Stop Behaving Like Saints! All Ye That Have Had The Chance To Rule Ghana Since 199...

From all indications it seems conditions have not changed to the expectations of many Ghanaians since the return to democratic rule. A colleague who has been living in the United States returned to Ghana probably for holidays or to participate (vote) in the coming general election. After doing some rounds in Accra he noticed things have not changed and that we have been doing the same thing from generations to generations. Thus, he was greeted with the same chaotic situation at Keneshie market as it has been over the years. In fact I had the same experience when I returned from Europe to my homeland after my studies. And I believe, many readers who have had the opportunity to travel to advanced countries and came back can confess that things have not change as we all expected.

So if we all agree that things have not change for the better then let us all accept that we have failed as Ghanaians particularly those who have had the chance to rule the country. I mean both NPP and NDC have not been able to change things but some people have been making noise as if when they got power, they transformed Ghana to the standards of Western Europe and North America or to that of the Asian Tigers. I agree with anyone who thinks things have not change for the better. However, since the return to democratic rule, both NDC and NPP have had the chance to rule the country. So if things have not changed why do some group try to create the impression as if when they had power, they changed Ghana to the standard that we expected?

The conditions in Accra and for that matter Keneshie Market as vividly described by a fellow Ghanaian after his return from the United States has been as it is from 1992 to 2000; and 2000 to 2008 and till date. Within these periods, both NDC and NPP had the opportunity to change things but what did we see in the end? Things remained the same! So, why one group of people are behaving as saints? In fact, in the 2000 election year, we all yearned for the positive Change but both the positive change Chapter 1 & 2 did not change things as we expected. The roads in my village in the Bia District remained the same as it has been over the years and this unchanged condition is the reality in many parts of the country. A clear example is what a friend described in Keneshie: noisy, poor people sitting on the foot bridge begging, dirty and stinking environment... You can imagine all the bad stuff.

From 1992 to till date both NDC & NPP have ruled this country and we still have our busiest road (Accra-Kumasi) not dualised, bad road networks everywhere, we have/still construct opened gutters, schools under trees, system of building have not changed, still believe our education system is not quality, corruption, unemployment, still pound fufu with mortar and pestle, still have ghost names in our payment system, still have water and electricity (domsodomso) challenges just think of other bad things. In all these conditions, both the NDC and NPP have ruled. So my question is: why does one of the two parties behaves as if it is clean and that it made things better for Ghanaians when it had the chance? If things were better why the changed of power then? I think it is time for both NDC&NPP to accept that they have failed Ghanaians and that they have resolved to change things for the better. But a situation, where one of the parties behaves as if it has never had the chance to rule before is hypocritical, immoral, Machiavellian and evil.

Another thing I have heard people saying is that free and [quality] education will change things for the better. Will the concept of free and [quality] education change things? And what kind of free quality education are we talking about? Are we talking about schooling or education? It seems we have been schooling people rather than educating people. Let us assume the kind of free and [quality] education we are preaching will change things. If it will, does it mean that since we attained independence, we have not had free and quality education? And that Ghana has not produced quality human resources to change things? So all the successive (at least civilian) governments have failed? I mean Nkrumah, Busia, Limann, Rawlings, Kuffour, and Mills failed us? I don't think so. At least not Nkrumah! In fact Nkrumah started the Free and quality Education System and some group opposed it vehemently and even overthrew him. The overthrow of Nkrumah in 1966 marked the beginning of our troubles as a country. It took us almost 30 years to settle. So actually the provision of free and quality education for all, construction of Bui dam, and construction of N1 (George W. Bush) High Way from Tetteh Quarshie to Malam Junction took more than 40 years to revisit them due to the overthrow of Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah. We all know those who were behind the overthrow of the great son of Ghana and Africa! Let the two leading political parties accept that they have not lived up to the expectations of Ghanaians. For now, it seems one party is behaving as if it transformed Ghana during its tenure but that is clearly not the case. It is important for this to be made clear to Ghanaians.

On whether free and [quality] education will bring about change as has been asserted by some or many Ghanaians, I will say yes but not the kind of 'education' we are talking about. I think we are preaching schooling rather than education. The two are different! For education to bring about change, we need what Charles Handy calls 'proper education'. I mean for a change to be realized through education, it must facilitate learning at all levels, from the class room to the street. Education should be a process of enhancing all types of learning environments, relationships and practices where people learn individually and collectively and from each other: at home, while playing and working, by reading and writing, by socialising and associating with others, through community participation, and through the effective practice of citizenship. It should not only focus on rigid traditional classroom based of learning without flexibility but rather teach people how to do things themselves at all levels in society. In that sense, knowledge acquired through education will be dynamic or naturally and spontaneously invoked in authentic interactions in the real world.

It is on record that both NDC and NPP have had the chance to rule this country since 1992. Yet, conditions in many parts of the country show that the two leading political parties have failed to take us to the promise land. So why are those who have had the chance to change things but did not are behaving as Saints today? Please stop behaving as Saints because you are not!

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