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15.04.2005 Feature Article

Ghana Govt does not Get it-It is that Simple.

Ghana Govt does not Get it-It is that Simple.
15.04.2005 LISTEN

In reference to the article, “U.S. Embassy Issue Security precautions for Ghana “, cited on Ghanaweb.... The warning is such a bad thing for this government, and the country as a whole, regardless of which micro-economic sector or issue you look at. It is clear that this government is a fiasco. It seems not to be able to “dot its i's and cross its t's”. A reflection of poor planning.

This government constantly finds itself in a position where a number of initiatives put out clearly show, with time that the initiatives were not thought through in a holistic manner.

With security being the bedrock of any investment climate, it should be the number one issue on government's agenda. No investments will flow amidst a weak security position and a weak judicial system. Both of which we have. In a bad security environment, from a risk and reward perspective, any business person will put a premium on profits which could reduce the competitive pricing of goods and services, thus passing on this cost to consumers who will pay more for everything.

No matter how hard we try, the government must recognize that it is bound to fail without the security issue being brought under control.

As we look at a liberalized West African economy in the future, Ghanaians need to brace themselves for rougher times,in more fronts than one, because if the performance to date, especially if the one is looking at the way the security problem has been addressed to date, is any indication of the way it will be handled moving forward. This will mean that we are assured of an environment similar to that of South Africa, or worse, because we lack the logistics and money that they have.

As long as the poverty gap also widens, drug use and trafficking escalates, and a sense of hopelessness grows especially amongst the youth, we are bound to become a nation fraught with security problems.

This government has put out many initiatives; however, it has yet to be able to point to one success story in any front. It is quite troubling.

Again and again, it has been advocated that the selection of police staff itself must be reviewed. Raise the bar and create a condition that attracts people who want to serve as opposed to dropouts or marginalized individuals seeing this occupation as a means out of poverty.

This government is failing badly simply because they are listening to themselves and failing to really react to the common citizen. The arrogance of this team will cause their demise, which is a sure bet, if they continue along the lines on which they have performed so far.

People are looking for tangible results. Both people living in Ghana and outside are tired of the inaction. Kuffour and company, get your act together, please.

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