The Bane Impeding Progress In Our Localities: Case Of Zango Communities

Ismail M. KAILANI, Social Activists and Advocate, a Community Volunteer and a Concerned Patriotic Ghanaian

I wrote this piece in February 2019, it was necessitated as a response to a question on “what is the bane (cause) of our inefficiency, ineffectiveness and un-productivity as individuals and as a community as a whole?”

Alas, resisting the temptation for this constructive and ever occurring banter on the main BANE (of inefficiency, ineffectiveness, and unproductiveness) impeding the progress of our Zango (localized Muslim dominated) Communities.

I’m strongly convinced that any point raised largely and indeed is prejudiced and solely construed from two distinct factors: perspective and exposure. I think the harm or scaring generational canker of a scar impeding our Individual, Communal, Psychological, Social, Economic, Political, Business, Integrity, Ethical, Moral, and Humanitarian progress can't easily be traced to one causal factor or challenge?

Also, the one million of a self-retrospective question genuinely begging answer is "in our capacity as individuals knowing so well our challenges in the Zango (localized Muslim dominated) communities, what are we doing to alleviate (ease) and bring better condition for our communities (individuals) or our immediate surroundings"?

As already known by most of us, day-in day-out on daily basis; most of our scholars, chiefs, opinion leaders (less heard or seen of them), charity groups, youth associations, and some Muslim oriented C.S.O's (civil societies organizations) drum the need for discipline, education, ethical family children upbringing, empowerment skills and development training projects, and application of Qur’anic (noble Koran) virtues as solutions to our challenges.

As earlier opined, perspective and exposure is the sole measure of the issues in our Zango (localized Muslim dominated) communities. Base on this yardstick, most often than not I find myself in a conflicting dilemma:

First, if I look at the exploits of some Zango oriented youth organizations and activities, mostly with no support whatsoever; yet the zeal and enthusiastic determination to make an indelible mark for the betterment of the Ummah (community) gives me HOPE AND SOLACE that the Zango has a brighter future (In Shaa Allah- God willing).

However, in the same vein. A sharp contrast with the same youth as a yardstick is a look at the weed smokers, the gamblers, the snatchers, the land guards, the political puppets (vigilantes), the prostitutes, and other unmentioned vices contentiously (agreeable) paints the picture of a Zango of gloom and doom (Na'Uzu Bil-Laah--- Sort refuge in God Almighty).

I wish to further urge us all to do our little bit to be the inspiration, motivation and transformation our homes and immediate surroundings so badly requires. This I believe, if for nothing at all would help tackle the PSYCHOLOGICAL aspect of our bane as Zango (community).

Moreover, my observation is, most Zango establishment or businesses don't like (avoid/ignore) putting measures to their establishment or businesses. If am correct on a verse in the Noble Qur’an, that states inter-alia “To everything, there is (an accurate) measure to it". In essence, am drawing our attention to understand this verse beyond its literal meaning to a much larger practical implementation and usage.

So, ‘MEASURE’ to my limited understanding of business or administration can broadly be applied to include:

1. Planning.
2. Structures
3. System
4. Control
5. Decision Making.

This ‘MEASURE’ is a well-researched, understood, applied and efficiently put to practice to ensure proper performance of multinational corporations and businesses, and can as well be applied in our Zango instances or business entities. I believe the issues in our Zangos (localized Muslim dominated communities) and any elsewhere in general traces from:

1. Poor and short sighted Planning. It includes not having; feasibility study, market survey, penetration plan, strategic plan, business plan, evaluation and monitoring plan, others.
2. Weak and inadequate structures: By structure it includes: Money, Man power, Materials and Machines.
3. Effective and efficient system. The success or otherwise of any establishment is largely traceable to the efficacy of the system in place. I place management and administrational approaches or styles to comprise the system. Though there are much to it.
4. Inadequate or unparalleled control. I strongly hold the opinion that, if your system is poor and not robust or rigid. It would have a rippling effect on the control function and vice versa. However, that's exactly the role control is to play? To correct and rectify all anomalies or dysfunctions in a set up.
5. Decision making. The final part of the complete functioning of any establishment or business, is the extent to which its decision making is targeted towards the objective of the establishment in achieving its set goals and visions.

I would rather categorize the decision making role to be: Strategic, Tactical and Operational.

These are my contribution to the subject under discussion. We are all WIP (work in progress). So, critique and correct my submissions if need be. By so doing, my piece is functioning (refer to the control), LoL. I think we need more of such honest and open minded discussions to point out some of the mistakes in our localities that are punishable by the principles or standards of running a business.

In conclusion, I think the bigger bane impeding our progress as Zangos (localized Muslim dominated) is NOT ACCORDING RESPECT and REGARD to expertise and consultants (professionals) in their rightful trained fields and professions. I strongly wish to state that, the law of nature respects and rewards people of knowledge, expertise and professionalism; let's obey nature; so as to be at peace with our world (place of existence--locality).

Authored and Composed by: Ismail M. Kailani.

Dated: February, 2019.