Once again Anas Aremeyaw Anas and his Tiger PI Team have held a giant mirror to the face of our society, revealing our true nature to ourselves. And once again, a "section of Ghanaian society", belonging to the 'Entrapment Fraternity' is throwing temper tantrums on social media like over-pampered two-year-olds, questioning his modus operandi.
I've been following their arguments. When distilled, they erroneously assume that the people caught on video:
1. May not have encountered such acts of bribery and corruption in their regular operations, but for Anas.
2. Would not have taken those bribes if they weren't "entrapped".
Anyone who holds this view is on a long walk with Alice in Wonderland and has completely lost touch with the reality of the wanton abuse of leadership in this town.
The premise of their argument makes nonsense of the concept of extrapolation (which has some mathematical applications) by dwelling only on some of its minor deficiencies.
For clarity, this is a quote on extrapolation from Wikipedia: "Extrapolation arguments are informal and unquantified arguments which assert that something is true beyond the range of values for which it is known to be true. For example, we believe in the reality of what we see through magnifying glasses because it agrees with what we see with the naked eye but extends beyond it; we believe in what we see through light microscopes because it agrees with what we see through magnifying glasses but extends beyond it; and similarly for electron microscopes".
The argument is simply this: if they accepted the bribes from Anas, it is reasonable to assume that they would from others, as it is safe to say that the methods employed by the Tiger PI team is consistent with those used by more 'legitimate bribers'. Unless there's evidence to the extent that Anas' team hold guns to the faces of those who so gleefully take the bribes in exchange for the fiduciary duty they are expected to exert towards the Ghanaian people.
One can’t “entrap” a lion with an orange. An explanation for our economic predicament is just how limited our expectations from our leaders are; both morally and legally. We’ve become such an easy people to govern it’s heartbreaking sometimes. It is disingenuous, downright hypocritical and monumentally illogical to assume that those implicated in the Anas expose were decent and incorruptible people prior to their “entrapment”.
Do we have any idea the hell corruption has unleashed on our people? About 25% of Africa’s GDP, averaging $148 billion, is lost to corruption annually. That number represents the sweat, blood, tears and hopes of her citizens. In it is the beggar on the street, the accident victim who cannot access an ambulance, the student studying under a tree, the child who goes to bed hungry, the young woman who abuses her body for economic survival, the people who drink from the same stream with cattle, the mother who sleeps under a bridge with her babies, the young man who is left to die like a dog in the street because he couldn't afford a mere GHS 300. It is the dignity of the black race going down the drains!!
And yet some people tell us we ought to question Anas’ methods for exposing corruption? Any method that exposes acts of corruption, so long as it is not accomplished through intimidation, must be hailed not condemned. ANY METHOD!
As decent citizens, what we ought to question is why only a few of those caught on tape have been held to account. That should be our preoccupation. We should be on the streets demanding justice, instead of throwing tantrums on social media and demanding the head of our national heroes like Anas. We aren't where we're supposed to be as a people. We deserve more. #JesuisAnas
--
The writer blogs on social, political and economic issues at www.thinkingwityou.wordpress.com
Follow him on Twitter at kwadwo_aa
Latest Stories
-
Revolutionising education through the metaverse: The case for AI Labs in African tertiary institutions
50 seconds -
I’ve never said scrapping e-levy, betting tax will violate IMF programme – Gideon Boako
7 minutes -
Man jailed 3 years for impersonation and possession of military uniforms
17 minutes -
I want to do collaborations with Sarkodie, Stonebwoy, Shatta Wale – Joyce Blessing
23 minutes -
President Mahama to engage Asantehene on Jan. 19 over Bawku conflict
30 minutes -
TEWU calls on gov’t to address abuse of university governing councils
38 minutes -
Private schools eager to join Free SHS programme – Minority to Mahama, Ato Forson
45 minutes -
Promasidor Ghana kickstarts 2025 with strategic sessions
47 minutes -
Full text: Minority statement on vetting of 3 nominees, other matters
53 minutes -
Behold, newness all over: New Year, new regime, new Parliament; looking forward with great expectations
57 minutes -
Joyce Blessing recounts how a gospel artiste turned down her feature request
1 hour -
Ato Forson’s responses on revenue shortfalls spark fears of harsher taxes – Minority
1 hour -
Absa Bank supports Kantamanto traders with GH¢150,000
1 hour -
GPL: Ibrahim Tanko leaves Accra Lions after three years
1 hour -
Social Enterprise Ghana and GIZ PECI promote E-Commerce in peri-urban areas
1 hour