They all scrambled for the tape; radio and television broadcasters, big press houses, private security experts and all. The politicians were gleefully telling the public to take good notice of how the police, soldiers, BNI and customs officers were frustrating the dedicated efforts of the politician to build a better Ghana for all. These men and women indulging in and aiding smuggling of cocoa and fertilizers across the borders are nothing but real social demons - cousins of the devil itself. They were wild and weird in their call for condemnation and prosecution. Let no one for a moment misconstrue this writer as underrating the great work done by Anas Aremeyaw Anas and his team of investigators in the Western Region. They risked their lives to undertake a project which paid public and civil servants had failed or refused to do. Indeed, the team deserves the commendation of all well meaning Ghanaians, and this writer cannot serve the nation's interest any better than by associating with and praising the team for this invaluable piece of investigative work. But while acknowledging this great work of the team, one is sincerely worried about what seems to be lost on us as the real causes of tile smuggling that has persisted and grown on our borders, especially the western border where it hurts the most because the nation's lifeline lies in the goods-cocoa, timber and fertilizers - that cross that border. Did anyone pay attention to the phenomena of drinks, sheep, goats, fowls, plantain, yams, rice, eggs, even pepper and onions that flooded the premises of the ministries and departments, commissions and security offices in the last week before the Easter holidays? Those were goods, presents that junior and middle level officers in 'outer Ghana', in the fields, had to bring to their bosses in powerful offices in Accra. It is an annual ritual of remembering and acknowledging bosses in Accra so that they too would show reciprocity in matters of promotions, transfers and non-transfers, assistance-for visas and other forms of favour. In some cases, especially among those whose work allows them to receive cash bribes at the borders, they brought heavy wallets and black rubber bags full of cash. The big men and women in Accra and the regional capitals have to be remembered and assisted to enjoy their Easter to reflect their positions and power to do and undo in society. These little employment and social 'gods' need to be treated with gifts so that the favour cycle would not be broken. Has anyone ever stopped to ask how these gift givers are able to procure those gifts? Are the gifts procured from the meager salaries of the field officers? Certainly not! And if not from their salaries, where else? Those from the borders have to make the money through bribes collected from smugglers. Those in high offices and near to official purses are able to juggle figures around with ghost expenditures so they too can perform their 'cultural rites' in the workplace. Not everybody likes to do what they do, but it is a workplace culture, an important social contract they have signed up to perform, and they are annually evaluated on performance. And a lot hinges on that, and one can lose everything for failure to deliver on this social contract. Why have civil and public servants and security officers chosen to go this path? The answer is simple! They are ms and have needs, and are rational! They see, hear and know goes on in political circles. Apart from religion, being a politician has become the quickest way to become rich. All one needs to do is to go and tell the unsuspecting Ghanaian that he/she needs to be served and that one is offering to deliver that service. Once one becomes a parliamentarian or minister, special advisor or someone of that grade or about that, a huge car loan or free car and accommodation in a secure place, plus a good salary are assured. And depending on the nature of service placement, one may have an opportunity to operate or supervise a profitable kickback system that can construct a huge and permanent gulf between wealth and poverty. We all see these goings-on, but pretend nothing is happening. And so these fortunate or unfortunate men and women placed at the borders and other places prone to bribery respond positively to the culture of corruption to meet the expectations of their bosses and also exploit the window of enrichment open to them. And who can blame these farmers who either smuggle out directly or sell their cocoa to smugglers to smuggle out? Are they not aware that Ghana needs their cocoa? Are they not aware that it is an offense to smuggle out subsidized fertilizers and other farm inputs? Surely, they are aware! But many ask, "Do we eat and clothe honesty and patriotism? And must patriotism be the responsibility of the lower positions?" Many of these farmers produce 240 instead of a paltry GH¢150? Who makes up for the loss of GH¢50-90? Is it the politician or the civil or public servant who is oblivious of the back-racking and insect bites and pain in the field? And does the farmer not go to the same marketplace with the rest of the people? Why should he/she deny himself comfort only to ensure the sustainability of luxury for the urban dweller, especially the politician? If Ghanaians can stop pretending and face head-on the discriminatory and inhuman policy against farmers, smuggling will be unnecessary. For the avoidance of doubt, let no one be deceived that cocoa farmers enjoy subsidy. It is a wild fallacy. Indeed the underpayment suffered by cocoa farmers due to the thievery policy perpetuated by politicians can pay several times for any subsidy farmers are said to enjoy. Let the right thing be done to farmers; let farmers be paid competitive price, and promptly for their cocoa, and will be no need for smuggling. And is corruption really a thing to be concerned about when there is state corruption promoted in the last two decades by governments? This state corruption has been sponsored by NDCI, NPPI and NDC2. Politicians on both sides have wantonly applied state resources to buy Islamic votes by burdening the state with Islamic Hajj organisation and the celebration of their annual festivals. Shamelessly, district assemblies and other state agencies are subtly or forcibly compelled to provide gifts to Muslim communities during their annual festivals ostensibly to "support our Muslim bothers and sisters… " But other religious communities do not enjoy this kind of largess. The president, John Evans Atta Mills, is doing well by his self-austerity style and humility, but is he really fighting a wining war? If smuggling and bribery at the borders are to be effectively controlled, then the president has to deal with the problem from among the big men and women in Accra, the regional and district capitals. It is these people who put the pressure on the field men and women to collect bribes and aid smuggling. Let the president conduct an independent survey on this assertion and he would prove to himself that he might be fighting a losing war if the problem is not tackled at the level of the big men and women in the civil, public and security services. These real and bigger offenders must not be left to chuckle over their ill-gotten gifts. The president is also hereby challenged to bring to an immediate end this annual ritual of religious-political corruption manifested in the state subsidizing Hajj pilgrimage and Muslim festival celebrations. The state must stop these wasteful and potentially dangerous political favours to religious communities. By: Ketiboa K. Blay