The Ghanaian politician is one of the most interesting if not fascinating people to ever live on the face of the earth. Ghanaian politicians for what they are worth hate the truth, dislike honest people and detest knowledge. The truth though, sometimes, they are unable to keep away despite persistently lying about issues, because the truth is always so glaring for all to see. Some politicians would in some cases claim they are ready to die for the version of the truth they hold, even though it is a lie which the devil himself attests to. The Ghanaian politician would lie about the economy, often using mixed up and conflicting figures that are sometimes hard to ascertain. Sometimes, notwithstanding the fact that economic experts have had the unpleasant duty of coming out to dispute these figures, the Ghanaian politician would hold tight to the figures he or she has been churning out. This is done in the perverse belief that when you tell a lie so many times, it becomes the truth, or at least, it is believed to be the truth by the masses. To the Ghanaian politician, the truth is like a family heirloom that one cannot do away with and yet one cannot keep, because it constantly reminds one of the family heritages of sincerity and faithfulness to the family code of conduct. While the Ghanaian politician would like to hide the truth because of the pain it brings to him or her, the politician is ironically compelled to painfully put up with the truth, because the truth always comes up no matter how hard one tries to hide it. The Ghanaian politician, when it suits his or her agenda, would quote figures from America to support conditions in Ghana. But when challenged on the same score, would claim that America is a far more advanced economy and must not be used in comparison to situations in Ghana. This is confusing. Isn’t it? It is held by some Ghanaians that honest people don’t do politics in Ghana, or at least, Ghanaian politicians cannot live with honest people. Honest people are a threat to politicians. They would not cover up for the politician because they have a conscience that is alive and kicking. Can’t politics be done with a living conscience? Because politicians cannot stand honest people, it is no wonder the few honest people we have in politics are always taking the backstage. They often hide in the shadows of the politicians, but are sometimes forced to show their faces and say something just to redeem the sinking image of the front runners when it comes to it. How about the Ghanaian politician’s attitude to knowledge? Your bet could be as good as mine. The Ghanaian politician hates knowledge! They detest knowledgeable people and despise knowledge itself. Don’t ask me to prove this one. Don’t you listen to them everyday? How many of them are knowledgeable in the things they tell us? Haven’t you heard of the Minister whose Ministry was implementing a programme that the Minister never read a thing about, even though this Minister has access to the document detailing the programme? Well, how about “politics is hop, step and jump?” And “magnifying the campaign?” Or should you be reminded about going for a loan at a salon on the streets of London? Ghanaian politicians hate people who share knowledge. Their fear is justified, or else how could a good number of them hold political office or even win elections? They dislike knowledgeable people who share knowledge and enlighten people. There are so many things about the country and governance issues that the Ghanaian politician would never want the average Ghanaian to know. They make conscious efforts to keep majority of the people from gaining access to enlightenment, because, if they do, they would have been so incapacitated in misleading the people. They simply would not be able to operate. So they connive with their ilk who have access to mass media and oil their wheels so they would consistently and persistently misinform the masses, deepen their ignorance and keep them in the dark. Haven’t you ever heard the campaign story of one political party about moving the sea away from a coastal area? Yes. This indeed is true. One political party told a certain group of people in one of Ghana’s coastal areas that if they voted for one political party to come into power, that party would move the sea away from the coast and thereby deprive the community of their main source of livelihood! It is no wonder people who are known to be knowledgeable are often never allowed to fully operate, except they are willing to dance to the tune that the politicians play. It appears, the only reason the kind of politicians we have around continue to stay in power for as long as they wish, even though, they are lame ducks, is because they hate the truth, dislike honest people and are averse to knowledge. But hopefully, these three virtues, truth, honesty and knowledge, which have impacted many societies and made them progress would surface in beautiful Ghana, and then the true politicians would arise and take the land of our birth to the zenith of national health and economic boom, where we belong. Authored by: Emmanuel K. Dogbevi Email: edogbevi@hotmail.com