ACQUIESCING TO CORRUPTION BREEDS DYSFUNCTION
Prologue It can be argued that society runs on many foundations. Far more importantly, honesty and truth play a vital role in our everyday lives. Some of these substratum ideas, upon which society is built, have eroded over the years, so much so that one may pause to ask; how did we get to this point? On an individual level, it does not shock our conscience mechanisms anymore if we are lied to. We seem to have been numbed to such inconsistency and sensitivities. Are we really born dishonest or do we pick it up even as we wade through life?
Children and their antics When a child denies having stolen any sugar from a sugar tin while the crystals of sugar are visibly noticeable on their lips, from where and whom will they have learnt such kind of behavior? In fact, the single most vice that we fight all through our childhood is to lay a strong foundation for our character. The following statement will come in handy here; a stitch in time saves nine (Proverb). Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it (Proverbs 22:6). Clearly, parents have a lot of groundwork to do in as far as imparting discipline to their children is concerned. Delegating this role to the school system to do this work is giving up on a child.
Overseeing the antics from the lowest unit of society The children, whose parents may raise in a parenting strategy akin to a Laissez-faire economic system, end up spoiling their children. Too early too soon syndrome, be it for freedom, fame, money etc. has not produced desired results. Parents who are always on the defensive whenever their children are in trouble, without through investigation into the cause of the trouble end up being manipulated by their Children and notably, do a great disservice to the same children and inexorably, to the whole nation in the long run.
From an individual a family arises, later on a community off which a culture is built. When we condone dishonesty at the lowest unit of society (family), we are unwittingly raising a dishonest society and therefore should not be surprised when such vices manifest at higher levels of our society for example government leadership.
The epitomisation antics In the wake of Cabinet Minister of Works and Transport Hon. Azuba Ntenge’s presentation to parliament of Uganda Airlines-revived shareholding documents, within which the government initially owned a mere two (2) out of 2 million shares leaving over 1.9 million shares in the hands of unknown individuals, left our minds undoubtedly baffled. In a twist of events, almost suddenly and after the parliament of Uganda querying the files, the said minister reported to the house that government fully owns the company. Detailed information available via this link https://www.parliament.go.ug/news/3247/mps-query-uganda-airlines-shareholding
In the name of political correctness, we try to find words to skid around the real issue. In his book, "The White Man's Burden: Why the West's Efforts to Aid the Rest Have Done So Much Ill and So Little Good", William Easterly highlights this art of feel-good terminologies especially by the world bank and IMF in their reporting on Africa’s development off the aid they extend. He admits that rarely have these organizations admitted failure, even when failure glaringly points into their faces. This kind of political correctness has bred insurmountable dysfunction.
Erroneous vindication of antics On a human/Individual self-discipline level, nothing is more worse than failure to admit one’s undesirable situation in bid to change it for the better. One sees no need to improve since they presumably find comfort in their own dysfunction. As an American entrepreneur, author and motivational speaker Jim Rohn puts in his writings, “Things will change when you change”. This is a good place to start; honesty, even with oneself. If there is dysfunction, rather than skidding around it by giving it soft names, it is better for one to confront it and face their fear. That is where the journey to positive change and victory begins.
Our folly lies in the idea that corruption is a victimless crime, and does not affect us directly and immediately. Is it the case really? In his submission to the Global Ethics-Corruption in Africa, focus 14 publciation Pg. 26, PLO Lumumba dispels the folly and demonstrates that corruption is not a victimless crime as many want to believe. African Development Bank estimates that the continent losses in excess of US$300 billion annually through corruption, an amount that is 25% of its GDP and higher than donor and aid inflows.
The expiation of antics As Martin Luther King rightly put it, “our lives begin to end the day we become silent on the things that matter”. Reflected on human health - other factors remaining constant, when we ignore everyday practices that are essential and critical to our well-being and survival, we gradually begin to withdrawal from the bank account of our life-years. Our actions are not nebulous; they have repercussions desirable or otherwise, repercussions that we have to live with - sometimes for life. The indifference we sow today about policies that affect us will indubitably catch up with us in due time. We must outgrow the drama of acting surprised at the aftermath of our action repercussions.
