Are We Serious As A Nation?

Corporate governance has everything in common with the governance of a nation. Profit and business sustainability are prominent on the list of targets for businesses.

Government formed as a result of electoral victory attained by a political party do also have agenda (targets) in a manifesto aimed at improving economic conditions, and enhancing the living standards of the citizens.

In the corporate world, the corporate goals are partitioned and shared among the various business units as targets which then informs their performance objectives for a particular year. All reports, from junior to middle and senior managers derives their annual performance objectives from that of the head of a business unit. Each report derives his or her performance objective from their line managers.

The performance objectives, POs for short have to be SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time bound). These POs are reviewed twice a year, first review is done after the 2nd quarter and the second at the 4th quarter to end the year. The reviews are done to establish the progress of the objectives and achievements so far.

An employee's achievement base on his or her POs feeds into decisions for promotion, bonuses and salary reviews. With such an arrangement in the corporate world, individuals work hard and take responsible initiatives. You are judged by your own yard stick.

Do we have same in the governance of a country like Ghana? Do our Ministers of State at the various Ministries have a performance objectives in line with their party's manifesto? If yes, are their performance objectives, POs reviewed?

I doubt if our Ministers of State have performance objectives. My doubts are informed by decisions taken by governments that worsen our economic conditions- high inflation, huge debt to GDP ratio, high lending rate, galloping depreciation of our currency against other international trading currencies, massive corruption, defiant of the procurement laws, inflated project cost, and the lack of value for money (VFM) attitude exhibited by government officials.

A non-peforming or corrupt government official is assigned a different position in government through reshuffle. No POs No reviews. Are we serious as a nation? Which countries do we benchmark with?

I see government officials tickle themselves and then laugh. Singing self praises for Ghana being better than Senegal, Uganda, Somalia. Are we serious as a nation? Benchmarking with such countries is like an English student from England competing with a Chinese student in an English Language examination. The English student scores just 5% above the Chinese student, and demands to be praise.

Successive governments in the fourth republic have behaved in such shameful manner, but some are worse. Let's review the performance of any government base of their manifesto and promises before giving them another term in office. Ghana Needs Serious Leadership.

Atoapem Frimpong Barimah.