The Mysterious Ghana Post GPS?

I lift up my head with my eye gazing sadly as the whiter clouds became darker when I heard Ghana Post was no longer functioning. The agile movement of the clouds depicts clearly how this Institution gradually fainted. As a child in Junior High School, I remembered how we used to “sleep” at the Post Office on Mondays and Fridays waiting for the Ghana Post delivery van; just hoping to receive a parcel or more. In fact, sorry for anyone who will not receive any letter or parcel on a particular day or the person whose mail will be rejected (given, “return”, as we used to say) due to incorrect or wrong recipient address quoted. (The teasing alone, hahaha) The National Digital and Property Addressing System aptly dubbed “Ghana Post GPS” is a modern approach aimed at allocating addresses to every properties or areas with the aid of a Geo-coding Technology.

The system covers every inch of the country and ensures that all locations in the country are addressed with a unique digital (electronic) address. The system is also robust and works irrespective of changes in borders and environment. The resurrection of the Ghana Post through the introduction of the “GPS” I think shall be a great achievement and success for the country, if the digital addresses of all individual households and corporate institutions are successfully linked with the National Identification Card also known as the “Ghana Card” and the Interoperable Electronic Platform to aid in the payment of goods and services as well as electronic transfers. Hoping it won’t be one of the usual “Bookish Delivery” been promised.

The whole idea for the introduction of the Ghana Property Digital Addressing System I believe can be classified in the areas of; To revive the Ghana Post as an Institution, to create employment, to make the tracking and giving of direction to people very easy, to make the combat and assess to crime and disaster areas by our security institutions and others very easy, improve the financial sector, improve government revenue base and mobilization, etc. Furthermore, I will state that, through the then vibrant Ghana Post, my colleagues and I were able to develop the habit and skills of writing international letters at an early stage which also helped in our education.

We were able to connect with some of the world’s greatest men of God and Evangelists who impacted our spiritual lives positively by sharing with us most of their Preaching’s, motivational and inspirational messages; well documented on Tapes, CDs, etc. They sometimes send us Holy Bibles and anointing oils to enrich our spiritual upbringing. Some of this Great men and woman include the Late Billy Graham, Joyce Mayer, Kenneth Copeland and The World Bible School. In all, we can say, the Ghana Post Company has really helped and the GPS system shall go a long way to benefit both citizens and non-citizens.

For instance, the banks will be able to easily track their clients, most especially the runaway debtors. The Ghana Water Company and the Electricity Company of Ghana can also take merit of the Ghana Post GPS to improve upon their revenue and service deliveries by effectively tracking all the bottlenecks causing significant waste and losses both financial and non-financial.

Furthermore, the success of the Ghana Property Digital Addressing System is largely dependent on the good faith bargaining and consensus among and between all the political parties, business organizations; both financial and non-financial, religious bodies as well as the whole citizenry.

For instance, if the political parties will stop playing their usual games and suggest other innovative ways of making the system better as well as encouraging their followers to all get involved by making good use of the system, it shall be successful and very beneficial. But this seems not to be the case; comments from some members of these political parties sadden my heart. Imagine a person saying, “For me I will not use the Digital Addressing System because it was not introduced by my party”. For others, it’s because their party leaders disagree. For some, they won’t use the GPS System because the financial commitment involved in acquiring/setting up the system is alleged to have been over stated. Hmm, is this the right path for us as a country aiming to be like the most advanced countries?

Again, for the system to be successful, the financial institutions such as Banks, Insurance Companies, the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), Government Agencies and Departments, etc. must make it a part of their documentation requirements for all who want to do business either directly or indirectly with them. The banks especially, should make it a requirement for those who want to open an account and for the already existing clients to provide their digital addresses on transaction forms and their databases updated accordingly (this equally applies to the others).

The ambulance service will now be able to easily assess the locations of sick persons or respond to emergencies swiftly, our tax collection base shall expand hence increase revenue for development, and crimes will reduce as a result of reduced stress in locating victims and criminals by our security personnel. Employment will be created in the areas of hiring post office managers, office clerks, storekeepers, messengers, drivers and dispatched riders, I.T Technicians, Secretaries, etc. Therefore, the politicization of this initiative shall not help us as a country. Please, my fellow citizens; do not allow yourselves to be played by some few politicians who are taking merit of your continuous support to satisfy only their luxurious personal wants.

The media with the support of the Government and the Ghana Post Institution should also continue the good work; continue to educate the public on the need for everyone to register onto the Digital Property Addressing System. This educational campaign must be crafted in all our rich local languages (Ewe, Fante, Twi, Dabani, Hausa, Guan, Dangbe, etc.) for better and easy understanding of the messages by all indigenes.

The government must also stop the games; make a conscious effort by focusing on the best way to hold a bipartisan discussion to get other innovative ways of improving upon the system. They must also engage the private sector to help in getting everybody to register onto the system by making it part of their requirement in all transaction procedures.

The Registrar Generals Department with support from the other Commissions and Registries must also play their part by making sure all companies registered and enlisted onto the Ghana Stock Exchange have Digital Addresses and these addresses must be verified and confirmed.

The Ghana Airport Company, Ghana Ports and Harbour Authority, the Customs Services, Immigration Service and other stakeholder must make sure all parcels and containers brought into the country have Authentic Digital Property Address on them.

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority must make sure all vehicles registered and those yet to be registered have Digital Address to aid in their work and help other agencies as well. The embassies must also require the Digital Property Address from prospective travelers to help in speedy tracking and locating of relatives during emergencies.

In all of this, the government must be at the middle, coordinating these collaborative efforts to make sure the interest of all parties is addressed for a successful implementation.

Please my fellow citizens, it is not a bad idea to join a political party but gradually, such an impression is been created. The fact that your opponents discover an innovation which is good for the development of our country before you do not mean you should attempt to jeopardize that innovation even if the innovation is in the best interest of the country. This I say because I believe the intention for people joining political parties is to help and contribute their quota towards the development of the country and most importantly sacrifice so that everybody can enjoy a reasonable degree of very good standard of living. I believe if we strive and make the country better, there will be no need for people embezzling public funds with the excuse that they have large dependants: those dependants can all get a good paying job to provide for themselves if the system or things are done right and well.

In all, I think the whole idea of the Ghana Property Digital Addressing System is a great one and every stakeholder engaged to supervise or ensure its success in one way or the other must rise beyond their party colours and personal interest to make it a reality for the betterment of God and country. The Ghana post as an institution must also sit-up, develop innovations, adopt modern trend in mailing and operating the postal service to make it more competitive to be able to attract patronage hence revenue for its sustainability and expansion. They should expand their services to also include effective door to door deliveries, office to office deliveries, representation services, etc.

The government must try by providing all the necessary infrastructures and logistics needed by Ghana Post to effectively discharge its responsibilities. Also, they must be proactive in dealing with both members and non-members caught doing things (such as embezzlement of funds, stealing, hacking, etc.) that shall hinder the success of this great initiative and the Ghana Post.

GOD BLESS OUR HOMELAND GHANA, GOD BLESS US ALL.
By: COFFIE CONFIDENCE (www.thetyad.org)