I dare argue that Ghana’s history is replete with many acts of duplicitous traits, to the extent that some expatriates think many Ghanaians are double-faced. Hypocritical!
This may sound so harsh. But folks, let’s examine ourselves. What many profess overtly, do they uphold same when the cameras are off? Indeed there are many who find repulsive double standards in almost every aspect and facet of the Ghanaian society.
In our everyday encounters with people, there are the portrayals to the world of pious exhibition of a holier-than-thou attitude and life, and yet in the closets, there is a different painting of the house.
From the rich to the poor, the politician to the voter, and the pastor to the congregant, almost all Ghanaians are yet to remove the ‘false veils’ from their faces.
Remember Chris Brown who smoked pot in the full glare and admiration of everyone including the Police? As soon as the lights were off, everyone who called on radio, I bet, including some who attended and enjoyed fully, burnt him in the furnace.
We tend to chastise, hate or frown on almost anything or anyone in the open but behind the scenes, the same people crow sanctimoniously from the high heavens.
The Director of the Institute of African Studies at the University of Ghana, Professor Akosua Adomako Ampofo rightly hit the nail on the head at one of the William Ofori-Atta Memorial lectures when she said Ghanaians were hypocrites.
Professor Ampofo states, “It's a paradox because at one level, we condone sin in many guises, and in another, we have lost the compassion for our neighbour…”
Well, she is not alone. Here is Azigiza Junior’s take: “The truth must be said, there is some form of hypocrisy among Ghanaians”. This was after hundreds of Ghanaians had thronged the Perez Dome in Accra to watch the Gospel hip-pop star, Kirk Franklin when in fact Ghanaians have earlier condemned Azigiza for singing hip-hop gospel songs back in the days.
When Azonto dance originated from Ghana in 2012, some pushed for it to go international to put the country on the world map in the entertainment arena.
However, some pastors and Christians ignited a campaign to ban the dance in churches, which they contended, was sexually suggestive and demonic God. You may describe it as ‘diverse preference’. But wait till you read what many of them did next.
Their congregations embraced a rechristened version of the dance – Kristozonto. Now, the youth would engage in Azonto battles to the admiration of pastors.
And have you observed that the popular drinking spot in your locality is mostly closed on Sundays until around 2:00pm? Why’s that? Perhaps, this picture says it all- After Church Spot!
As a friend of mine puts it on Facebook: “Are they not the same people who throng the churches in the morning who fill these spots in the afternoon?”
If his observation is true, then aren’t we hypocrites? And wait, is it also not the case that some of these drinking spots or bars are owned by Christians? Hmmm.
Is it also not hypocrisy when people criticise songs like ‘Aben Wɔ Ha’ ‘Aseɛ Ho’ by Daddy Lumba, ‘Adult Music’ by Kwabena Kwabena, ‘Ajeeii’ by R2Bees and now the toast of the moment, ‘Tonga’ by Joey B in the open as being sexually explicit, and yet these same songs are what they enjoy in their cars and homes?
Ghanaians get even more complex when it comes to sex. In the open, they pretend to abhor the word sex and anything relating to it, so much so, some parents even don’t give their children sex education. Yet, sexually explicit songs and ‘toli’ on ‘Night with a thousand laughs’ are what they enjoy most in private.
And may his soul rest in peace! The media fraternity descended heavily on the late Komla Dumor in 2003 when he was awarded the Best Journalist of the year. His crime? He was not a trained journalist!
Now that Komla is no more, the same people in the media, including some of the current GJA executives, who protested his award, are now showering praises on him for his professional feat. Is it because of the saying that we ‘do not speak ill of the dead’ or it’s yet another instance of the many faces of the Ghanaian?
How interesting is it to see Ghanaians find nothing wrong with any bad thing when it is about them, but reverse is the case when it’s about someone else. The taxi and trotro drivers condemn the Police for taking bribes meanwhile they encourage the bribe by giving it. What double standard!
Perhaps, we should all read the scripture in Proverbs 20:10 of the Holy Bible.
Guess you are judging me now, but please note that “before you judge a man walk a mile on his shoes!”
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