Black Attitude: A Mess (Part 2)

   

     In my previous article, 'Black Attitude: A Mess', I discussed the attitude of a Ghanaian as an African while living outside the shores of Africa compared to when he or she comes home. By virture of my work at the Kotoka International Airport, I have witnessed many travellers (specifically Ghanaians) come into Ghana for holidays. Upon arrival, passengers (as they are called) go through a few security checks thus with their passports (visas) and luggage. While being checked, some misbehave when officers from the Ghana Immigration Service or Customs, or even the airlines representatives hold them due to formalities. I planned to highlight a few real cases where such bad behaviours have been displayed.

Firstly, a lady arrived from Europe for holidays and after going through Immigration and Customs, was stopped by an airline rep from the flight she travelled with, to check her baggage to make sure she had picked the right bags. She shouted; "what at all do you people want?". The rep explained to her the process but she didn't understand why her bags needed to be checked after Customs done their bit. This lady traveller got angry and said something like, how can we go through hardship in another man's country and suffer again when we come to our own land? You are welcome to critically analyze her statement and draw your conclusion.

     Secondly, an associate shared with me this instance while deliberating on this issue. Again, this happened at the airport. Per the Ghana Airport Company Limited's regulations, drivers are not to pick up passengers on the road. There are car parks where drivers are to park for passengers to board. Failure to do so will lead to clamping of the vehicle by the airport's security officers. My associate witnessed a driver parked by the road and allowing the one he came to meet from abroad to join his car. The airport security intercepted and clamped the wheels of the car. This resulted in an argument. I was told one of the security officers asked the traveller, wasn't he coming from abroad and will he have done what they doing now if they were abroad? 

     Considering both experiences, do you see a pattern of these two Ghanaian travellers wanting to be given 'free-passes' to go against formalities and regulations? They are both coming from countries where the law isn't lenient with offenders. I do not know how they live in their respective countries of residence, but in any case shouldn't they be respecting the processes here in Ghana (because they have lived in developed countries) and setting examples for others to follow?