Dear Anas,
For as long as I have lived in this country, I have yet to encounter someone who benefits from a system wrongfully, calling for change. At best, it is them that suffer from the flawed system, who rise for a change. You risk your life to bring to book the corrupt people in the country. Although sometimes you are sponsored for your work, it also comes at a huge cost to you. You are doing all you can to restore some sanity in the system. Every day and all the time, you think about reducing corruption in the country so that Ghanaians especially the youth do not suffer the consequences.
Your only wrong, if it would even be considered that, is that you have decided, unlike many others to restore sanity in the system by exposing corrupt officials; people who benefit wrongfully from the system. I am quite certain that most politicians or government officials would not hesitate to kill you the day you reveal your identity. They would have found no wrong if you had decided to be a practicing lawyer or doing some business or perhaps a pastor; instead of being an investigative journalist. But you have decided against all odds, to expose corrupt officials, the very people who benefit wrongfully from the system at the expense of the citizens of the country.
Yesterday you released a video where public officers were seen taking bribes. Instead of supporting and agitating strongly for the necessary action to be taken against those caught taking bribe, most Ghanaian youth were interested in assessing whether the video was overhyped or not. They kept reminding you to shut up for you have answers to give to Kennedy Agyapong (someone, who like all other politicians, may be benefiting wrongfully from the system). They question your method; the very method that has resulted in prosecution and punishment for those implicated, in other countries. They call you names like hypocrite etc.
Yet, those who chastise are the same persons who suffer from corruption. Anas, kindly stop what you are doing so that, as a result of corruption:
1. Citizens would drink dirty water that results from illegal mining activities.
2. People would pay higher duties when going to clear their goods from the ports.
3. They would be little or no justice prevailing in our courts.
4. Our politicians would embezzle our money and leave us poor.
5. Football would be an unattractive sport in this country.
6. We would continue to pay exorbitant fees to get our driver’s license.
7. Those in the orphanages would continue to wail and suffer.
8. Bosses in companies would continue to demand for sex before employing our ladies.
9. Our police would not maintain law and order; with the results being that chaos would ensue.
10. We would pay little over one thousand Ghana cedi to acquire a mere passport.
11. There would be no employment for our youth; we would continue to suffer and steal and go to jail while certain criminals (politicians) remain free.
12. We would live the country in a mess till we all die and go.
Anas, yes that is what we want. They allege you are corrupt and have no right to expose corrupt officials. Stop the good work you are doing, I implore you because they claim you are corrupt. Stop, so that all the many corrupt officials would continue to benefit wrongfully from the system. We only talk, nag, wail and dance around corruption while still bearing the consequences. That is what most of the youth in Ghana want.
However, if you are minded to ignore my advice and continue with your good work, or if you would go to a country like United States where their citizens are serious in their fight against corruption and their former President, Barrack Obama acknowledged your efforts; I leave you these words of Niccolo Machiavelli:
“It must be considered that there is nothing more difficult to do, nor more doubtful of success, nor more dangerous to handle than to initiate a new way of doing things for the reformer (Anas) has enemies in all those who profit from the old order (corrupt public officers) and only lukewarm defenders in all those who seek to profit from the new order”.
Thank you for your time Mr. Anas.
By: Kenneth A. Appiah
A citizen and a reformer
