Resetting Ghana’s Civic Agenda: Naming and Shaming the Rot in Our System

When a young nurse, duly posted by the National Service Secretariat (NSS), presents her appointment letter to the Bank Hospital only to be told that postings are reserved for “protocol appointments,” it exposes a deeper rot in our system. This is not an isolated incident—it is symptomatic of a culture where merit, fairness, and national duty are undermined by favoritism and backdoor dealings. As the Dagbani proverb famously localized by Hon. A.B.A. Fuseini reminds us, "Stealing a village drum is easy, but finding a place to beat it peacefully is the problem". These institutions think they can hide their corruption, but the music of accountability will always find them out.

The President of the Republic cannot be everywhere. It is the responsibility of institutions to uphold the integrity of national service placements. When hospitals and public agencies flout the rules, they betray the trust of the Ghanaian people and sabotage the future of our youth. It brings to mind the wisdom of Proverbs 22:22-23: "Do not exploit the poor because they are poor and do not crush the needy in court, for the Lord will take up their case."

Exposing the Rot

• Protocol Over Merit: The Bank Hospital’s refusal to accept duly posted service personnel undermines the principle of equal opportunity. Hon. A.B.A. Fuseini rightly warns, "When a thief encourages you to go to court, just know that his elder brother is the judge". Protocol culture makes ordinary citizens feel helpless against an elitist system.
• Disruption of Training: Young nurses are denied their rightful rotations, delaying their professional growth and weakening our healthcare system.
• Institutional Failure: NSS postings are official directives. Institutions that reject them without cause erode the credibility of the Secretariat. To paraphrase an international truth, "The corruption of the best things gives rise to the worst."
• National Disservice: By sidelining service personnel, hospitals deny the nation the manpower needed to strengthen healthcare delivery.
• Culture of Impunity: Allowing “protocol” placements to override official postings entrenches corruption and nepotism. Truth cannot be buried forever, for as the northern elders say, "Truth is like oil; no matter how much water you pour on it, it will always float".

Recommendations & Suggestions

• Immediate Reposting: NSS must swiftly reassign affected personnel to accredited facilities without delay.
• Public Accountability: Institutions like the Bank Hospital should be named and shamed when they flout national directives. As the proverb goes, "A man who has died in the market square needs no funeral announcement"—their shame is already public business.
• Policy Enforcement: The Ministry of Health and NSS must enforce compliance, ensuring that no hospital can reject postings arbitrarily.
• Transparency in Postings: A public database of institutions accepting service personnel should be maintained to prevent abuse.
• Citizen Oversight: Civil society and the media must continue to expose these practices as part of Ghana’s democratic resetting agenda. We must stand together, fulfilling the biblical mandate in Amos 5:24: "But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!"

Forward ever, backwards never. Ghana cannot afford to let favoritism and protocol culture derail the future of its youth. The refusal of the Bank Hospital to accept a duly posted nurse is not just a personal injustice—it is a national disgrace.

If we are serious about resetting our civic agenda, then we must confront these abuses head-on. The President cannot be everywhere, but citizens, institutions, and watchdogs must rise to the occasion. Naming and shaming is not vindictive—it is a necessary step to cleanse our system and restore dignity to national service. Let us remember the classic Ghanaian proverb: "Woforo dua pa a, na yepia wo" (It is when you climb a good tree that people push/support you). Let us build a good system worthy of our collective support.

✍️ Retired Senior Citizen
For and on behalf of all Senior Citizens of the Republic of Ghana 🇬🇭

Teshie-Nungua
[email protected]