I have been maintaining consistently that a president of the nation is a privilege and most important position, and therefore it will always require a
I have been maintaining consistently that a president of the nation is a privilege and most important position, and therefore it will always require a tried and tested character
to hold such position.
In as much as the 1992 Constitution of Ghana prescribes that every sound adult Ghanaian can vie for the presidential seat, not every bona fide Ghanaian can hold down the position and deliver efficiently to the high expectations of the good people of Ghana.
In a grand scheme of things, someone with a high calibre, vast life experience, a catalogue of suitable employable skills, a portfolio of relevant qualifications, tried and tested competencies and requisite knowledge should be a suitable candidate for the position.
Unfortunately, however, we are, more often than not, been relying on negligent officials whose only preoccupation is to sink the nation deeper and deeper into the mire through unpardonable incompetence and unbridled corruption.
It would thus appear that we, Ghanaians, are possessed with a grovelling characteristic of a sordid mind which hates anything quality but rather prefer to worship mediocrity.
Thus, our leaders, having the first-hand knowledge of our obsequious compliance, continue to take us for granted and keep offering perfunctory leadership.
I remember in the wake of NDC’s 2016 humiliating election defeat, some sympathisers argued somewhat impetuously that Mahama provided Ghanaians with some few developments, including the Circle and Kasoa interchanges, schools, and hospitals, and therefore it was quite unfair for Ghanaians to vote him out of power.
The overarching question we should be asking then is: is governance all about the provision of social amenities and infrastructural projects?
A few years ago, I thought I was dreaming when I heard that some NDC’s stone pelting homicidal brats had decided to pelt the Health Minister, Kwaku Agyemang Manu with stones for attempting to inaugurate one of the much touted Mahama infrastructural projects in the Central Region.
According to the ill-informed leader of the NDC stone throwing scumbags, since the NPP operatives somehow failed to acknowledge the said Mahama project, the NPP government has no business completing and inaugurating the Government of Ghana’s project. How bizarre?
In fact, I could not contain my arousing disgust when I heard the playful leader of the NDC stone pelting bandwagon insisting somewhat naively that the NPP operatives can only be allowed to go near the NDC’s uncompleted projects if they render an unqualified apology to Ex-President Mahama. How unfortunate?
In fact, we choose to elect a government to oversee our national affairs. And, we, in turn, are obliged to pay taxes to the elected government so as to run the country seamlessly.
In addition, the elected government has our unwavering support to secure prudent loans to support the day-to-day management of the country.
In essence, we (the citizens and denizens) pay for all the expenses pertaining to the management of the country.
It was for that reason that I was in acquiescence with former President Mahama for poignantly suggesting sometime in 2008 that it is an exercise in mediocrity for any government to take delight in infrastructural projects.
Somehow, Ex-President Mahama meant to suggest that every lousy government could easily undertake that role of governance. By inference, according to the former president, the provision of infrastructural projects is as easy as ABC.
No offence intended, though, Madam Akua Donkor of the Ghana Freedom Party (GFP) could put up more infrastructural projects if given the opportunity.
To be blunt, and rightly so, since discerning Ghanaians are obliged to pay taxes, it would be boundlessly unconscionable for any government and its teeming supporters to hide behind social amenities and infrastructural projects such as public toilets, schools, roads, water, electricity, amongst others.
After all, to whom much is given, much is expected.
It is worth mentioning that President Kufuor left a total debt of around 9.5 billion Ghana Cedis in 2009. However, our total debt ballooned to around 122.4 billion Ghana Cedis as of September 2016.
This means that Mahama and his NDC government added more than 113 billion Cedis within a short space of time with a little to show for.
We should, therefore, venture to stress that the said uncompleted infrastructural projects cannot be the bona fide properties of the members of the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
I must thus confess that I unhesitatingly admire President Akufo-Addo and his NPP’s government’s enthusiasm towards completing most of the uncompleted infrastructural projects initiated by the NDC government and funded by the Government of Ghana.
Regrettably, unlike the Akufo-Addo administration, the erstwhile Mahama administration abandoned the vast majority of the uncompleted infrastructural projects, including the important Kumasi-Accra high road which former President Kufuor initiated.
Indeed, the NDC government blatantly failed to complete most of the projects former President Kufuor initiated, including ‘Sofoline interchange (Kumasi),all the affordable housing projects, the mini dams meant to provide electricity to small towns and many other abandoned projects started by the previous NPP government.
That notwithstanding, the loyalists NDC supporters would want discerning Ghanaians into believing that the erstwhile NDC administration provided exceptional governance.
Truly, vague apprehension of patriotism exists in the minds of many Ghanaians, who prefer narrow party coloration to defending the national interests. How pathetic?
It is absolutely true that we have over the years been electing terrible economic managers who cannot see their backsides from their elbows and have only succeeded in sinking the economy deeper and deeper into the mire through corrupt practices.
I do not intend to be condescending, far from it. But if governance is all about putting up infrastructural projects, then I will dare state that even my unlettered and untrained mother can perform exceedingly better than what the outgone Mahama government did with all the copious resources.
Besides, since discerning Ghanaians are obliged to pay taxes, it would be boundlessly unconscionable for any government and its teeming supporters to hide behind social amenities and infrastructural projects such as public toilets, schools, roads, water, electricity, amongst others.
Frankly stating, Ex-President Mahama and his teeming supporters are refusing to appreciate the fact that exemplary governance is not all about putting up infrastructural projects.
It is, however, worth stressing that excellence governance goes beyond the provision of social infrastructural and amenities.
In fact, praiseworthy governance also involves continuous improvement of socio-economic standards of living.
It is well-stencilled that during his tenure in office, whenever the suffering Ghanaians complained about the economic hardships, former President Mahama and his vociferous communicators would ungraciously chastise the same people who gave them the electoral mandate.
Suffice it to state that the erstwhile Mahama administration failed wilfully to improve on the standards of living of Ghanaians, which partly accounted for their humiliating 2016 election defeat.
I will end by reiterating that, ‘all that glitters is not gold’.
K. Badu, UK.
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