Are we really co-equals?

“Tweeeeea, are we co-equals?” is a phrase almost every Ghanaian can identify with.  Its popularity even soared when one obscured government official burst out the phrase amidst other vituperations in response to a taunt from the audience while honoring his call to duty at a public function – an act that eventually got him trending for days to come and every observer of our Country knows this by now. The mudslinging comments and its parallel self-righteous postures were enough to hang the man on a pillory.

Since when did public officials started carrying themselves above their subjects – the people they were chosen to serve? While practically begging for our support, they also vow to serve us even through rough times. Public officials must comport themselves even in the face of all indignation and must be modest about their business at all times. Such uncouth behavior is unbecoming of public officials who cannot take a joke, they must learn to suffer fools and work on their sense of humour. Infact! They have to move out of the Kitchen if they find it hot enough!

Then you take a long walk the next day and start asking yourself some obvious but hidden rhetoric such as “are we really co-equals?” and granted that we are co-equals, shouldn’t respect be reciprocal? Does ascendance to public office immune people from public ridicule? Is the high tide of democracy also sweeping away our morals which were hitherto the pillars of our culture or we have just given in to the global movement?

 What happened to our class society or we are just a bunch of lying hypocrites who will practice politics of convenience instead of principles? Methinks, anybody who holds on to the fallacious notion that we are all equals must have their heads examined and all illusory thoughts gotten rid of. We may be one but are not and cannot be equals!

God in his own infinite wisdom created us with varying differences to distinguish each of us from one another; same God who created the low and the high born, angels and archangels, the graceful and the ugly, the weak and the strong, the giant and the dwarf and what have you, so why the tenacious stance that we are all equals?

consequently, If ever the phrase “we own the people who own the town” rings a bell, then be reminded that, your favorite bakery is owned by someone who sometimes buys goods on credit from his/her suppliers and if that is far-fetched then be reminded that your pay cheque is signed by someone who is sanctioned by another man in that order.

If indeed God made us equal simply because we all have attributes of humans, then it will be a perversion against the divine plan to have all these Caucasians, Blacks, Dwarves, Giants and Gays fighting on continuous basis to entrench their varied differences. In same vein, it would be wrong for you to look at that unkempt guy across the street and say he is not your type, likewise would it be wrong for a guy to say, someone does not belong to his class. It actually behooves us to do unto others what we expect them to do unto us.

Thus far anybody who thinks we are co-equals is a Populist and should be dismissed summarily. They just like to create trouble where there should be none and also like to over-estimate their self-importance but one friendly advice to them is, they should find their rank and file and feel at home for some people are way elevated beyond our class and level.

 The writer tweets @vilejah