Building a Better Ghana – The role of the citizen

During the campaign to become the President of Ghana, President Mills rolled out an agenda in the NDC's manifesto, which he christened a Better Ghana. In the said document, the party promised to improve on education, sanitation, health, economy and the general well being of Ghanaians.

The President is now in office and the agenda is being rolled out gradually. So far the government has not performed badly. My concern however is how the ordinary Ghanaian has embraced this agenda and helping the government to achieve it.

Recent developments and attitude of some Ghanaians make me wonder whether the President's quest to achieve his agenda in the four-year term is possible? Certain unpatriotic citizens are doing everything possible to derail the work of the current administration. They have forgotten that the campaign season is over and its now time for all of us to come together to help build this country.

Just after the elections, there were reports of toilet and lorry park seizures in certain areas. The seizure was facilitated by some aggrieved youth who argued that since their government is in power, they must be made to operate these toilets and lorry parks. The question is, are those people managing the toilets and lorry parks not Ghanaians? Don't they also have families to feed? This should be a lesson to our politicians who award contracts to their cronies and family members when they are in power. Politicians should ensure that contracts are awarded to qualified Ghanaians who deserve it no matter the political party they belong to. Competence should over ride favoritism, cronyism and nepotism in the award of contracts. Ghana belongs to us all and not a particular party or tribe? Certainly, it is not impossible to build a better Ghana with this kind of attitude.

After the elections and the declaration of results, a group of serial callers started calling radio stations to remind the president of his promises to Ghanaians; others are also using the airwaves to churn falsehood to the listening public. I don't begrudge these people. It is their democratic right to express their opinion and demand what is due them from the government, but this should not take the form of propaganda and the spreading of falsehood in the media. After elections we all forget about the past and offer constructive criticisms to help the government in power remain focus on his programs and policies.

The government promised of ridding the city of filth in 100 days when it was voted into power. After some few clean ups, the city still remains filthy. Just recently the MP for my Constituency (Ablekuma Central) organized a clean up in the constituency, it was well patronized in some areas, in other areas which was perceived to be strongholds of the opposition, the people stood aloof whilst volunteers did the clean up. Mosquitoes and other diseases do not know who is an NDC or NPP; they attack people because they do not keep their surroundings clean. I don't know about the advanced countries but I am not sure politicians make clean up campaigns a major theme in their manifesto. This is because the citizens know what they ought to do so they do not litter indiscriminately. Commonsense should tell us that whenever we litter, we must ensure that we clear the litter. Why should politicians keep reminding us to clean our environment? I believe it is only in Africa that politicians remind their citizens to clean their environment before they do. Even at all the citizens some time read politics into some of these clean ups because a politician who is not from their party is leading the people to do the clean up. Rivalry between supporters of political parties should end after elections. It does not augur well for our nascent democracy to see supporters of political parties sabotaging government programs because their party is in opposition. Let's all embrace our leaders and work with them during their four year tenure, after four years if an administration has not performed creditably, we boot them out. That is the best way in building a better Ghana.

The work attitude of some Ghanaians is alien to the better Ghana agenda of the government. Just recently a young lady took her sick son to the hospital for treatment. The kind of reception that she was accorded was not only exploitative but also discriminatory. The moment this lady alighted from her vehicle, the security officer came to her aid and directed her to see a worker sitting at one corner of the hospital. Hardly did she notice that this was a grand scheme to exploit her. The man turned out to be a “liaison officer” between patients and some of the hospital authorities. He made sure that patients who are directed to him are served earlier than those in the queue for an extra fee. The first question this man asked this young lady was whether she had enough money, she pleaded with the hospital staff to help her go through the process of acquiring a card, it was there that he pointed to the other patients in the queue waiting to see the doctor. The agreement was that she should “give something” in order for her case to be processed faster, either than that she would have to join the queue until it reaches her turn. She had to finally part with an amount of almost GHc 20 as bribe before her son was given the medical attention. The question I asked myself was what happens to those in the queue who could not afford to pay such amount of money as bribe? Are they not Ghanaians? Is the government not paying this man and the other staff of the hospital engaged in this criminal act? Why should the nurses and the other health authorities connive with this man to fleece unsuspecting patients? These same people have the guts to insult and chastise police officers who take bribe on our roads. This practice is not limited to Korle Bu alone, but in other health institutions. This scenario does not fit in the better Ghana agenda of this government.

Recent developments in the Police service also gives me cause to worry and should be of utmost concern to all peace loving citizens of this country. We all know that the police institution is one of the institutions in this country with poor working conditions; the same can also be said of teachers, civil servants and other public sector workers. Due to the harsh economic conditions in the world over, people are now trying to do other businesses or some part time work to gain extra income. The Policemen and women on our streets do not have this opportunity but this should not be seen as an excuse for some of them to misbehave. The poor working conditions have made some miscreants who mistakenly found their way into the service to turn the place into a gold mine. The recent cases of police personnel engaging in extortion, thievery and narcotics is not a good sign for the security of the citizenry and national security, people who willingly apply to serve as Police officers already know the conditions that prevail in the service and should not abuse the privilege that comes with wearing the police uniform.
Our religious leaders also have a role to play in this better Ghana agenda. The craze for worldly things amongst the youth should be a source of worry to our pastors, imams and traditional leaders. The current craze is sakawa and blood money. Why should students visit the Internet café 24/7 looking for a white “mugu” to rob him of his hard earned money? Parents see the lifestyle of their children changing overnight yet they keep quiet and enjoy the booty with them, some are even accomplice in the sakawa game. They go to the banks to withdraw the huge sums of money for their children. Our religious leaders are not helping matters. Instead of them preaching virtue and good morals, most of then are concerned with which family is willing to give the highest offertory or who should be made the chairman during the next harvest or fund raising in the church. A better Ghana agenda would have to see some of these religious leaders changing their ways for the better. Let us uphold integrity, honesty and patriotism in everything we do.

Quite recently, there were rumours of an imminent increase in the price of petroleum prices. This led to the hoarding of the product by some fuel stations creating artificial shortage. Motorist had to queue at the few fuel stations whose management were willing to sell their available stock. How do we build a better Ghana with such an attitude? Why do we have to hoard an important commodity like fuel because of an imminent price increase?

On our major streets in Accra, hawkers have besieged these places with impunity; woe betides you if you accidentally knock their wares whilst walking on the pavement. If you are lucky, you would get away with some abusive words, if not then prepare to get your boxing gloves on for a showdown with the hawker(s). The attitude of these hawkers is a far cry from the better Ghana agenda of our President. It is very refreshing and heart warming to hear the new mayor promising to get rid of the hawkers from our streets.

Mr. Mayor you have my support and the support of all well meaning Ghanaians. Please see to it that the hawkers go back to the pedestrian shopping mall and the other satellite markets in Accra. Please no politics with this decongestion exercise and no order from above or instructions from any powerful quarters should stall your programme for Accra. I heard the Greater Accra regional minister sometime back saying he would resign if his quest to decongest the capital is met with some foot dragging and resistance from the powers that be. I hope the powers that be would not interfere in the duties of the mayor or the regional minister.

I want to see the mayor and the minister resigning their positions to protest any interference from government incase that happens. The signal that this would send to the entire world is that we still have some few politicians who still know their left from right. They would also earn the respect of all right thinking Ghanaians. Some of us would see them as role models and tell their stories to generations yet unborn.

The case of bribery and corruption permeates all spheres of our society, in the civil service, banks, media houses, the church, government and even in opposition parties. All right thinking Ghanaians should play the watchdog role wherever we find ourselves, be it a public or private institution, we should all muster the courage and expose corrupt and unpatriotic acts by our fellow countrymen and women. This is the only way we can also contribute to the better Ghana agenda of this government.

The campaign season is over, we now have a government in place with a better Ghana agenda. Ghana belongs to all of us and not our politicians. Let us all help the government to succeed. If not we the ordinary citizens would suffer whilst the politicians continue to enjoy.

Credit: Mustapha Jimah
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