To Dr. Mensa Otabil, I say Mazal Tov!

Most people remember Russell Davenport, an American politician and publisher, for his work 'My Country, A Poem of America,' which received several praises and intense critical reviews. But Davenport, a one-time advisor to Wendell Willkie, the Republican candidate who lost the 1940 presidential election to Franklin Roosevelt, won more American hearts when he looked deep into the womb of time and intelligently articulated what he saw about developments in his country: “Progress in every age results only from the fact that there are some men and women who refuse to believe that what they knew to be right cannot be done.” Those words issued from the depths of his soul.

What kind of men and women was Davenport referring to? There are some men andwomen who live in the midst of plenty and yet lack everything. They are sedated on hope, hoping against hope, while believing that somehow spring will be born in the midst of despair. In the crucible of blind optimism, they yearn for dramatic change in the order of things, but there is no catalyst for that change.

These men and women refuse to accept that what they have always known as the right way of doing things can be done. Why do we accept to live in a bad situation when we can work towards change?

The other type of men and women who can advance progress and influence development are those in the thinking of Russell Davenport. In Ghana and Africa, these kind of men and women are difficult to find. We are a continent that appears to be doing many things wrong while wars and poverty continue to sink our ship further into the abyss of mismanagement and despondency. Where does it stop? It never stops. Not here. Things can only get a little better, but generally they get worse.

Ghana's ship is sinking; it needs some “intentional, decisive and methodical” action to rescue it and save the people from drowning, according to the General Overseer of the International Central Gospel Church, Dr. Mensah Otabil. The 'Living Word' preacher has called for a new leadership response to the worsening economic conditions in the country. He also admonished that whereas the use of the word crisis may be subjective, the biting reality is that “all is not well,”charging Ghanaians to “prepare for the worst.”

Those were strong words. Are things really going to get worse? How bad could it really be? Dr. Otabil also revealed that the situation in the country is getting so terrible that it “appears we are on a permanent trajectory of deterioration.” Who can best lift us out of this poor state? Do we have the capacity to ever turn the corner? If we do, why are things getting worse? Why haven't we found answers to the many problems of youth unemployment, poor sanitation, erratic electric energy supply, endemic corruption and a generally bad attitude to hard and honest work.

Dr. Otabil has, however, assured that “we cannot afford to be so perplexed and so overwhelmed by what we see that we end up frozen into inaction” stressing that we may not be able to save everything but we will save something.”To save anything, we should be able to exhibit some intolerance for the old practices that got us where we are, and plan decisively and methodically as we forge ahead.

Like Davenport, Dr. Otabil causes us to appraise our nation character and interrogate issues and traits we would usually accept as part of our nature.

Our cedi is one of the weakest currencies in the world at present. The currencies of Somalia and newly created South Sudan are weightier than ours. Contrary to Dr. Otabil's assertion, the Ghana Cedi has not got a mind of its own; the currency is buffeted by national and international fiscal and financial realities that impact of its strength and value on the international market. No currency has a mind of its own.

Have we not been decisive and methodical in national policy formulation and implementation? Aye, there have been huge mistakes, sometimes unpardonable ones, but we have not been intentionally reckless as a nation. Most Ghanaians at the highest decision-making levels are well-intentioned individuals who mean well for Ghana. There are many corrupt Ghanaians who do not care much about the future of this country, but generally Ghanaians desire to see a much better Ghana. We do not need to paint a sad picture of Ghanaians as a people who have thrown their hands in despair waiting for change to happen; most people are busily working towards change.

I don't believe we have failed as a nation. Every nation has progressed through some difficult moments. There are nations that are ravaged by wars and natural disasters. These challenges come to test our resolve and our character as a people. A decisive leadership response is needed during these crises moments. Leadership requires a subtle range of qualities, and it is mostly difficult to describe those qualities but it is easy to experience good leadership.

Where there is quality leadership, there is assurance that things would get better because we are taking the right steps. Are Ghanaians currently experiencing quality leadership? If elections were called today, would Ghanaians retain John Dramani Mahama as president? Are the men and women heading various ministries and government departments doing a great job to get us out the present economic doldrums?

These are crucial questions that we must all decisively dignify with good answers. To call for a new leadership response to call for new energy and urgency in our approach to the things that matter most to us.

For the umpteenth time, Dr. Otabil has pricked the national conscience with a bold declaration about the leadership realities in our country. Well, we will not sink but who ever thought the Titanic will sink? While we still have a ship, let's choose to sail the same route as the people in the Carpethia ship–with foresight and fortitude.

Kwesi Tawiah-Benjamin
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