Ghana is a nation of paradoxes. We pray fervently, legislate prolifically, and celebrate our democratic rituals with unmatched enthusiasm. Yet beneath this vibrant surface lies a troubling truth: we have normalised a culture of congenial hypocrisy – a warm, familiar duplicity cloaked in civility and religiosity.
This hypocrisy is not violent. It does not shout. It smiles. It sings hymns while adjusting measuring cups in the market. It quotes scripture while evading taxes. It builds cathedrals while ignoring the disabled child who cannot access a classroom. It thrives not through confrontation, but through a consensus of excuse—pretend, or look away.
We see it in our politics. Leaders campaign on platforms of integrity, only to govern with impunity. They denounce corruption while rewarding cronies.
They promise inclusion, yet perpetuate exclusion through policy inertia and selective empathy. The recent media briefing by President Mahama, for instance, was a masterclass in rhetorical reset, not a true reset of the nation.
But this is not about one leader. It is about a national pattern. We condemn wrongdoing only when it is politically convenient. We demand accountability from our opponents, but rarely from ourselves. We are outraged by foreign injustice, but numb to local suffering. Our moral compass is not broken; it is selectively calibrated.
Ghana is celebrated as one of the most religious nations on earth. Churches and mosques dot every street. Pastors and Imams command vast followings.
Yet our religiosity rarely translates into spirituality. Public piety seldom becomes private virtue or public ethics. We preach forgiveness while harbouring tribal resentments. Worst of all, we vote selfishly.
This dissonance is not accidental; it is cultivated. Many religious leaders have become complicit. They bless politicians without questioning their policies. They preach prosperity while ignoring structural poverty. They silence dissent with “Touch not my anointed,” using fear to extract loyalty and trading prophecy for money.
Our media, too, is caught in this web. Sensationalism trumps substance. Investigative journalism is rare, and editorial courage rarer still. Public discourse is dominated by partisan punditry and recycled outrage. We debate personalities, not principles. We chase headlines, not healing.
As citizens, we are not mere victims. We are participants. We adjust our ethics for convenience. We demand justice when wronged, but ignore injustice when privileged. We lament corruption, yet pay bribes. We celebrate merit, yet exploit connections. We have become adept at moral outsourcing—expecting others to live by standards we ourselves neglect.
This is the danger of congenial hypocrisy: it creates a society where everyone is complicit, yet no one feels responsible. It erodes trust, stifles reform, and numbs the national conscience. It allows us to feel virtuous while doing little to change the conditions that breed suffering.
But all is not lost. The first step toward renewal is recognition, acceptance, and repentance. We must name this hypocrisy—not with bitterness, but with love and clarity. We must confront it in our institutions, courts, pulpits, parliament, and homes. We must demand integrity not just from our leaders, but from ourselves.
This is not a call for moral perfection, but for moral consistency.
Politics that matches its promises. Religion that serves the vulnerable. Media that informs, not inflames. Citizens who choose principle over convenience.
Ghana’s future depends not on another charismatic leader or round of reforms, but on a cultural shift. We must abandon the comfort of hypocrisy for the discomfort of truth. It will be hard. It will be slow. But it is necessary.
Let us begin not with grand gestures, but with honest questions:
What do we tolerate that we should challenge? What do we excuse that we should expose? What do we perform that we should practice?
When a nation’s hypocrisy prevails, it does not collapse overnight—it decays quietly.
But when truth prevails, even inconvenient truth, it can rebuild what hypocrisy has eroded. Let us choose truth. Let us choose integrity. Let us choose Ghana.
By James Kwabena Bomfeh Jnr.
