The continual unravelling of astute craftiness of the formation of PDS (Power Distribution Services) to take 51% of ECG, (Electricity Company Ghana) valued at GHc122B ($23B) at no cost to the equity partners against the Ghanaian taxpayers has accentuated the 27 years of our democracy as dysfunctional. The founders of democracy in Ancient Greece classified three (3) expansive types of people in a nation as the: Idiots , the Tribespeople and the Citizens . These broad classifications can indeed guide us whenever we want to take major decisions for our beloved country such as the election of MMDCES.
The philosophy of Democracy invented* by the Ancient Greece was to create a civilised society where the rule is by the people or citizens . The invention of Democracy was to help cure tribespeople , barbarism , oligarchy , respect of rights. Democracy was to ensure that no few people can take decisions for majority and for justice to emanate from the citizens. The tenets of democracy were summarised into two (2): 1. Respect for fundamental human rights 2. Respect for rule of law.
However, in the late 18th century, political mutations in the USA returned Tribespeople to democracy in the form of political parties as a tool to divide and rule. So, one of the recurring problems (Tribespeople) that the Ancient Greece (620BC) invented democracy to cure, has been institutionalised in the form of Political Parties. This is the irony of modern democracy especially by third world countries in Africa with multi-ethnic societies!
A deeper introspection of how the Ancient Greece classified the three types of people in every nation is still the same in the 21st Century. The insightful classification of Idiots, Tribespeople and Citizens by the Greece can enlighten our minds to firstly be citizens as Ghanaians so we can encourage and mentor conscientiously more citizens into positions of trust in Ghana and Africa by extension.
I. The Idiots
The Greeks identified the idiots as not being mentally deficient, but very private people who are self-centered and selfish. The idiots are always looking out for their own gain and self-interest. The lack of public philosophy, knowledge, and skill is very evident to this class of people. Idiots do not have the virtue and the character to make a meaningful contribution towards the flourishing of society and community. For the idiots, it is all about their own pleasures and treasures . According to the Greeks, the idiots were no more than upgraded barbarians .
Juxtaposing the Ancient Greece assertion to Ghana in particular and Africa at large, the idiots in our nations are the class of individuals whose core objective is by overlooking all ethical principles for maximum self-gain. Their inward thought of perceived smartness motivates them to embezzle national treasury through promotions of unqualified national development so far as the bottom line satisfies their greed.
The Idiots in position of authority or leadership as Presidents, Ministers, DCEs, Corporate CEOs, Chiefs, Religious leaders etc. never change their characteristics but create public hardships in the country for personal benefits by utilising the public resources. Their smartness pretentious character makes them advocate causes for the people without clear cut sustainability; advancing their selfish interest knowing they will not be available to take responsibility for the next generation. In all their business dealings, whatever the scale of operation, whether big or small, they always try to evade tax by working with corrupt public officials. They conspire to bleed, dry the nation and make destitute of the people. Their sole intent is to amass personal wealth even if that often means rent-seeking and bending the law. They have no qualms about bribing public officials to turn a blind eye to their destructive activities
II. The Tribespeople
Ghana has 79 ethnic groups or tribes with historical antecedents that permeate through our national psychic to this present day. So it is not difficult for Ghanaians to relate to tribal bigotry and as a matter of fact we witness these in most Africa nations.
However, the Tribespeople as defined by the Ancient Greece had nothing to do with the geographical origin or tribe a person comes from. The Greeks identified the tribespeople as a class of people who are not able to think beyond their small tribe or group. For the tribespeople, their primary and ultimate allegiance is to their tribe. Their tribe is their God, and their religion is tribalism. They are bound to their local area and very narrow-minded.
Great suspicion towards other tribes make Tribespeople constant warriors and so they are anti peace and barbaric by nature . The Tribespeople have no nationalistic mindset except such issues are rationalised from tribal benefits as they are mostly irritating, divisive and impolite towards other perceived tribes . The Tribespeople only become nationalistic or corporative when one of their own is in position of power that is when they can trust the nation or the organisation is in good hands. However, the Tribespeople tend to be conspirators, saboteurs and even open resistance towards developments within their society coming from visionaries outside their tribe that bring evidentiary comfort. They have no shame to tag such developments as dangerous to their wellbeing and can contemptuously campaign against their own wellbeing.
If one of their own is in a position of power, then they will gladly rally around the leader with the firm belief that the nation is in the right hands and headed in the right direction. If on the other side, a leader from another tribe is at the helm, then they will put up a resistance and argue that the nation is in danger to justify their campaigns.
The Elites and educated among Tribespeople can promote their vision through tribalism by discrediting others through false pretensions. When it comes to voting for decisions, the Tribespeople are only concerned to vote for the devil that they know will devour them later and so they tend to be enemies of the state by conscientious stupidity. The Tribespeople are the enemy within each nation. So one may not be far from the fact that, the Tribespeople is the group stage of Idiots in a nation according to the Ancient Greece philosophy.
III. The Citizens
The Ancient Greece define a citizen as a knowledgeable and skilful person in the society who is civil and highly respected by the public. The mindset of citizens are public good and they think about the next generation and how their actions affect them.
The Citizen has knowledge of their rights within their society and the extent of respect of other people’s rights, freedoms and responsibilities. Because of their civility mindset, citizens factually can fight for the rights of minorities and even enemies and rightfully respect the law which should be applied equally to all manner of personalities in the society or the nation. The citizens cure barbarism and create civilised society. Citizens settle their differences with dialogue and by the laws of the nation.
The Ancient Greece therefore considered a foreigner with such characteristics as a citizen or Athenian when he or she exhibits such characteristics. This belief of the Greece informs the naturalisation of foreigners into citizenship of civilised nations.
The call by the President, H.E. Nana Addo when he quoted, “be citizens and not spectators” from the speech of George W Bush, was for the transformation from Idiots and Tribespeople to Citizens to all individuals both foreigners and citizens within the geographical boundaries of Ghana.
The Ancient Greeks have given us the timeless clear cut of people in a society. We should not be idiots living only for ourselves and looting the national treasury to satisfy our ego, we should not be Tribespeople, warriors who see nothing beyond their tribe members. But we should be citizens to Ghana and exemplary proud citizens of the world in the best sense of the word by the Ancient Greece.
IDIOTS AND TRIBESPEOPLE IN GHANA
The ancient Greeks respected offices of the various forms of leaderships but cautioned that citizens should ensure that those positions are occupied by citizens and not idiots. Idiots can occupy the offices of; Presidents, Archbishops, Chief Imams, Kings, CEOs, MPs, MMDCES, Chief Directors etc. and as a matter fact, at all levels of leadership.
Likewise, the ancient Greeks respected groupings of citizens for the commonwealth purposes and not Tribespeople. Our 79 ethnic groups in Ghana should be transformed to 79 commonwealth groups for Ghana in unity with diversity. Citizens should not allow Christianity, Islam, Kingdoms, Political Parties etc. to perpetrate Tribespeople tendencies.
In Ghana, Political Parties are the worst Tribespeople, particularly the NPP and NDC. They are destroying the nation and plundering treasury like armed robbers with their warrior vigilante groups. Active citizens are to ensure that, our democracy cures these institutionalised political parties which are actually tribespeople.
PDS SAGA: THE IDIOTS, TRIBESPEOPLE AND CITIZENS
The Idiot Ghanaians among those to ensure that the power distribution in Ghana is competently managed, will not pursue that goal but rather seek to gratify their personal egos against the National good. The Idiots will scheme to reap where they’ve not sowed. The Idiots will scheme to loot shares for themselves without payment . Their greedy nature will blind them.
The Tribespeople will see nothing except to protect their party or accuse the other party without substantive evidence. The Tribespeople will openly resist any effort for PDS to be beneficial to the nation. The Tribespeople will chant war songs and will not be decorous in their contributions towards the PDS saga.
The Citizens will seek the public good of PDS for commonwealth to Ghanaians. They will want to engage in civility with mutual respect and skills of understanding each other’s rights to ensure that PDS will not only be managed competently but will also create a commonwealth for Ghanaians.
ELECTION OF MMDCES
The Idiots will not analyse how the elections of MMDCES can affect the entire nation except how such election can benefit themselves.
Citizens are thinking of why a referendum should be organised at such tremendous cost to amend only article 55(3). Article 243(1) is not entrenched and so if the goal is to seek elections of MMDCEs, Parliament can amend without a referendum; selection of MMDCEs are already partisan. The citizens are much concerned to electing qualified persons for their respective districts to bring about development.
The Tribespeople do not see beyond taking hold and how such partisan election at the national level is continually polarising the nation. The party Tribespeople are confident to elect their MMDCEs in their perceived strongholds. The Idiots are much concerned of their greedy control motivation and also assume winner takes all attitude and cronyism at the District level.
CONCLUSION
Until and unless Citizens become conscious of the activities of Idiots and Tribespeople…
Until and Unless Citizens decide to eliminate Tribespeople in the form of political parties…
Until and Unless Citizens stop being spectators…
Ghana will never move beyond its current poverty-stricken state.
Citizens, embrace IPS!
Citizens, embrace JOY 2020!
Citizens, embrace Democracy
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