New Director General; Self Interest or National Interest?

The difference between developed and developing countries is the mindset of the citizens that has affected their attitudes. Whereas the former seeks the interests of the masses, the latter is motivated by greed and self-aggrandizement. The hope of Ghana as described as a developing country is the change in the existing narrative. The desire to succeed and the masses' interests in the national discourse cannot be overemphasized. As the mindset and attitude of most Ghanaians are radically transformed, the outcome is progress that cannot be stopped. Institutions and structures should also be progressively empowered to work. In doing so, some might be affected in the interest of the nation. It should also be emphatic that the people spearheading the activities of these institutions should be purely based on meritocracy. It is only then we will be confident with the journey we have taken as a nation. The recent discourse which seems to have lots of attention has to do with who occupies the office of the Director General of GES.

Several stakeholders embraced the decision of the President of the Republic of Ghana in the area of education. From diverse viewpoints people have expressed some sort of relief. Some have made daring statements that the termination of secondment to the Ghana Education Service as the Director General was long overdue. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion but to a large extent it seems the masses agree that it is in the interest of the nation.

When the national interest becomes the driving force of our decisions, one thing is certain – progress is sure. The position of Director General of GES being a very sensitive and key office should not be left vacant for a long period. This is where I applaud the leaders for being visionary and thinking ahead of time to appoint someone to occupy that high office. That is a good show of leadership. However, what this new appointee can offer should be of utmost concern. Therefore, the need to critically examine his abilities, capabilities, and potentials. This is where the Ghanaian populace especially those in the education field comes in. What does he have to offer? This can sometimes be traced to what he has done before. On record, the newly appointed Director General of the Ghana Education Service, Dr. Eric Nkansah has over 15 years of experience working in industry, academia, and education policy administration. He was the Director in charge of Tertiary Education at the Ministry of Education.

The track record of Dr Eric Nkansah to the office of the Director General of GES should be considered. This consideration should not be motivated by personal interests. Over the past few hours after the termination of the appointment of Prof. Kwasi Opoku-Amankwa, some members of the teacher unions as well as some of the executives of these unions have made several suggestions as to who should be appointed to occupy this position. However, it appears those with the power to appoint thought otherwise and brought who they deemed fit for the office in the interest of the nation. This has made some of the executives of the teacher unions who didn’t have their way through agitated. Are they seeking for their personal interests or that of the nation? Can an employee decide who an employer appoints for a particular position?

Clearly, something does not add up. Some of these executives of the teacher unions are not even credible enough to make such demand as to who occupies the office of the Director General of GES. They have not conducted themselves in a manner that depicts their interest and passion for the well-being of their members and that of Ghanaians at large. It is high time the leadership of any union focus on what good they can offer their members and not always what they want to gain from the office they occupy. Let us all present our strong reasons and have a sound engagement geared towards the development of the nation. One sure way to progress is when the nation progresses.

It is Possible.
The Possible Agenda
SAMUEL ABOAGYE
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