Why the checklist?

“The beautiful ones are not yet born.”

It’s been five years since I read this book not to mention every detail of it is still fresh in my mind. I did not read it for leisure purposes as one would assume people do to pass time but for study purposes. This was during my literature class days. Now of course some people have read it and have been intrigued by how much effort our ancestors put in to their writing to address the vices that are killing our continent (Africa).

It addresses the vices that seem to be deep routed to no point of return and that even if there was a point of return it would take quite a while to rinse these vices off our continent. One of the vices that plague us all is the vice of “corruption.” I am not referring to corruption in terms of only larceny but corruption in all ways. Am looking at corruption in its spiritual, economical, social and political form.

The book alludes to corruption that is so deep routed with in our governments to the core and all its supporters that seem to adhere to the system. It talks about all the corrupt leaders and how much they claim to be “building the nation” and yet in actual sense they are actually destroying it. The writer uses symbolic and interesting names like “The suit” and “the man” in relation to the rich that prey on the hard work of the poor leaving them destitute to fend for them selves. The most amazing part in this book is how Kwei brings out the fact that even the man who seems to be incorruptible at the end also falters and commits a crime of corruption. Now if you are not careful you might find that “the man’s” actions towards the “the suit” were his way of being a naturally good hearted person but Kwei disagrees with this. To him helping the suit disappear is corrupt. The suit deserved to pay for his crimes but not to escape.

Now Ayi Kwei Armah wrote this book during the circumstances of post-colonial Ghana. One would expect that since it was written then, emphasis should have been put in to eradicating these vices to create a better world. But alas, this is not the case. Whatever was written in this book is actually what is happening day and night.  The situation in Africa seems to have increased and worsened as the years go by. We  look at leaders manipulating constitutions to suit their own interests, we have money scandals that seem to be dominating the headlines in our dailies every day, security forces that seem to think their actions are with in the law in keeping law and order, leaders who find it okay to be tried and persecuted in office even when guilty, propaganda for the sake of propaganda even when it is not important, nepotism to feel safe among minions, coups taking place first to create another government. I could go on and on and fail to exhaust all these acts.

In Africa corruption remains widespread at all level of society and the country faces major implementation challenges. Recent political developments tend to demonstrate a lack of political backing for anti-corruption efforts. Combined with understaffed and underfinanced anti-corruption bodies, the states face considerable challenges in its ability to effectively enforce the legislative framework against corruption.

Every time we have news on corruption, one hopes that genuine news on fighting corruption is being laid on the table but it is not the case. Instead we have the corrupt ones being shielded by the big shots, opposition parties and the media houses being denied freedom, parliaments being rendered useless not to mention them being bribed openly in public. Truth be told that the Africa our ancestors expected to achieve after writing these books has withered and been forgotten. We are at a stage where we feed and breathe on corruption. For Africans it’s the only logical way to survive. Like some one once said “corruption is now a part of us that if we do not do it, then we are seeking to go six foot under wondering what could have been. We feed on corruption with out even knowing it.” So one is left wondering if we are ever going to beat this vice and if we are who is strong enough to with stand the temptations that come with it?