Brother Ghana, Sister Nigeria
Nigeria and Ghana are close in many respects. Notably, we both shared the same colonial parent. Because of this many things we do in common have colonial influence. Our laws are also common. On some occasions, I have wondered why these two countries are not immediate neighbours.
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It would have been wonderful! Nigeria constantly makes references to Ghana and so does Ghana to Nigeria. Distance notwithstanding, many of us in Nigeria consider Ghana our neighbouring country more than the immediate neighbouring countries.
In April last year, a 31-year-old young man, Kelvin Ighodalo, was thrown into prison to serve 45 years by an Oshogbo High Court, Oshogbo, Osun State, Nigeria. His offence? He was convicted for stealing a mobile phone worth N50,000 (about GH¢500) belonging to Rauf Aregbesola, the Governor of Osun State, at a rally ground. My immediate reaction then was "wow! Where on earth could such a thing happen if not in Nigeria?" Perhaps Ighodalo got such harsh treatment because he had stolen a governor's mobile phone.
My opinion then was that if such a man could manage to beat security details of a mighty Nigerian governor to steal his phone from his pocket, this man must be highly intelligent. It requires a certain high level of intelligence to do such a thing. In some countries, his intelligence quotient (IQ) would have been tested; he would have been a genius conscripted to serve in the intelligence department in the state security. But Nigeria prefers to waste such an intelligent young man in prison by hammering him with a 45-five year jail term.
Going through the Daily Graphic of Saturday, April 26, 2014, the story of how a 20-year-old man, Baffour Awuah, was thrown into prison to serve 45 years for stealing a mobile phone caught me thinking. Will he really serve the stipulated years? If the authorities allow that, it means he will no longer be useful to the society. By the time he finishes his jail term in 2059, he will be celebrating his 65th birthday.
The point I am stressing here is not that a sinner should go unpunished. No. But 45 years for stealing a mobile phone is, in my view, a death penalty.
I am aware that the young man threatened his victim with a knife, according to the prosecutor, Inspector Gulliver Kwabena Tenkorang. I am equally aware that he had stolen GH¢70 from his victim. But should stealing GH¢70 and a mobile phone worth GH¢40 be enough to cost him 45 years in prison?
We read on daily basis that our politicians have allegedly stolen millions of cedis or naira but we hardly hear or read later that they have been jailed or punished in another way.
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I call on the authorities to review Awuah's case and give him a lighter punishment instead of allowing him to languish in jail for 45 years.
Nigeria and Ghana remain brothers and sisters. To return to my earlier surprise: Where on earth could such a thing happen if not in Nigeria? Perhaps, it could also happen in Ghana. This will further strengthen our brother-sister relationship!
• The writer is with the Spiritan University College Ejisu
Tel.: 0230735804; Email: egghead345@yahoo.com