The Ancient Political Trick: Why Ghanaians Are Treated Like Chickens
Why Ghanaian politicians are still able to pull the support of the people despite the hardship their actions cause them is explained
Anytime I walk through the streets of Ghana, I feel a deep sense of sadness. Poverty and hardship are destroying families, suffocating the youth, and leaving the future generation with little or no hope. I have seen a generation of young people who are willing to work and are far from lazy, yet the system has been structured in such a way that businesses are not being created, jobs are difficult to find, and life continues to grow harder for them.
As a result, many of them travel overseas to strange lands in search of greener pastures. Some die along the way. Some find themselves trapped in servitude and modern forms of slavery. A few, somehow, manage to succeed. Yet despite all of this suffering, there exists one group of people in Ghana who continue to live lavishly and comfortably — the Ghanaian politician.
These politicians often live lifestyles marked by luxury, excessive wealth, and extravagant living. They drive expensive four-wheel-drive vehicles, wear the most expensive clothes, and build gigantic houses and mansions that are often far larger than their families need. This wealth is frequently accumulated through corruption, mismanagement of public resources, and outright theft. Meanwhile, the people they govern lack basic necessities such as healthcare, quality schools, decent housing, clean water, and sometimes even food. And yet, many of these leaders appear not to care.
In a normal society, such conditions would provoke widespread anger and demands for accountability, fairness, and equity. However, that does not seem to be the case in Ghana and in many other parts of Africa.
Even more surprising is how the people often end up defending or supporting these same political leaders in the name of protecting democracy or capitalism — systems that, in practice, often benefit only the political class and their loyalists.
Over time, I have come to realize that this situation persists for several reasons, many of which I have written about previously. One reason is that many Ghanaians are conditioned to focus on the present rather than the future. Another is that political leaders have mastered and implemented the ancient strategy of diverting public attention through entertainment and distractions, preventing people from focusing on the corruption and systemic failures happening around them.
However, the people themselves share some of the blame. This is because, over time, many citizens have allowed themselves to be treated like chickens.
Yes, chickens.
The Allegory of Stalin and the Chicken
To explain this, I will use a historical allegory that circulated widely in the Soviet Union to describe an ancient trick used by rulers to control their people. The story is often associated with Joseph Stalin, the dictator of the Soviet Union who ruled from 1929 until 1953.
During his rule, Stalin transformed the Soviet Union from a largely peasant society into an industrial and military superpower. However, he did so through a brutal totalitarian system that caused immense suffering. His policies — including forced industrialization, agricultural collectivization, and the political purges known as the Great Terror — led to the deaths of an estimated 6 to 20 million people.
The allegory itself is often attributed to the Soviet-era writer Chingiz Aitmatov, who used stories and legends in the 1980s to indirectly criticize authoritarian systems.
The story goes as follows:
One day, Stalin reportedly called for a live chicken in front of his advisors. He then began to pluck the feathers off the chicken one by one while it was still alive. The advisors watched in discomfort as the chicken was tortured. Bloodied and in severe pain, the chicken struggled to escape but could not find a way out.
After removing the feathers, Stalin took a handful of grain from his pocket and dropped it onto the floor.
Despite the terrible pain that had just been inflicted upon it, the chicken slowly returned to eat the grain. Eventually, the frightened bird even huddled near Stalin’s legs for warmth and protection.
Stalin then reportedly turned to his advisors and said:
“This is how easy it is to govern people. They will follow you no matter how much pain you cause them, as long as you throw them a little worthless treat once in a while. First you hurt them and take everything away, then you give them a little back. They will follow you for the rest of their lives.”
Whether the event actually happened or not is less important than the lesson contained in the allegory. It illustrates how rulers can maintain control over a population not only through force, but through dependency.
The Allegory in Modern Ghana
Vote Buying from the People
Unfortunately, this allegory closely reflects what happens in modern Ghana. Political leaders have created conditions that make life extremely difficult for ordinary citizens. Through poor policies, corruption, and mismanagement, many people are pushed deeper into poverty.
Then, during election seasons or political campaigns, these same leaders return to the people offering small benefits — bags of rice, cooking oil, temporary jobs, small cash gifts, or promises of development.
Because people are desperate and struggling to survive, even these small, temporary gifts appear valuable. Out of desperation, many voters accept them and, in return, give their political support to the very leaders whose policies contributed to their hardship. Once elections are over, the cycle repeats.
A clear example of this dynamic can be seen in the widespread practice of vote-buying during elections, including the recent Ayawaso East parliamentary primary election. Politicians understand this playbook very well, and it works perfectly for them.
Neutralizing Public Protest
This strategy is not used only during elections. It is also used to calm public anger during protests and demonstrations. When citizens organize demonstrations to demand change, political leaders often call the organizers aside, offer them incentives, and quietly neutralize the movement.
This pattern has been seen in several labor protests, galamsey protests, anti-corruption demonstrations, and other public movements. People protest legitimate grievances, yet after meetings with political authorities, the protests often end with little or no real change. Politicians give the lead organizers the “corn,” and the movement gradually fades away.
Silencing Political Critics Through Incentives
Political critics and advocates who speak for the people are also sometimes approached and incentivized by political elites. This can silence them or significantly soften their criticism.
A recent example illustrates this dynamic. Ghanaian businessman Ibrahim Mahama, brother of Ghana’s president John Dramani Mahama, reportedly gifted a brand-new Mercedes-Benz S-Class valued at over $100,000 to an activist known as Raph in January 2026, claiming it was out of admiration for his work. But when such gifts are accepted, critics risk becoming compromised, becoming loyal to those in power and soft toned.
The Cycle Will Continue Until It Is Broken
It is long past time for Ghanaians to recognize a painful truth: many political leaders do not primarily serve the interests of the people. They serve their own interests first, along with those of their loyalists and networks. Only if something remains — often very little — does anything trickle down to the ordinary citizen.
What keeps this system alive is the belief among many politicians that the people will eventually forget their suffering. They believe that when the time comes, all they need to do is offer a little “corn” — small gifts, temporary relief, or empty promises — and the people will once again follow them. And so the cycle continues.
Until Ghanaians recognize these patterns and demand systemic reforms that prevent politicians from manipulating and buying public loyalty, nothing will fundamentally change. As long as the people, leaders and activists continue to accept the “corn,” the system that produces hardship will continue to reward the very leaders responsible for it.