DR EPHRAIM FRAMING THE REGION?-MUSINGS OF A BYSTANDER In the midst of confusion there can be profit. This may sound very bizarre for the average person. But that is a reality for your consumption. You see when the Upper West Region NDC supporters went amok and started burning bill boards and effigies of the president for the simple reason that the regional minister then Bede Zieden and his deputy Abu KK were both of the same tribe (as if tribal affiliation is the basis of performance), the president swiftly reacted by reshuffling the regional ministers in a kind of musical chess style which is beginning to yield result in the positive direction. It is indeed unfortunate note that the Upper West Region has a very negative approach to human development. The reason being that the average person especially the Muslim groups have serious religious affiliation and attachment to their sectarian interest than anything else. A very serious situation which requires attitudinal change since competence is not the basis any more but which religious sect one belongs to. These regional transfers of ministers saw the Upper East Regional minister been sent to the Upper West Region and the Upper West Regional minister had also to be sent to the Northern Region. And these swift changes succeeded in quieting down the ugly situation of tribal politics which was started in the Upper West Region. Have you taken your time to check the way the president is better able to cause political changes in recent times? Business as usual was then set in motion and things are running effectively for the average person wherever the changes occurred. Then the bringing of the then Upper East Regional minister Dr Ephraim Avea Nso has come with some mixed reactions. In the first place a report from the gravine indicates that the regional minister and the regional executives are not having smooth sailing relationship.Ofcourse one does not expect it to be smooth since there is the tendency for mutual suspicion between them, especially when ‘they did not put him there’ so to speak and the distribution of contracts, their main interest, which of late, the procurement law has been relegated to the background to the detriment of the nation. In fact it became quite glaring that at some places where the regional minister and the regional executives should be seen together in running the region, it did not go that way, leaving many in doubts about the kind of relationship that exist between the regional minister and the regional executives. But that is besides the point as the regional minister appears to be focused in his attempt to get the region running. One will surely pat the regional minister on the shoulders for the bold attempts he makes in trying to think outside the box for the advancement of the Upper West Region. Appreciating the fact that the poorest of the poor comes from the region, the regional minister has not made it a hidden fact that, whoever has any proposal for regional development should march to his office for consultation and eventual take off. You see in a region where every average person wants to be a contractor, it is very difficult to handle. But why would everybody wants to be a contractor overnight? It is simply the fact that, that is where one can make a super profit of over two hundred percent plus. And so it is very common in the Upper West Region to get young guys driving flashy cars after the execution of a simple contract job, may be through his or her political connections. But the current regional minister is sending the signal that those involved in the construction industry should be seen to be doing the right thing. And so the regional minister could randomly visit project sites and test building materials and in many instances the contractors’ materials fell short of the required standards and this has created enmity between the regional minister and the people in the construction industry in the region. In fact, the desire of the regional minister to see the right thing being done before he signs their certificates has generated its own problems too. The understanding we are getting is that the regional minister through this patriotic act, he is getting on the nerves of some people and he stepping on some big toes so to speak. But all is not lost, we want to believe that at least. The regional minister has also been thinking outside the box as mentioned earlier. He has organized a regional development strategic plan made up of so many stakeholders in the region. That we must say it is a bold and good initiative for the running and developing the egion.The regional minister did not mince words when he said that the move is not meant to take away the work of the National Development Planning Commission (NDCP) but to seek ways and means of complementing their efforts in order to take the region to the promise land. But there are some rough edges which needs sharpening for this wonderful idea of regional strategic development plan to finally succeed. In the first place, if one looks at the composition of the people who are making the body for the strategic plan, most of them come from the NGO fraternity. That in itself is a good and a bad idea. Why am I saying it’s a double edged ssword.Over the years, the interventions by NGOs have rather worsened the plight of the people in the region.Infact much as we cannot dismiss their efforts entirely, one can say that the conglomeration of the NGOs in the Upper West Region has not seen much in terms of performance especially in lifting the people of the region and its people out of their economic woes and conditions of depravity. And to start such a wonderful project and only to cluster it with good number of NGO practitioners, is to say the least trying to put the cart before the horse and this situation must be looked at critically for the betterment of all. Many people are having their doubts about the influx and the performance of the various NGOs in the northern half of the country. They may have performed to some extent but if the monies being injected in some of these NGOs had been made into direct projects; we want to believe that a lot more would have been achieved for the region and the rest of the country. Much as we will not say it is a false start, we want to believe that the number of NGOs involved in the process will be monitored and given the necessary push to do the right thing by helping the region to grow. But under your watchful eyes I want to believe that you meant well when you involved them in the regional strategic development plan. The other worrying situation is the non involvement of the very ordinary people of the region in your regional strategic development plan. How were the seamstress, goro seller, pure water seller, and the black smiths etc reppresentated and factored in the development plan? All these people mentioned, have powerful organization with front liners within the region who represent their interests. Were they contacted to make inputs into the regional development plan? You see the top-bottom approach of development has changed and it’s now bottom top approach, hence the decentralization policy of the government of Ghana. And so to do such a laudable idea without involving the ordinary people is to say the least putting the cart before the horse. But I want to say that it’s not too late. I want to believe that you want the good of the region and you are leaving no stone unturned in achieving something before you leave, but in doing so I want to caution that let us hasten slowly for the betterment of all of us. After the entire Nigerian proverb says that one cannot attend the funeral of a friend and cry more than the bereaved. Let us make that our watch word. Also in a region where people complain of non existence of jobs and all they want are contract jobs, there is the need for changing the mindset of the people, that apart from the contract jobs, something meaningful can be done in achieving the targeted results for themselves. The task ahead of us is so herculean that we have worsened our own plight with the serious problem of attitude. The situation calls for radical approach. My big brother Iddirisu Kokohaare is of the belief that if the region is well marketed, it will sell the potentials of the region to the outside world. But the question is; what is the use of convincing people to come and invest in your region when in actual fact the very people you want to assist are not ready in the least to help themselves? There is the need for the change of what we call ‘regional psyche’ and the need to involve the people at the grass roots in arriving at the promise land of real development. From the way you have started, yes, I can see that there is hope but I do not want us to be like the Biblical Moses, who saw Canaan but never entered it. Don’t forget that you are working with a time frame. May be if you are not lucky and you are reshuffled once again, where does this regional development plan takes us to? That also should be factored in your medium term development plan for this laudable idea of strategic planning. We may love your approach but we want to suggest that you broaden the base when it comes to consultation. Otherwise the assembling of NGOs and academics to start with might be good, but I am afraid it leads us to nowhere near the promise land of real development.Dont forget that intellectual dishonesty and arrogance is also our bane in this country. You must also learn to travel in most of your foreign travels to include some strategically placed businessmen and women and the manufacturing class in the region should form part of your entourage. That is better than going with some of your special assistants whose contribution might be too minimal to even notice. It is said that it is only when the mouth has enough that it spreads to the beard. I rest my case for now.
Posted on: Fri, 29 Nov 2013 20:49:52 +0000
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