Crabs and scorpions

Our elders have a fantastic way of describing hypocrisy which does not offend sensitivities and sensibilities.

They say " okoto dee nebo dwe, nyenyankyere dee onko" in reference to crabs and scorpions, both of which have claws.

It means we catch crabs and eat them but fear scorpions although in structure they look alike, except that crabs bite with their claws which could be contained, whilst the scorpions bite with their tails even when their claws have been immobilised.

When matters come up, we are not supposed to find out whose ox is gored before we make comments but because of our hypocrisy, excessive partisanship, nepotism and cronyism, we are interested in the personality before we make our comments or give our judgement.

That is exactly what pans and plays out between the National Democratic Congress and the New Patriotic Party, on the perception about issues depending on who is in government and who is out of government.

The NDC leaves office with outstanding payments and NPP cries foul and then NDC takes over power and cries foul for outstanding payments left by the NPP, each refusing to understand that is the nature of constitutional democracies when the majority of the people speak whilst professing to be democrats. 

Uproar

The recent uproar about the gift of dollars by Sammy Gyamfi, the Director of Communications of the NDC and Chief Executive of the Gold Board, has confirmed the saying of our people.

When the matter of Mrs Cecilia Dapaah and the foreign currency stashed in her house came up, it was not so much the volume, but more about the currencies.

It was one incident that the NDC took advantage of, from the lowest to the highest level, as to why in the face of the law against keeping foreign currency, she and her husband could hoard such money at home not the bank.

The amount donated by Sammy Gyamfi may pale into nothingness compared with the volume found in the home of Mrs Dapaah, but the principle is the same, unlawful dealing in foreign currency in the open.

Guilt

Whilst most in the NPP kept quiet because they could not justify the development, supporters and leaders of the NDC never tired emphasising how heinous and criminal the development represented.

In spite of all that, to date, no one has proven the guilt of the woman as to whether it was laundered money but her guilt, they established  "beyond all reasonable doubt".

But even with ORAL, the state has still not been able to prefer charges against her.

Then opulently, Sammy Gyamfi takes a bundle of dollars and counts several of them and gives to Nana Agradaa, a phoney woman, who professed to conjure and double money for people but lately turned an evangelist.

When some Ghanaians demand the source of the dollars, he is defended so vehemently by party activists as a generous person.

What is at stake is not the generosity but the currency, because of the provisions of the law barring individuals from openly dealing in foreign currency.

Then the bombshell, that there is no law against openly dealing with any foreign currency since there is no law regulating the withdrawal of foreign currency over the counter at any bank, initially purported and supposedly coming from the Bank of Ghana, but which in reality as matters became clear, came from a befuddled member of the Board of Directors of the Bank, who acted purely for political expedience, in contrast, against the oath he swore to protect - the interest of us all and the bank.

Sammy Gyamfi, indeed, has worked tirelessly for the NDC that it would not be fair to demand his dismissal, but it is poetic justice, that as a human being and a political activist, he must exercise caution in demonising any misconduct, not an illegal act that may befall a political opponent since we all have our foibles and fallibilities.

More important, government officials must hasten slowly in dabbling into matters that are purely personal.

The Government Spokesperson, Felix Ofosu Kwakye, was quick to disparage the demand from the NPP Parliamentary Caucus for investigations into the matter.

His further comment that the alleged misconduct did not offend any provision in the Code of Conduct recently adopted by President John Dramani Mahama, was to reduce the code into law.

In that case, there was no need for Mr Gyamfi to have been invited by the Chief of Staff, with the concomitant announcement that he had been advised and pardoned by the President. If he did not breach any rule, why the summons and subsequent pardon?

It is important that we appreciate the difference between law and ethics because ethics demand voluntary compliance.

But at the end of the day, respect for ethics is of a higher standard than respect for the law.

This is so because, something could be so lawful, but very unethical.

So our often reckless, taken-for-granted comments that anything in line with the law is proper belies a certain lack of appreciation of good human relations.

Cedis

Some are asking what people would have said if Sammy Gyamfi had given Nana Agradaa cedis. But there is no law against the use of cedis openly whereas there are laws against dealing with foreign currencies openly.

That is why the Minister of Finance must ensure the removal of Mr Adongo from the Board of Directors of the BOG for disinforming and malinforming our people about the rules of dealing in foreign currency openly in our country.

His action is a serious breach of his fiduciary obligation to the bank and it could also mean he might not be able to keep confidential financial information against the interest of the country.

Quite naturally, NDC communicators throughout the country have expressed gratitude to President Mahama for the way he handled the issue involving their boss and affirmed their unflinching support to him.

Who knows whether they are among the beneficiaries of Sammy Gyamfi's acts of charity.

Our politicians must learn to use a common and principled measuring rod for all deviant acts that are not unlawful, but not to rationalise principles when their members are at the receiving end but to fanatically condemn when a so-called political opponent or enemy is involved.

It should and must not be "okoto dee nebo dwe, nyenyankyere dee onko".

We all travel and see how even hotels, shops and restaurant operators in some countries refuse to take foreign currencies in payments unless the holder goes to the bank to change into local currency.