven’t seen each other for years.

Kentumi: Charlie, where have you been hiding nowadays, now that the cash is flowing?

Anobil: Where else K will your paddy be other than moving within and without Ghana for...

Kentumi: For corruption related conferences and workshops, I think.

Anobil: Your guess is spot on; I have a burning desire for eradication of corruption in Africa.

Kentumi: Hahaha....you’re still embarking on that your impossible mission.

Anobil: Come on K, be a bit optimistic. Nothing is impossible unless it is tolerated.

                                                                                                                                 

Kentumi: What is your take on Anas’ journalistic style?

Anobil: I have heared a great number of high and low profile people criticising him for clandestinely setting evil traps for people with the aim of naming, shaming and jailing them but I don’t share in their view. I think his work is filing a great gap in our quest to fight and uproot corruption. Those who water down serious allegations of corruption against them and shamelessly call for hard-core evidence are now having more than they can carry. How else can one prove corruption in a society where transparency is nearly a taboo?

Kentumi: But why should he go about recording people secretly without their permission?

Anobil: K, can you fault a fisherman who succeeds in catching a fish with a bait? You see the issue is not so much about the method one uses but the wanton and greedy craze of those devouring our resources. What is your take on a secret recording unfolding a plot to kill your only son, K? Do you think that information is relevant to prosecute the alleged evil rogues?

                                                                                             

Richard Obeng Mensah, author of right your writing                                                                   

Blog: www.richard-obeng-mensah.blogspot.com                                                                          

Email: richardobengmensah@gmail.com

THE ‘DUMSOR’ CHRISTIANS

THE ‘DUMSOR’ CHRISTIANS

‘Then Jesus said to them, “A little while longer the light is with you. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you; he who walks in darkness does not know where he is going. While you have the light, believe in the light that you may become the sons of light”’ –

John 12:35-36 (NKJV)

The term ‘dumsor’ has become very popular in Ghana in recent times. In a homely sense, it denotes erratic power (electricity) supply. It literally means ‘off and on’ power supply. There have been recurrent energy crisis and power blackouts in most parts of Africa in the last three decades despite the abundance of energy resources^[1] and power sector reforms on the continent.^[2] About 30 of the 48 countries in sub-Saharan Africa have suffered acute energy crises in recent years.^[3] This means that majority of the countries in the region “are struggling to keep the lights on.”^[4] Ghana, for instance, has had five major power crises since 1984^[5] despite several reforms in its power sector.^[6][7] Ghana is among the top 10 countries in the world that have experienced and continues to experience crippling load shedding.^[8] South Africa’s economy has also suffered over the past decade due to the lack of adequate electricity supply.^[9] One of the root causes of this unhealthy trend in Ghana and South Africa is the failure to invest in the power sector;^[10] more particularly investment in clean energy infrastructure.^[11] Likewise ‘dumsor’ in many parts of Africa, many Christians have become erratic in their walk with God. ‘Dumsor’ Christians usually wallow in darkness instead of walking in the Light.

Light and darkness are opposite forces and cannot co-exist. Although light can shine in the midst of darkness, the latter cannot easily operate wherever light reigns. This implies that anything that is erratic in nature and usually operates in light and darkness at different times cannot be trusted and relied on. Biblically, darkness connotes sin, disorder, falsehood, ignorance, corruption, evil and wickedness while light represents truth, transparency, transformation, glory and progress.  More generally, light in the Bible relates to the personality and nature of Jesus. A person who walks in the light (lives and believes in Jesus) ought not to walk in darkness but that person must always strive to walk in the light. Like mature Christians, people who always walk in the light are trustworthy and have a clear sense of direction for their lives. Such persons know their God-given purpose and seek to fulfil them by always walking with God and depending on Him.

Christians are the light of the world. Sadly, however, many Christians allow darkness to overtake them. They allow darkness to overshadow their lives due to lack of sustainable investment in their relationship with their Lord and Saviour (Jesus). Their Bible study, prayer, fellowship, giving, evangelistic and discipleship lives are so erratic that sometimes others find it difficult to consider them as real Christians. They usually read the Bible only during church services; they only make quality time for prayers when in crisis or anxious to meet a great need; their feelings dictate whether or not they should attend church services and fellowship meetings; they have wrong mindset about paying tithes and giving offerings although they may be faithful in paying taxes; and they relegate and denigrate the need to prioritize evangelism, visitations and discipleship in their walk with God. Are you a ‘dumsor’ Christian or a son of the Light?

                             Richard Obeng Mensah, author of Daily Wisdom                                                                                   Blog: www.richard-obeng-mensah.blogspot.com                                                                                       Email: richardobengmensah@gmail.com.

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[1] Africa Progress Panel, Power People Planet Seizing Africa’s Energy and Climate Opportunities: Africa Progress Report 2015 (Africa Progress Panel 2015).

[2] International Monetary Fund, ‘Regional Economic Outlook: Sub-Saharan Africa’ <https://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/reo/2008/AFR/eng/sreo0408.pdf> accessed 10 March 2018.

[3] Ibid.

[4] Louis Schoeman, ‘Top 10 Countries That Have Experienced and Continue to Experienced Crippling Load Shedding’ (Power Plant, 15 May 2015) <ww.powerplanet.co.za/blog/top-10-countries-that-have-experienced-and-continue-to-experience-crippling-load-shedding> accessed 1 March 2018.

[5] Paul Adjei Kwakwa, ‘Energy-Growth Nexus and Energy Demand in Ghana: A Review of Empirical Studies’ (2014) 1 Applied Research Journal 28.

[6] Ishmael Edjekumhene e’ta, ‘Preventing and Enhancing Public Benefits under Power Sector Reforms: The Case of Ghana’ [2001] Energy for Sustainable Development 39.

[7] Ishmael Edjekumhene, Martin Bawa Amadu, Abeeku Brew-Hammond, ‘Power Sector Reform in Ghana: The Untold Story’ <http://www.wri.org/sites/default/files/powerpolitics_ghana.pdf> accessed 13 June 2016.

[8] Schoeman (n 4).

[9] Jessica A. Bohlmann, Heinrich R. Bohlman, Roula Inglesi-Lotz, ‘An Economy-Wide Evaluation of New Power Generation in South Africa: The Case of Kusile and Medupi’ (2015) University of Pretoria Working Paper: 2015-40 <http://www.up.ac.za/media/shared/61/WP/wp_2015_40.zp58417.pdf> accessed 13 June 2016.

[10] Kapika and Eberhard (n 5).

[11] International Monetary Fund (n 2).