THE COUNTRY OF UNPROFESSIONALISM

I was in my office one afternoon when a senior engineer approached me right after he returned from town. Apparently, on his way into town earlier that morning, he had witnessed a police officer, carelessly dispose off rubbish directly onto the roadside from a patrol vehicle. It was more shocking when shortly after this shameful act, this same patrol vehicle, stopped a cargo vehicle in order to carry out the usual extortion business.

For law enforcement officers to perpetuate this kind of behavior, is highly inexcusable! But that is the Ghana I know! Our law enforcers, readily, and openly break our laws each day! They are still at it! At our various police barriers and checkpoints! For police officers in Ghana, every day is a Sunday; they always have their collection bowls with them! That is the mark of a country of unprofessionalism! What really, is the police administration doing to end this shameful behavior, once and for all?

Each day we keep hearing people complain about the unavailability of jobs, and yet all around me, I keep encountering a general disregard for work ethics, and workers, who seem to take their jobs for granted!

I once had to employ the services of a welder, and indeed, it was a frustrating ordeal, when I personally had to leave my job, just to drive into town to supervise this welder, in order to get a job he had already been paid, completed. A job that could have taken barely a week, took two months! Again, I employed the services of a carpenter, who virtually had to be chased around to get things done; from my numerous phone calls, to several visits. It was one deadline, after another! When it comes to the dressmakers, this same trend exists! The same goes for masons, electricians, painters, to mention but a few. Within our so-called more formal or corporate environments, the trend persists! From utilities, to service providers, the disappointments, continues! Unprofessionalism, all the way! And yet, we keep complaining!

In Ghana, anything and everything is possible! Goods are being smuggled into this country, unaccounted for! Our markets are open to anything! Standards are not being adhered to! Offices sit empty after weekends! Offices sit abandoned due to power outages! Teachers, instead of teaching, rather prefer to turn students into traders or hawkers, farmhands, house helps, to mention but a few.

Government institutions, become offices to private operations! Goods, meant as donations, end up being sold! Government hospitals become backdoors to private hospitals! Law enforcement, turns to extortion! When it comes to roads and infrastructure, it is about shoddy works! There also is the misappropriations, and diversion of funds! Today in Ghana, it is the reign of judgment debts! Heightened unprofessionalism!

At the moment, all are complaining about how the government traveled all the way to china, in order to purchase ordinary furniture for our own parliament; our very own decision making body! That is the irony of the day! And yet, on this occasion, I feel no empathy for our local artisans or businesses. What I feel, is apathy!

Hand out a contract to a local company, and you will be amazed at the outcome! From the poor delivery or standards, to several missed deadlines! Let us examine the trend of contract administration and execution in this country. I have witnessed the level of professionalism, usually exhibited by foreign firms on projects, compared to our indigenes. The difference can be spotted miles away!

Examine our political atmosphere, and again, this trend exists! Politicians do as they please, without any accountability! With complete disregard for the rules of this nation! With complete disregard for the codes and ethics they swore to!

In the wake of the recent parliament house refurbishment, and the subsequent Chinese purchases, one thing becomes clear, we do not have faith in our own! We seem to have all kinds of professionals, and yet, this country continues to recruit foreign professionals, for projects that could very well be handled by Ghanaians! We prefer expatriates more! An attestation to the fact that the Ghanaian cannot manage his own affairs! Of course, the IMF is managing our finances too!

If today we are complaining and beating our chest for the fact that our leaders saw it prudent to import furniture, which could have very well been manufactured locally, we must bow down our heads in shame! This is a glowing tribute to our level of unprofessionalism in this country.

What time do you report to work each day? At what time do you leave your workplace? Are you able to meet your deadlines? Are you able to deliver as requested, or as promised, and at what standard? How do you treat your clients? How do you treat your workers? How do you perceive your job?

Professionalism is not just a word; it is a behavior! It is an attitude! It should become our way of life!

Anna Esi Hanson ([email protected]); esociocomm.blogspot.com