A Messy Country Called Ghana

Before I proceed to critically outline the messy nature of our beloved country called Ghana, let me clearly state that, it is imperative that as a country we learn to do things right. We do not need to condone deviant behaviours, negative attitudes, celebrate mediocrity and clamour bad habits whilst we applaud what I refer to as 'executive and leadership ineptitude' to say the least.

If we are to gloss over all the negative things that happen in our societies, because exposure could lead to individuals suffering the consequences of their own actions and inactions, then I daresay we can never develop as a nation. It is very good to always say the truth that hurts and heals than to tell a lie that creates conflicts and kills. What is all this innuendos about? Please just read on.

Abandoned Projects
The acrimony and self-seeking agenda of politicians in this country has been totally destructive and disaster. Almost every past government projects suddenly becomes 'unwanted' by new government upon assumption of office. I do know for a fact, that, governance is continuum, so why succeeding governments abandoned projects which have been financed from the state coffers. The same line of project is kick started by succeeding governments, for instance in the case of 'affordable housing' project under former President Kuffour's regime has now become a white elephant project. This is totally absurd. My beef is, if the ruling government National Democratic Congress deem it necessary not to continue with the affordable housing project, then, in the same vain the ruling government (NDC) should not have continue with the Bui Dam Power project and school feeding programme which were started by former President Kuffour era. This culture of abandoning projects is absolutely nonsensical and does not serve any purpose but only drains the public purse.

Media Discussions by Government Officials
Mr. President, are you aware that some of your political appointees spend production hours to engage in media discussions on televisions and radios? It is only in Ghana this can happen because governance has been reduced to crèche business. This can at worst be described as despicable. Mr. President please wake-up from your slumbers and clump down on these acts because is uncalled for. What pisses me off is that, these are public servants and as such paid from the consolidated fund but they waste production hours discussing political issues on radios.

Messrs Agyenim Boateng, Felix Ofosu Kwakye, Murtala Mohammed, Kwadwo Twum Boafo, Mahama Ayariga, Samuel Ablakwa, Joseph Yamin and many more are found on various radio political discussions. Sometimes, if these officials are unable to show up at the station, they wilfully phone-in or send text message intermittently to contribute to the discussion of the programme, which is unnecessary and needless. How could Joseph Yamin leave a demanding Ministry like Youth and Sports to engage in radio discussion at Asempa

FM 'eko sii sen' around 3:00pm. Mr. President, open your eyes wide and clump down on these people. Mr President, do you know the cascading effects of these acts?

Politicians in this country must strive to dichotomize political discourse from public serving. Once voted to power, you assume the position to serve the country and not to suite the whims and caprices of certain groups and individuals.

The most annoying aspect is that some of these officials often tell lies. This is because in Ghana today, it is demonstrably evident that falsehood can be designed, refined, packaged and presented to the ordinary Ghanaian to accept.

The Executive
I see the governance of this country as an old-fashioned, the government claim that the country's wage bill is not sustainable because of flimsy agitation like as a result of the implementation of single spine policy, which is untrue. What about the unnecessary government appointment. For instance, Ghana has substantive ministers; certain ministries have two deputies, directors of that ministry coupled with deputy directors. With organisation structure like this, is it not creating duplication of functions and unnecessary spending? Up to this time there are still ghost names on the public service payroll. The presidential staffers are also outrageous. It is only in Ghana that you will find an administrative designation as 'Office of the President'. What kind of position is this? Again, it is only in Ghana that you will find the name of an administrative position in a sentence form - 'Officer in charge of presidential duties at the National Security'. Is this the position of Koku Ayindoho? What a funny country.

Natural resources
God is not wicked but has blessed this country with natural resources like gold, diamond, bauxite, manganese, timber, oil, salt and others. My beef is, why can't conscious efforts be made to refine especially oil in Ghana by investing technology to setup plants and other facilities to refine the oil that are explored in Ghana. The same can be said about cocoa, gold and the rest. This could even create employment in the country. The lump sums of monies used to pay unnecessary judgement debts could have been invested in industrialisation at various sectors of the economy.

The discovery of oil in Ghana seems to be a spell, why must our leaders entrust the greater chunk of this oil to foreign companies to explore? Why must the government use the oil as collateral for securing international loans? What did the government use the loan for? Can't the government use the oil income to build housing flats in all the regions for civil servants to rent?

Other Concerns
(A) Ever since President Mahama appointed Mr. Seth Terkpe, everything about him is tax... tax... tax... As it pertains, if somebody consumes more electricity power above a certain consumption rate, the electricity company regards the person as wealthy and ECG will put that person in a certain consumption rate category so that he pays more. This is what is going on and it doesn't make sense at all, so to speak. Is this a punishment or what?

Mr. President, what has happened to the comprehensive investigation the late President Prof. John Attah Mill tasked Anas Aremeyaw Anas to do about Electricity Company of Ghana titled 'The President's Assignment'. Those companies owing ECG billions of cedis, have they paid? Mr. President.

(B) We live in a country where the state will empower an organisation like West African Examination Council (WAEC) to be solely responsible for conducting JHS and SHS examination in Ghana but no performance appraisal is done on them to assess their modus. The question then is - who watches the watchman? I want the General Controller of WAEC to tell Ghanaians, the difference between WASSCE and GBCE. These are two competing examinations and at times it confuses students, heads schools and university registrars. He should tell us which class of student must sit for GBCE exams? I will entreat the government to restore the old GCE 'O'-Level and 'A'-Level or allow Ghana Education Service (GES) to also run these concurrently with WASSCE or GBCE. WAEC's monopoly must be checked.

(C) It is only in Ghana that you will find a civil servant who got employed with bachelor's degree but in two years time pursue masters degree but will come back to do the same job he was doing with bachelor degree without any innovation, the same output, no drastic change in performance, yet the worker's salary is increased, on the mere fact of acquiring masters degree. What is the meaning of this?

...........More issues will be discussed so stay tuned, thanks for your attention..............

Duodu Bimpong
P.O. Box KF 2223
Koforidua-E/R
duodu.bimpong@yahoo.com

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