Corrupt Vision

By Akwasi Amo-Addae Mintah

Economic hardship causes a religious revolution to erupt in the deprived community of Rigenzi. People seek help for their deprived circumstances from the new Agrah Christian Movement, which focuses on spiritual intervention. Its ministers are perceived to have celestial powers that can help adherents to achieve their aims in life. With clairvoyant priests to make predictions and interpret dreams, the Agrah belief replicates pre-Christian, indigenous pagan beliefs and practices and marries them to Biblical doctrine. Orthodox Christianity, which flourished for six centuries in Rigenzi, has ignored these traditions. Soon, these new churches become more popular.
However, in spite of the new church leaders prayers, and due to rampant government corruption and a lack of infrastructure, Rigenzi continues to rely on foreign aid. Tribal loyalties, ethnic sentiments, and language differences undermine the unity needed to bring about common objectives. A symbiotic relationship between the opportunistic Agrah Church and a political system that only enriches members of the bureaucracy, maintains Rigenzis exploitative status quo.
After a disillusioning stint in the developed world, young Okemambo Sam returns home to Rigenzi. He comes back to a corrupt culture where the defenceless masses must resort to bribery to attain their fundamental rights.
The young people, who represent the future of Rigenzi, are blinded to the power of education, scientific research, and technological advancement to wreak positive change.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse UK
• Release date: Oct 21, 2013
• ISBN: 9781491878125

Akwasi Amo-Addae Mintah

Akwasi Amo-Addae Mintah was born in the mining town of Obuasi, Ghana on the west coast of Africa in the year 1959. Afrter a short career in the Ghana Armed Forces, he decided to escape the unfavourable economic climate and seek greener pastures abroad. The journey took him to The Netherlands, where he now lives with his wife and beloved daughter.

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© 2013 by Akwasi Amo-Addae Mintah. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 02/18/2013

ISBN: 978-1-4918-7811-8 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4918-7810-1 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-4918-7812-5 (e)

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Contents

About the Book

Part One Arrested Development

Part Two Keeping Up the Status Quo

Part Three Family Affair

Dedication

I dedicate this piece of work to all defenceless populations across the world, which are stuck in chaotic social life and, to all innocent citizens among nations, who have to suffer through bribery and corruption to attain their fundamental rights, as a result of failure in leadership.

Nijmegen---The Netherlands

September, 2013

About the Book

Economic hardship causes a religious revolution to erupt in the deprived community of Rigenzi. People seek help for their deprived circumstances from the new Agrah Christian Movement, which focuses on spiritual intervention. Its ministers are perceived to have celestial powers that can help adherents to achieve their aims in life. With clairvoyant priests to make predictions and interpret dreams, the Agrah belief replicates pre-Christian, indigenous pagan beliefs and practices and marries them to Biblical doctrine. Orthodox Christianity, which flourished for six centuries in Rigenzi, has ignored these traditions. Soon, these new churches become more popular.

However, in spite of the new church leaders' prayers, and due to rampant government corruption and a lack of infrastructure, Rigenzi continues to rely on foreign aid. Tribal loyalties, ethnic sentiments, and language differences undermine the unity needed to bring about common objectives. A symbiotic relationship between the opportunistic Agrah Church and a political system that only enriches members of the bureaucracy, maintains Rigenzi's exploitative status quo.

After a disillusioning stint in the developed world, young Okemambo Sam returns home to Rigenzi. He comes back to a corrupt culture where the defenceless masses must resort to bribery to attain their fundamental rights.

The young people, who represent the future of Rigenzi, are blinded to the power of education, scientific research, and technological advancement to wreak positive change.

Part One

Arrested Development

I was not born rich and so I could not use money to influence my way to the top. I am not a great singer either and I don't have the talent to convey my message through music. So in order to draw attention to and expose deception, I decided to write for those who are prepared to read.

In the struggle towards development in the economically deprived community of the Rigenzi Empire, which is situated on the tropical island of Kunka, the ancient faith that prescribes spiritual powers as a means to deliver people's desires has received a twist. The belief that spiritual intervention through the church is the answer to sustainable development is a direct result of the community's economic hardship and Rigenzi's culture of extreme corruption. This revived belief in the spiritual above the practical, threatens to mislead not only our children but also our children's children.

There was a time, before we saw the arrival of chemicals, when our island was cleaner and the flora and fauna were largely pleasing. The air that people breathed was natural and the skies were delightfully blue. The seas and rivers were also free from contamination. Then the Empire, unfortunately, fell to colonial rule.

The homeland was sparsely populated. Its glorious cultural heritage accorded great respect to elders, and there was a culture of discipline, peace, love, and harmony. A tradition of unity remained a vital part of the culture and the people found strength in it. This cultural tradition meant that there was never any fear of people being lonely, as the communal spirit was high. These aspects of society manifested themselves in several ways. For example, every adult had the right to correct a child who was misbehaving.

In the absence of industries to meet employment need, citizens mainly engaged in farming---producing food to feed the population. The old lady cut the cake into pieces so that everyone at home could have a share. There was little economic hardship and every child was hopeful that his or her dreams would come true.

According to records and the memories of people, recent ancestors of Rigenzi lived very uncomfortable Stone Age-style lives, residing in huts and using the skins of animals for clothing.

Rigenzi was privileged to have gold, diamond, and oil among other rich natural and agricultural resources on its bit of the earth. Earlier generations knew gold and diamonds to be precious, but understood very little about how they could be processed into various ornaments. It was like walking with diamonds under the soles of your shoes, but being unaware of their value. The big book had not yet been introduced. The indigenes were not conversant with the Bible, but they acknowledged the omnipresence of God (the creator of the universe).

It was common to find gold and diamonds after a heavy downpour. Knowing how precious these resources were, some people decided to bury their gold and diamonds for safekeeping in their backyards, placing special markers on the spot where they had buried these treasures.

They were to be passed on to their children, or next of kin, before they themselves passed away. However unexpected deaths sometimes meant that families did not know where the treasure had been buried and therefore could not inherit it. The deceased had not had the chance to say who was to inherit it or even where it was buried. While some families dug in the right place and recovered these precious objects, others unfortunately, could not find them.

Then the Makamba came to explore the tropical region. It's beautiful landscape and rich natural resources became the focus of great attention. The Makamba were highly impressed by the regalia of gold and diamonds worn by the King and his people. This attracted more teams of explorers, and competition for the precious minerals increased until eventually, it led to a scramble for Rigenzi. The brave king and his people couldn't read or write, so communications were conducted through silent trade, as they exchanged their riches for clothes, farming tools, and items they had never know before, such as mirrors and sugar.

The Makamba became intent on exploiting Rigenzi as he longed to access the rich minerals, natural agricultural resources, and the raw materials that would supply his industries. In order to achieve his aims, he introduced his religion, which he used to distract the people. This attracted different organisations to the homeland. Christian missionaries were among the first groups to come, with Roman Catholics, Presbyterians, Methodists, and Anglicans leading the pack to establish churches in Rigenzi. With the big book in hand and the word of God on their lips, they managed to win the hearts and minds of the people and enjoyed unlimited hospitality. Charity was used as a diplomatic tool, but the people of Rigenzi never realised the Makamba's real intentions.

They came to a land where clean water was scarce and the population was afflicted with river blindness and other water-borne diseases. Many children died from preventable diseases before they reached the age of five. As part of their charitable work, the Christian missionaries helped to establish schools and they set up hospitals to fight plague, cholera, leprosy, and venereal diseases. They sponsored immunisation programmes to prevent and reduce diseases and helped to provide clean drinking water in many parts of the homeland. They also helped to construct roads and railway lines.

The Makamba's exploration of Rigenzi allowed him to get more powerful and to further his ambition to rule the homeland. This was a time when nations were being forged and the powerful states were out to colonise homelands, whose inhabitants did not have the capacity to organise their own societies. Sometimes these new empires achieved their aims with difficulty, raising armies to fight the indigenous people when the need arose. However, faced with their own share of difficulties and dealing with people of different racial, ethnic, or socio-cultural backgrounds sometimes meant that these empires were unable to rule effectively. They commonly used the divide and rule tactic to govern their colonised states.

The colonial master's language was chosen as the medium of instruction, above the numerous native languages. The indigenous vernaculars were banned in schools, in order to promote the supremacy of the single, colonial language. The colonial rules introduced education, which the people of Rigenzi hoped would give them the knowledge that is essential to all of humanity, in the quest for development and to improve the quality of life. This formal education was also aimed at helping to pull off sustainable development that could lead to total independence from outside aid.

The choice of the language was to promote its use for the benefit of the master, and make his language the global language. It also helped to give him the upper hand and to establish his supremacy over his competitors in trade relations. From the very first day at school, children had to struggle with this foreign language in order to understand the basic subjects. Older generations were not familiar with it and the younger ones were not fluent in it either. Generally, students were unable to master the basic subjects that were taught to them in this second language only. This provides some explanation as to why they were unable to make any significant impact on the world of science and technology, while other societies certainly made advances toward sustainability.

Basic education was made compulsory for all children of school-age, and the parents were charged with ensuring that their children went to school. However, they were unable to enforce this discipline on their children and truancy was common. Many children dropped out of school. For the majority of the people, their education ended at the most basic level, since most natives could not really see the importance of further education. Higher education for girls in particularly was not a priority. On the whole, girls were persuaded to opt for marriage, often before they even grew to be adults. Moreover, there were few secondary or technical institutions in Rigenzi. Other factors, such as economic constraints and teenage pregnancy also accounted for a considerable number of dropouts. Illiteracy remained high.

Men who were able to see their children through the basic school level were applauded, and it was common for these men to shower praise on themselves in public places. Some exaggerated their feats to the extent of making it appear as if their children had completed university. School drop-outs had to move to the cities and towns to look for jobs or to undergo apprenticeships in various trades. The unfortunate ones remained at home and eventually took up the family occupation, such as farming, blacksmithing, carpentry, masonry, fishing, livestock farming, pottery, or woodcarving.

Typically, in traditional places, children gathered in the evenings to listen to stories told by the old women. These were often based around ideas of morality, discipline, and decent behaviour. They were also intended to motivate stubborn, misbehaving children to turn over a new leaf. Local musicians sang songs of social criticisms and useful pieces of advice. To children, our world is always interesting.

Honesty and the fear of God prevailed in the community, and the wise sayings of the old men became watchwords. Resorting to lies in order to achieve personal objectives in life was not a common practice.

Ownership of certain amenities such as television sets and refrigerators was the preserve of the privileged few. In cities and towns, children had to walk long distances to the homes of people who had TV sets so that they could watch the interesting drama series, which were full of humour but also educational. Children had to be sure to have dressed neatly, in order to gain admission to these homes. Because the children were so keen on these programmes, especially those shown on Saturday evenings, they were very punctual for fear of missing some part of the show. They would sit glued to the floor, bunched up against each other, and listen in absolute silence.

Another striking feature of Rigenzi society was that the natives' social status was measured by the number of children they had. Therefore, the culture created a huge desire for extended families. Regardless of the circumstances in which families found themselves, the children of the family were expected to produce more children. This pressure came particularly from the elderly members, who wished to see their families grow. The issue of finances, having enough money to raise these children and to give them a better future, was never a factor. It was not considered important. There was a common belief that it does not only take human might to raise children. In order to encourage people to produce more children, senior family members usually told younger ones not to worry because, God will provide.

Parents expected to look to their children for support in their old age. The degree of support they could expect depended on the number of children and grandchildren they had. Therefore, the more children one produced, the greater the pride one felt. This phenomenon gave rise to a polygamous society in Rigenzi. It was therefore not uncommon to find a man with more than one wife and up to twenty or more children.

Regardless of age, men continued producing children without taking into account the disadvantages of having more offspring. Women, who were bound by the limitations of their childbearing years, were expected to produce as many children as they could while they were still fertile. As a result there were families with great ranges of ages among the children, and in their old age, parents expected their children who were older to support their younger siblings.

Traditionally, mothers assisted during the early stages after their daughters had given birth. For about three to six months, grandmothers would dedicate their time and energy to assist their daughters in nurturing their babies and helped to care for their grandchildren through the toddler stage. For the first year, babies were treated like princes and princesses by their families. All the attention was focussed on a new-born child. But from an early age, a child was meant to experience the difficulties that lay ahead in life. Children were trained to take an active part in the household chores. Tradition required children to be thankful to their parents for bringing them into this world, regardless of the situation they found themselves in.

Even though the natives believed Almighty God to be the greatest of all, they still relied on their local gods and other earthly powers. People counted on them for protection against family witchcraft and other perceived negative spiritual forces. Apart from this, there was a widespread belief that spiritual powers could make dreams come true in life. These beliefs led to the proliferation of numerous local gods, shrines, and other spiritual objects of worship. These were all believed to be capable of combating negative spiritual forces as well as invoking good fortune for people to achieve their aims and desires in life. In the natives' anxiety to achieve good fortune and success, or to be healed of their physical problems, local gods and other spiritual leaders (medicine men and women) became the main source of spiritual intervention.

Family witchcraft was greatly feared and seen as the cause of any misfortune. It was a common belief that there must be a spiritual cause behind all adversities and negativities in life. Moreover, it was feared that witchcraft from within the family was capable of preventing people from becoming what they wanted to be in life.

It was not uncommon for people to attribute physical ailments, mental disorders, accidents and, especially, tragic deaths to the machinations of family witches or spiritual enemies. It was commonly believed that family witches and their associates caused death and ate up the dead, in their spiritual realms.

In order to seek protection, or out of eagerness to find out why things went wrong, people felt compelled to seek spiritual assistance. They travelled far and wide, and paid whatever it took to consult the sometimes famous oracles of the local gods, in an attempt to find out the cause behind the negative events or failures that had befallen them or members of their families. People paid whatever was demanded for rituals that promised protection from these witches or evil forces.

The indigenous population also believed that before people could achieve success in life, before they could make progress, or before they could simply survive, that the family witches must first be conquered. Whenever there was an illness in the family, they would seek the help of one of the well-known and powerful spiritual leaders on behalf of the sufferer. They also appealed to local gods to conquer these perceived, destructive spirits. Followers of these gods made various pledges, which they would honour in return for their wishes being granted.

When consulted as part of this pagan belief, these oracles, or priests of the gods (traditional priests) would listen to the people and then concoct something convincing based on the nature of people's problems. Some of those priests or medicine men and women would keep the patients in camps, in order to administer their divine care. Many a time, people who really needed serious medical attention such as surgery to save them, died without hope in these camps.

Remarkably, if the end of the year came and nothing bad had happened, the people believed that their prayers had been answered. They would then return to the spiritual leaders to bear their testimony and to fulfil their promises. Apart from money, which was always in cash, priests demanded offerings of livestock such as chickens, sheep, and goats. However, in the event of some adversity befalling the people or their family members, these traditional priests or shamans always had a convincing explanation.

The idea that things cannot happen without cause frequently made people point the finger of accusation at old women of poorer backgrounds, claiming that they were witches. Among those commonly believed to be witches, were women without surviving children, those whose children had not proved successful in life, and those who could not have children at all. Additionally, old women who had any form of physical deformity, be it through illness, accident, or from birth, were also thought to be witches.

Interestingly, some people led indolent lives and so eventually became the victims of their own crimes. They tended to attribute their shortcomings or sufferings to ugly old women in their families. Those who thought that their struggles in life should have delivered better rewards also attributed all their woes to family witches.

These spiritual leaders always claimed to know the people responsible for the tribulations of their clients. However, they never mentioned names. Priests of the gods or shamans only described the family members believed to be the villains behind people's anguish. Such descriptions usually led to people suspecting particular members of their families.

Many a time, there was more than one person to suspect. So people often indiscriminately bore grudges against members of their families because of these suspicions. Based on the stories heard in private consultation with spiritual leaders, some people arbitrarily exercised a pathological hatred for certain members of their families.

The desire to call upon spiritual intervention from these spiritual leaders mainly arose because people did not see God physically intervening