Ghana @ 5o and the Many Committees

You know, today being the day it is, I've decided to write on something I should have done a long time ago; something on the Ghana @50 inquiry committee set up by His Excellency Okunini and the many notorious--and famous at the same time--committees.

During the celebrations, many Ghanaians spoke against the expenditure--most of which was just political. My take was that it's useless spending hard cash on a celebration (which by means is important) at a time when the people of this country faced hardships. The same line of argument came up when the Kuffuor administration decided to go ahead with the presidential palace now Jubilee House. I remember at the time there was shortage of water in and around the capital. The opposition came hard on the government. We can then mention the Ghana @40 celebration--which happened under the Rawlings government--as one of the many celebrations that have seen various governments, present and past, spend frivolously. It won't stop.

The reason is a simple one: our governments prioritise in a silly way. The common strand that runs through all of them is that during the times of their mega spending, the masses face massive difficulties. I wasn't too surprised that when Hon. Nana Akomea was addressing the issue of the Ghana @50 spending, he made an allusion to that of the Ghana @40 spending under the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and added that there was similar hardships then, but the NDC went ahead splashing cash. That's the mentality of two wrongs make a right. I was disappointed.

So that raises questions of establishing systems; how we should go about organising similar state events. This then brings us to the terms of reference given the Ghana @50 committee of inquiry. I waqsn't that impressed with how the committee conducted the exercise. The committee chose the path of morality when before it started its work, several allegations of huge financial malfeasance has been laid out by the NDC.
Take for instance, asking someone if there was no other alternative way of spending or selling a souvenir? What answer did they expect?

In the end, the real essence for the probe did not really materialise. Speaking to Joy fm in an exclusive interview, the chairman of the committee, Justice Isaac Douse, said the committee could not gather any evidence that could suggest the financial malfeasance that was alleged. According to him, no one came forward to prevent any any evidence in that direction. A probable reason why the committee decided to probe the morality of the spending, I guess. At a point, the CEO of the Ghana @ 50 secretariat, Dr. Wereko Brobbey alias Tarzan, said the secretariat owed him 2 billion Ghana cedis. Funny!

However, what gladdened my heart though was that the committee is set to recommend to president Mills how the state should go about such programmes as the Ghana @50 celebrations. As to whether something useful will be made of the committee's final report, it's uncertain.

What is obvious though is that many committees set up in the past have had their reports benched and politicians have gone ahead to make decisions overlooking the work done by the very committee they set up. We've seen this happen in the education sector year after year. Something tells me nothing exceptional will happen to this one and the over 15 committees set up so far by the president.
When I mentioned this to a good pla of mine, he thought that very soon a committee will be set up to supervise the committee. Strangely, most Ghanaians feel the same; that it's all about the committee themselves spending money.

Are We There Yet and the Cruci-fiction of Spio Garbrah

I wouldn’t be far from right if I say Ghana is in a state of confusion. In fact, it has been in that state since we decided to suspend all boards, sack every Kofi and Ama from their posts, dismiss District Chief Executives and many others like that. We had to struggle to supply the Tema Oil Refinery with crude and fuel prices have been increased this morning. Coming from a government that promised during the campaign trail to reduce fuel prices drastically, I think they must concentrate and fix things much quicker than they’re doing now. This attitude must stop. It amuses me as to why the country should come to a standstill for months because there’s a change in government. So let’s stop the twaddle for a moment.

For those of us Ghanaians who live in this country we know how worse things have gone. It’s the only certain sentiment been expressed by every Ghanaian on every level of society. Thus, it came as no surprise when Spio Garbrah, the boss of the commonwealth communications and also National Democratic Congress (NDC) member, put up an article that formally broached the general opinion of Ghanaian which has been simmering for some time now.

Indeed, it isn’t the first time the subject of the general hardship immanent in the country has been mentioned by a member of the ruling party NDC. Ex-president Rawlings is notorious for his attacks on the Mills-led administration although his has been mostly on how slow the government has been so far at tackling the economic difficulties and also putting former ministers of the Kuffuor administration behind bars. Mr. Rawlings for all the time he vented his spleen was never referred to as a traitor. Now Spio is in Mr. Rawlings’ camp. But he has received a different reception by his party folks

Immediately after Spio’s article appeared, given enough publicity by the media, his world spun around. The first blow was jabbed by Kwesi Ahwoi , the agric minister. As if that wasn’t enough, the director of communications at the presidency, Kwaku Anyidoho vilified Spio calling him a peacock obviously because Spio alluded to the issue of competence—saying the current team is a Team B and thus signalling the existence of a Team A which must be brought on board—on the part of President Mills’ cabinet. Others have also referred to Spio, since the publishing of his article and the subsequent press conference he held in Accra (after reading the comments made about his article), as a traitor. Regardless of the appropriateness of Spio’s statements, I think he doesn’t deserve what he’s getting. But one cannot really say when it’s a political party like the NDC. The man is obviously alone in the cold.

Moreover, what is becoming like a trademark of the NDC is how soiled anyone becomes the moment you oppose His Excellency Okunini Mills. It happened to Kwesi Botwe when he dared to run against Mills in the party’s primaries when it was then obvious Mills had the blessing of ex-president Rawlings. Kwesi Botwe was never to return to any active politics. Spio is been met with the same CRUCI-FICTION I think albeit he’s proving tough.

But of course, there’s the other line of argument as to whether the ruling NDC is assaulting itself to divert attention from serious issues like the one at the Tema Oil Refinery, the corruption allegations against its members in the M&J case, this morning’s fuel price increases and the general hardship. The Kuffuor administration was accused of this same act when it was in power. So did the NDC learn from the NPP the diversionary tactics?

In the midst of things, we are all suffering. The NDC must stop composing the fiction it’s even grappling at. As to whether it’s the fault of the former administration, or the inability and incapability of the Mills administration, or it’s from the global crisis, all Ghanaians care about is that the government which we put in place must do its job.
For now, Spio appears to be in deep waters and must comfort himself by himself with Mark Twain's letters that he must "Do something every day that [you] don't want to do; this is the golden rule for acquiring the habit of doing [your] duty without pain."

Why Are We So SLOW?

We appear to know a lot out of the blue each time anything close to a crisis hit the nation. This has become worse in times where Morning Shows have been characterised by personal opinions—some of which are so politically twisted—of so-called social commentators.

Thus in the wake of the fire outbreak at the Foreign Affairs ministry, I wasn’t really surprised when these know-all commentators started to call on government to step in and equip the fire services. But as a people, have we ever been proactive? Another setback also lies in our approach to crisis whenever they do occur. The government becomes the sole saviour.

A little reference to Act 727 section 1831 of the Constitution spells out the way forward and allows the establishment of a Fire Maintenance Fund—how to equip the National Fire Service—and where to generate such funds. Part of this law requires that all commercial buildings be insured. The National Insurance Commission working with the insurance companies in Ghana should, then cut out a percentage of the funds and channel those funds to the fire service to purchase fire fighting equipment.

Funny enough, after the passage of the bill into law, it has never been directly implemented. The National Insurance Commission (NIC) which one would think is responsible for this says it’s currently educating companies on the law and is waiting till the middle of 2010 to start the implementation of the law. So how do we equip the fire service before say July 2010? Indeed, if there should be widespread fire outbreak, there’s no need to exaggerate the extent of damage this may cause. The commissioner of the NIC while addressing this issue said it’s not sound to drag a company to court on the basis that such a company has no fire insurance (which means an ill-equipped fire service) when the company isn’t away of such a provision in the Constitution. I say this makes less sense.

For a company to operate within a country, such a company must make itself aware of the legal framework governing that sector. Indeed, most companies have legal departments within their companies. This is more likely in the case of insurance companies. If the NIC is to work with insurance companies, then it should be easy for the NIC to do its sensitisation. Instead, the body has chosen the long path of sensitising a sector that involves buildings other than residential and governmental buildings. I’m tempted to think the commission doesn’t realise the enormity of the work it has taken upon its shoulders while stifling the fire service simultaneously. And why must the commission take it upon itself to publicise a law that companies within that sector are supposed to work with? Hasn’t it been said that ignorance of the law is no excuse?

I think we’ve just set in motion wheels that will turn backward and help us on our attempt at solving little problems slowly. The National Insurance Commission should look at this issue of moving in later next year. It’s amazing how we come up with the solution so quickly. The Public Relations Officer of the fire service even called for a rewiring of buildings in the country. The question is: did we just realise this? And about the establishment of a disaster fund set aside that of NADMO, how long have we known this? We’re too slow at solving problems.

Celebrating Public Transport Day in Grand Style

Nothing changes your opinion of [a friend] so surely as success—yours and [his.] Franklin P. Jones

Politicians adopt different means of communicating a message to the masses in a way closer to how advertisers place, carefully, messages in advertisements. Interpreting the code is then the sole responsibility of the receiver of the message. What this does is that, the receiver(s) could create meanings that sever. Politicians who are fully aware of this tool use it to their advantage. Their opponents sometimes refer to such tactics as populist ideas or politics. Indeed, Sinclair Lewis once noted that “advertising is a valuable [economic] factor because it is the cheapest way of selling [goods], particularly if the goods are [worthless].” (All brackets mine.)

The deputy minister of transportation gleefully announced on the BBC this morning how they the ministers intend to mark the day; by parking their comfy air-conditioned Mercedes and Jaguars and hopping onto a trotro for a day. this they say is to make them (the ministers) have a feel of how commuters suffer each day trying to use the public transport system.

But just like G.K. Chesterton observed, “A good novel tells us the truth about its hero; but a bad novel tells us the truth about its author.” I was expecting something in the direction of the sector itself not a few exponents of a government telling us they want to experience our plight. I was obviously disappointed.

The problems of the transport sector are well known. I heard a government minister, who boarded a trotro this morning with a journalist, mention that the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) must put in place strict measures; they must check the vehicles thoroughly before registering such public transport vehicles. And he didn’t think the DVLA is fully aware of this? There’s a missing link. There’s a reason why such rickety vehicles get registered although such vehicles do not meet the requirements; that is what the government must address. How come these vehicle land on our roads?

I remember two years ago, a mass transport project was instituted to revolutionise the transport industry. There was severe opposition from various segments of the transport sector, particularly the GPRTU, the union that has under its umbrella the operators of the trotros. The understanding is that this project will also lead to the creation of separate lanes for public transport vehicles. What have we done so far in this direction? The body in charge of the project is still consulting.

So what one would like to see on such a day is a clear policy direction in the transport sector instead of the showmanship being put up by the ministers. We would like to see a Public Transport Day that spells out the problems—which we’re already aware of—and concrete plans to tackle the issues and the time limit for achieving the aim.

But what do we see? We see government officials making public transportation an issue of hardship; something, which is peculiar only to those at the bottom of the ladder in society; in the end, making a mockery of the deprived. What annoys me most is the assertion that ministers and their like must sit in trotros to have a feel before they can draft solutions to problems that have existed since they themselves were born in this very country and sat in the very trotro they now couch in mystery. I begin to wonder if they were breastfed at all in Ghana...

Contrary to what one might expect this gesture from government officials to achieve—as in encouraging Ghanaians to see public transport or trotros as preferred means of commuting—this truth already exist. In any case, the situation in Ghana isn't like that of the U.K or the U.S. where officials would take such a step to serve as an example to the general populace.

So what is the purpose of this whole drama? The people of this country do not need to see politicians sit with them before their problems are solved. After all, aren’t they the very people who walked through the stench-filled gutters of Nima asking for votes? Politicians must save us all this theatrics and get to work. Or, they should leave us in peace with our dignity intact.

Just as William Dement wrote some time that “Dreaming permits each and every one of us to be quietly and safely insane every night of our lives” our politicians have decided to have a filled trip into Wonderland in broad day light on the rickety vehicle called trotro.

But the day goes down in history as one of those times when politicians get out visiting just to feel nostalgic. We saw it under the ex-president Rawlings when he was Chairman of the Provisional National Defence Council and politicians have continued to take Ghanaians for granted. Show them you’re a man of the people. Just like in fiction.

trotro: the main means by which Ghanaian travel; some of them can be described as rickety.

In a Haste

I really feel I have to let this go quickly; so, I couldn't wait to plan anything.
Witch-hunting of journalists--or the press--isn't a new phenomenon in Ghana, Africa or the world. All across the globe, several cases can be cited. And mind you these are not isolated cases. From Russia to Iran; from Britain to the United States; from Libya to Zimbabwe; the story is always the same. The thing is, these persecutions manifest in various forms.

Sometimes, a journalist who's critical of a government risks losing his job in the first place--that is, if his station or paper doesn't have a strong editorial policy following honesty regardless of who a story is about. The next thing is his own security and that of his family. What normally follows in extreme cases is for that writer to flee the country. much noise has been made about how the world has moved on in terms of press freedom and so on. The fact is no person wants the media on their doorstep, especially when their involved in some shady act.

So I wasn't too surprised to hear that Justice Annan is been questioned by the Ghana police for allegedly making comments tantamount to treason. A brief search on Justice reveals that he's well noted for criticising the government. On several occasions, he's been threatened in different ways. He was even threatened by a minister of state...

But it's really sad. The officer who spoke for the police in an interview on Peace fm, an Accra-based station--couldn't point to any statement made by Justice as treason saying the police is investigating.
So the police has now made it its duty to scan through the media or swoop the whole of Ghana to protect the country against people who make supposedly treasonable statements. Or is it a case of targeting opponents of the government?
I think the police has misplaced priorities. Several traffic offences are been committed each minute, criminals escape after committing crimes, and many other equally serious issues. Indeed, the image of the men in the force have been tainted and there's a need to reconstruct that. So why choose this particular supposed offence?

I'll pause here...