Dr. Richard Annane Not Fit For Government!

Soon the New Patriotic Party's (NPP) gravy-train will make an unscheduled stop at parliament, to pick up yet one more hypocrites for its jam-packed first class carriage - reserved specially for the cleverest and most ruthless of the NPP's high net worth hypocrites. Incredible.


The question, dear reader, which many an astonished and decent-minded Ghanaian is asking is: Just what signal does Ghana's current leader think that he is sending out to the world, about morality in Ghanaian public life, in re-appointing a known philanderer of the very worst kind - in a nation wracked by HIV/AIDS but which alas is in denial?

The time has now come for all decent-minded people in our country to make their disapproval of the loose morals of so many public officials in Ghana, absolutely clear to our ruling elite. Period.

What public officials do in their private life, does have a bearing on the way they conduct themselves in office - and should therefore be a matter of some concern to all of us.

In a nation in which at least ten citizens are said by some to be infected by the HIV/AIDS virus every day, the sexuality of the men and women who Ghanaians elect into office, should be a matter of public concern - particularly when they are so reckless that they are prepared to risk their own lives and that of their innocent partners by being unfaithful: in a nation, awash with HIV/AIDS, and in which chastity has become a rare virtue.

Clearly, in life one is either honest, or one isn't - for, honesty is not a virtue that can be compartmentalised: such that an individual is honest in one particular area of his or her life but thoroughly dishonest in yet another area of his or her life.

And if you consider the practicalities involved in cheating on a partner: the duplicity and the endless lying it entails, it soon becomes obvious that you do not want characters like that to be in charge of your country, if you are someone with principles who leads a decent life on a daily basis.

But alas, when you live in a society in which people from the highest echelons of leadership can even be involved in scandals in which pornographic videos, which depict the most torrid and lurid sexual acts being performed (and which apparently circulate freely!), what can one expect, dear reader?

One of the most important qualities of any leader, is that he or she is someone who always has a truthful nature. And in a nation, in which many people are on the fiddle, in one form or the other, the importance of having leaders, who are totally honest, cannot be overemphasised.

Dr. Richard Annane's infidelity to his wife, was particularly reprehensible: for, he broke his marriage vows, at a period when he had travelled overseas, at the hard-pressed Ghanaian taxpayers' expense, to represent his country, in a conference to discuss the scourge of HIV/AIDS: a health condition, which used to pose the single most dangerous threat, to the very survival and continued well-being, of the Ghanaian nation-state, but now ranks second, after the threat posed to our country, by the impact of global climate change.

Thus the purported re-appointment of Dr. Richard Annane, is most unfortunate - and every decent-minded Ghanaian, ought to condem it, and urge the members of the vetting committee of parliament, to reject him: for, he has clearly shown, by that singular act of betrayal, of his wife, that he is not a trustworthy individual. Period.

There are many decent-minded Ghanaians who feel strongly about the lack of morality in our public life - and are thoroughly fed up with the way things currently are in that respect.

For many Ghanaians Dr. Annane's re-appointment reflects and illustrates perfectly the sorry pass to which our nation has come.

Such Ghanaians object to Dr. Richard Annane returning to government, in the strongest possible terms - and urge the members of the appointments committee of parliament, to reject him: for the sake of all those decent Ghanaian women cheated over the years, by their duplicitous and unfaithful partners (and vice versa!).

It is precisely the prevalence of low moral standards at the highest levels in government, dear reader, which enables women with questionable characters, like the Julia Cottons and Gizzelle Yadzis of this world, to come into our country, and succeed in embroiling high public officials, in financial scandals - because leaders in charge of our country, expected by the citizenry, to be principled and high-minded, could not keep their pants down, when confronted with the wiles, of those pretty-faced Jezebels.

And if we are all agreed that one is either honest or one isn't because there can be no "halfway-house" in the matter of truthfulness, then obviously, as a people, we cannot be expected to tolerate those whom we elect to govern our country, to be individuals who are honest in one set of circumstances, when it suits them, and be dishonest, in a different set of circumstances, when it suits them - particularly when it comes to taking kick-backs, on government infrastructural projects, from contractors!

One is either honest or one isn't: And in breaking his marriage vows, on the occasion he did, Dr. Richard Annane showed that he is not trustworthy - and is consequently not fit to hold the high office of government minister.

Those charged with the responsibility of vetting individuals nominated by the president to serve their country in various areas in our national life, must reject Dr. Richard Annane - to send a clear message that men or women with loose morals, will not be allowed to serve in government. Period!