WILLFUL PERPETUATION OF PROBLEMS

It seems to me that people like James D. Watson will always have points to buttress their view of us no matter how politically incorrect they may be. It is very unfortunate but not entirely surprising that we have recurrent crisis, nagging problems and various forms of disaster and these may include Energy, Floods etc

The problems of Agriculture as they were twenty years ago will still earn any student an 'A' if he or she were to produce same as answers to the problems of Agric in an exam today. Doctors go on strike year after year, speaking with total nonchalance and almost abject inhumanity about willing to let people die for the very same reasons of twenty years ago. (And this is probably not their fault).Our inability to effectively deal with such issues over the years is probably a result of wilful incompetence or a tragic condition of accepting certain forms of human indignities as normal.

It saddens my heart that every year, properties get destroyed and people still die of floods after over a decade of NADMO's annual rhetoric. For people living in our part of the world, it is trite but urgently true that democracy is beginning to make less sense to many. The culture of doing what it takes to get by is pervasive and so it makes little difference who is at the helm.

Someone has described our political situation as analogous to a famished individual presented with two rotten fruits consequently compelling them to go for the less worse option every time. Some say its early days yet to say same about our current government but I think the urgency of our circumstances require radical and potent structural changes in every facet of our public life. Anything short of this is a recipe for an imminent social revolt from a burgeoning disgruntled and militant youth folk.

To say that people get paid to do nothing in Ghana may not be completely wrong given that some public officials do things either for themselves or for their loyal benefactors. It is regrettable to learn that people who get into positions of influence often get there after years of being sidestepped by years of insidious politicking or they just happen to be fortunate victors of a largely unfair system of public career advancement. Small wonder a lot of appointees to senior public positions see it as “their time” (due apologies to Vodafone) to make up for their loss over the years and to settle scores rather than to bring about any real changes or deliver on the dictates of their mandate.

I am sure that God has heard and answered our prayer of many years that he “blesses our homeland Ghana and make our nation great and strong”. He is now looking radical, no-nonsense leadership to bring it into being. May we all live to witness the blessed, peaceful and most prosperous nation that we collectively desire. Keep Hope Alive!

Muniru Husseini