I was on JOY FM’s Ghana Connect programme yesterday; and the show looked at the non-existing culture of resignation in Ghana despite the hovering obvious incompetence, especially in our public sector.
An article I wrote a few weeks ago when the Madagascar’s Prime Minister and the Government resigned over their own version of ‘dumsor dumsor’ placed me as a contributing guest to the hour discussion.
Interestingly, a lot of important points were raised by everyone that was on the show—but I was pretty shocked when almost everyone on the show could not mention a public servant whose incompetence (be it over sight responsibility or not) is such gross that the person ought to resign or be sacked when they were asked.
Even if nobody at all merits this head cut, the Power Ministry has undeniably failed Ghanaians and someone ought to go for that. Earlier this week, Kuwaiti’s Water and Electricity Minister Abdulaziz AlIbrahim resigned—simply because the country experienced widespread power cut on February 11, 2015.
In my submission, I said; by default no one would resign even if that person is grossly incompetent but in other societies, people resign because of either a hovering tendency of being FIRED or excessive pressure from the masses.
In Ghana, we have wrongly aligned everything to politics and are unable to separate the daily political propaganda and hogwash from serious national issues or problems like the current power crisis.
When the power goes off; that of an NDC or NPP’s member does not stay on. What is fundamentally wrong is wrong, irrespective of where you sit on the spectrum—therefore, until we begin to eradicate the unnecessary ‘political biasness’ we attach to serious national issues, we wouldn’t be able to effectively hold any incompetent leader accountable. And we wouldn’t have any change.
Let me chip this, even if we go and bring UK’s David Cameroon to take over Ghana, he wouldn’t act any different from our leaders—in fact, he will do the same. Politicians all around the world are seemingly acting accordingly and in the interest of their nations because they are kept on their toes by the citizens and the press.
In Ghana, we lack these schemes of accountability; coming from the masses and the press. Until we begin to seriously take national issues serious and demand that those we put in charge are accountable to us, they will continue to take us for a ride no matter who we place in authority.
Of course Richard Nixon did not resign over the Watergate Scandal because he was a super human or had some sort of divine conscience. Which politician has that sort of conscience? He resigned because he had no option than to resign—and impeachment was not just a threat, it was really going to happen.
A few days ago, Netherlands’ Justice Minister- Ivo Opstelten resigned over untaxed payment of millions of Dutch guilders to a convicted trafficker known as Cees H about 15 years ago when he was the Attorney General. Whose head is going for the Woyome scandal in Ghana? No one…
In every civilised society, people are made to take responsibility (both collective and individual) for their actions and omissions but it Ghana, we expect that people assume such responsibility themselves. No child would do the home work before watching TV when the parents are not watching but when there is proper oversight, a child would act accordingly—that is how human beings inherently are built.
People who are founders/CEO of companies they’ve established themselves are even forced to resign in certain countries—this is how much people hold others accountable. When was the last time you heard someone resign in Ghana despite the daily increasing incompetence and scandals?
The discussion on JOY FM was interesting so if you missed it, listen to it below… ( I come in from 27:00)…
CLICK HERE TO LISTEN IF YOU ARE ON MOBILE/APPLE
Important national discussions like this which affects the lively hood of every Ghanian, no one will comment
Or contribute to an enlighting dialogue to sensitize our values as people and a nation to take our fate in our
Own hands instead of maintaining the status quo of incompetent corrupt leaders which obviously seems like
What most Ghanians prefer ! Truth be told we are only a microcosm and reflection of the leaders we elect
To rule us without demanding for accountable for their failed stewardship and empty promises !!! The ones to
Blame is the person you see everyday when you look into your mirror ! An esteemed man who championed the
Rights of minorities and equality for all once said “EVIL PREVIALS WHEN GOOD MEN SIT AND DO NOTHING”
That sums up the predicament of Ghana today !!!