WHAT IS WRONG WITH GHANA? This is not an article, it is only a way of telling Ghanaians what is wrong with our society. Many atime, l hear people accuse the leadership for the economic and social problems of Ghana. The unfortunate thing is that, by leadership, they only think about the President and his appointees. What about the many religious leaders who use various strategies to milk the poor in the name of God? How abot the chief of king who lives in splendor and parades this in the full glare of his poor and hungry subjecs? What about the father and the mother at home who think it is some one elses responsibility to take care (feed, buy school uniform, pay their school fees, etc) of the very children they have given birth to, and what about the individual who heads the smallest institution be it private or state? Are we all not part of the leadership of Ghana? If the general notion is that political leaders are corrupt, it is only a reflection of the moral decadence in our society which reflects a decayed institution of family. The so called corrupt political leaders are from families and societies. They do not come from a different world or society but from amongst us. They are only doing what many people would have done if they were in their stead. Assuming without admitting that the problems of Ghana has to do with politicians; then l shudder to ask a question, what is the percentage of politicians to all the other citizens? Let us take a chronology of few of the things that those who condemn the political leadership does; 1. The traders goes to the poor famer buys foodstuff at a reasonable price, comes to the city and sells it to the city dweller at a cut throat price. Is this the work of the politician? 2. The nursery teacher only pays good attention to the children whose parents give them money. 3. The parent gives money to the nursery teacher to give his/her child a special treatment or to the head master to ensure his/her ward gains admission to that best school to the detriment of the parent who cannot or will not pay bribe. Is this the doing of the politicians? 4. Other service providers follow suit, they give preference to customers who will give them bribe that they refer to as tip. 5. The office clerk will only give you the required letter on time if you pay him. 6. The nurse takes care of the rich patient better than the poor one or treats the poor patient with disregard and disrespect. Is this also the doing of the political leadership? 7. The factory inspector takes money from the owner of the factory and allows him to engage in unsafe practices to the disadvantage of the workers. 8. The employee at FDA/GSA takes bribe from the importers and producers and allows fake and substandard goods to get to the market. Do we blame the political leadership for this? 9. The officer at the port condones and connives with the importer to under write duties denying the state much needed revenue. Are these people also part of the political leadership we keep blaming? 10. The revenue officer with GRA takes bribes and allows people to evade tax. This has nothing to do with political leadership I guess? 11. The rich man sets up financial institution and exploits the poor unsuspecting taxi driver, trader, and civil servant. What has political leadership got to do with this? 12. The insurance worker deliberately cheats the policy holder. The pension benefits of retirees are diverted to personal accounts leaving the poor ex-worker poorer. Is this not the deeds of the citizenry? 13. Institutions, both public and private device means of cheating the very people who patronize their services or products. For instance you are given a bill to pay even if water does not run through your taps for months. 14. For the police officer, it will be better for me to keep silent on them. But is it the work of political leadership that you are treated badly by the police and you call the police help line only to be insulted and asked to do what they have asked you to do. What a shame. 15. Can we attribute a taxi or trotro driver’s cheating attitude to political leadership? 16. What about the osofo who asks for ridiculous consultation fees, donations and tithes that is never accounted for? And the iman who demands many items before helping a hopeless person? Are they also politicians? All these confirm that we are all part of the problem of Ghana? Why is it that the Ghanaian is quick at trying to cheat each other at the least opportunity and call this smartness? Why is it that the Ghanaian feels every product made in Ghana is inferior to those from the developed world? Just see how you are treated differently if you wear suit and also if you were in an all African attire. For the former, you are treated with dignity and respect but in the latter, hmmm. We are in this economic problem because of our attitudes. Just cast your eyes on the very people who complain about the falling value of the cedi. What do you see, they are in an all European attire; from foot wear to outer coat. Most sewn outside Ghana. Go to a restaurant with a lady and ask of fufu or banku and you are uncivilized; you need to eat potato chips, pizza, frog legs, burger, and host of other to show how educated and civilized we are. What is wrong with our mentality? Is this also the work of the political leadership? I cannot exhaust the myriad of challenges that we are heaping upon ourselves and hiding behind politics to find a scapegoat. Ghana can make it if we can change our attitude and believes, if the Ghanaian can believe in the abilities of himself and fellow Ghanaians and if we can collectively be truthful to ourselves and each other. It will help to stop cheating each other, stop the selective treatment based on economic strength and respect our national identity as Ghanaians. If both political leadership and citizenry (including other types of leadership) can do this, Ghana can become an oasis of hope in a region plaque with poverty, under-development and political unrest. Let us not leave our fate to political parties. Let us believe in our individual and collective abilities to change our lot. Let every leader perform his/her leadership roles effectively. The chiefs, the Pastors, Bishops, Prophets, Evangelists, Imams and heads of institutions, and parents, let us all assert our leadership responsibilities and savage Ghana from sinking.
Posted on: Mon, 14 Jul 2014 13:15:40 +0000
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