Undeserving Plaudits

Objectivity and sincerity are not qualities of many government appointees in the incumbent political dispensation. They apply these attributes as they fall over one another unseemly to attract the attention of the man with the power to hire and fire them.

They do so with a passion as though outright sycophancy is a prerequisite for their continued holding of the money-spinning positions which bestow upon them the authority to insult and rain plaudits on their employer. Count them out when it comes to rendering sincere counseling to the president on very crucial matters bordering on the integrity of governance.

Enter the Lauretta Vivian Lamptey saga and the belated suspension of the lady at the centre of the heated controversy over an alleged scandal; and they are all over the place. They appear to be saying that it is yet another example of a president walking his talk on rooting out corruption and abuse of office.

For them a mandatory and standard action by the president is one which demands hands clapping and back patting. If they consider this an unusual feat they should not be faulted because after all it is unusual for acts of impropriety to attract a presidential attention, let alone a duress-influenced sanction.

Presidents have messed up their tenures because of this tendency to clap for them by hangers-on whose stock-in-trade is debauchery of the highest order.

If the Fiifi Kweteys find in the suspension of Lauretta Vivian Lamptey a rare proof that there is a proclivity to fighting corruption by their government, they have failed because most Ghanaians see in it a ruse and an insult to their intelligence.

When an officer is being investigated for the kind of allegation being levelled against the Madam, the standard procedure is for them to step aside. It would have been a breach of such a standard, had the suspension not been slapped on Lauretta.

These guys should seek another opportunity, one which makes sense and convincing.

They are ready with accolades even if the president performs his statutory functions as head of state. That is not the kind of actions deserving of plaudits. History is replete with chapters about how persons with such weaknesses have driven presidents to their premature ends and reducing governance to tatters.

The GYEEDAs, SADAs and others are critical areas where Mr President can make indelible marks for himself and attract deserving pats on his back by both the hangers-on and respect-commanding personalities in society.

Lauretta's alleged financial mess fades out in the face of the gargantuan shortcomings at other state institutions such as the apex financial institution. That is not to hold brief for Lauretta anyway.

The story about a corporate entity dishing out so much public funds for the birthday of the spouse of a very, very important personality is well known. Many have taken mental note of it and would deal with it one day. Time indeed changes and when it does, all the restricted information would make their way into the public domain uninhibited.