Curbing the Brain Drain

The onus is falling on us Ghanaians to rebuild our land. The brain drain is one great threat to this aspiration of all Ghanaians. Prof. Andam has made it clear that it takes human resource to build a nation and not remittances. The noblest act will be on us the literate to be awakened to the sacrifice our nation has made in educating us, and the opportunities Ghana has offered us. We will have to relive our elders? proverb that when ones? parents enable him/her to grow teeth, it is ones responsibility to enable the parents loose their teeth peacefully. I remember having to travel to my father?s cocoa farm after my sixth form programme. After alighting from the last stop of the truck, I had to trek five miles on foot through the farms and forest to reach the village, Awisesu. I had prior to this journey lived all my life in the city and benefited from the CMB scholarship. When I had to return from the said village, I had to trek through the forest and farms in the night and sleep in the truck. This was because the truck visited this last stop three times in a week and would have been full the following morning by 6:00am. It was a worthwhile experience, and enlightened me to my indebtedness to our farmers and mother Ghana. Thereafter I was ready to pay in kind if possible to at least improve the plight our beloved nationals go through in educating us. I am sure this is not different for many present intellectuals. Even some of our expatriate intellectuals did come from such places, but many have considered it better to live outside or ignore them. I am sure the northern Ghana is a typical replica of this fate. In our present democratic era, members of parliament are more eager to settle (build a business or house) in the big cities than any such thing in the place of their migration. I am aware some professions will not thrive in that environment but our commitment to changing the said situation speaks amply of whether we care much. Nationwide the brain drain continues, but some bold and prudent measures can be safely put up to check this set back. I hope to enumerate some suggestions to help solve the brain drain.

The first prescription will be making it part of our academic schedule to take our students especially those on scholarship to some villages and small businesses during the period of study. Occasional outing not to already thriving industries and places, but to deprived communities, and to behold the wrongs or shortfalls will inspire the creativity in our student populace and also commitment on their part to solve the issues. This will also make them keep memory of the sacrifice others are making to get them educated, and their responsibility to improve their lives. In either way, someone will have to farm or live in the suburb or village. However, the commitment of the intellectuals to improve the lot of these farmers in practice and remunerate all of the productive labour force appropriately is the real deal for education. This will improve the perception of our future leaders and enlighten all on the difficulties confronting us as a people and also solicit answers to our challenges.

Let me state categorically that I am against the present remuneration in Ghana and acknowledge that it is unacceptable. However, one thing that we overlook is the fact that Ghanaians virtually pay nothing for tuition at both the secondary and tertiary levels. Prior to the introduction of the user fee all one had to do was fulfill the entry requirements to a tertiary institution. How many even well off Ghanaian parents could afford the cost of secondary and tertiary education if they had to pay fully for these themselves. How many now professionals would have been self made. Our remuneration may be a factor but not wholly responsible. I remember meeting a Japanese volunteer in Ghana who said she could not afford the cost of a postgraduate programme in Japan. I have knowledge of a private medical practioner (relatively wealthy) in a developed country that pays around $35,000 for the son?s tuition fee at a medical school (excluding accommodation, feeding etc). How many of our now professionals complaining of poor wages, could have afforded on their own if their parents or themselves had to pay for their tuition and related expenditure. Have we bothered to find out where the government obtains this money to pay the staff in the education sector? Before we start making any noise lets remember that our very peers who never had the opportunity, have no power to arrange before any court the irresponsibility on the part of their parents for failing to educate them, actually some had no parents at the time they had to start school. Similarly, could we arraign the government before court if it failed in educating us? Thanks to government, scholarship schemes and philanthropist, some of such unfortunate ones are professionals. And will it be out of order if we work in Ghana, develop social structures, management systems and infrastructure and pay taxes to this country for education to be affordable to many? I really get saddened many times about the frequent wailings of our professionals migrating to rich nations. Let us ask ourselves why are the so called rich nations not training professionals for their health sector etc? It is because it is expensive for the nationals to attend these institutions. I recently gathered that even to prepare for the professional pharmacy examination in Britain, one has to pay around seven thousand five hundred pounds (?7,500.00). It is time to reason up, not to continue in the poverty but stay, team up and reform the financial management practices in Ghana, social structures, infrastructure and business initiatives to build the land of our birth.

The third will be bonding beneficiaries of scholarships to contribute to the scheme on taking up employment. Scholarships will have to be revolving in Ghana; therefore beneficiaries must contribute at a point in time. This will help others and subsequent generations to enjoy from similar schemes. We have an unfortunate case in Ghana where people who were paid for studying, contribute nothing toward scholarship schemes. I remember one graduate who boasted that he gets paid for every page he reads. It is not wrong, but such a one will have to be made to contribute to the scheme on taking up employment besides paying taxes. Beneficiaries of schemes who travel outside Ghana need be monitored to contribute. Though it might not be easy and simple to implement, beginning it will help us to build upon them over time. These are practical and real steps toward making education accessible, that students may pursue programmes of their dream and not because it is what is available.

Another essential step is passing of legislation such that professionals who were educated in Ghana or benefited from a scheme because they were Ghanaians would be bonded and monitored to serve Ghana at least three years after graduation. This is done else where in the developed countries. Thus on graduation one might have to serve at least three years in Ghana (form of National Service Scheme), before one can leave the country. A liaison with the foreign embassies will help collect these taxes, as it becomes a requirement for graduate visa applications and graduate visa renewals. It might suffer some flaws but to do nothing is a sure epitome for perpetual brain drain. The other issue is a law to tax Ghanaians working outside. I do not have adequate knowledge on how Brazil (in the case of football professionals) has done it, but it is possible to tax Ghanaian professionals in foreign lands including footballers. If the homecoming summit was successful, then such Ghanaians will be more than willing to pay taxes, if it becomes necessary that they work outside the country. The government machinery must be transparent; the corruption among our officials will have to be eliminated to avoid the taxes becoming another goldmine for some corrupt officials. Many are not eager to pay taxes because they believe the money will be misappropriated. Like the GETfund, such taxes should be earmarked for particular projects that all will see and be encouraged to pay.

The other issue is providing the enabling environment for young professionals to contribute to community and national issues. The districts and municipal assemblies will have to make frequent interaction between all fields of study for young professionals beyond campuses. Offices and existing framework have not helped much due the present bureaucratic practices. The introduction of venture capital instruments for young professionals to access will be one way to keep many graduates in the country. Many young professionals initiate business projects but have to abandon mid way and travel because they receive no financial support and management advice to build on from then. Further, our ruling intellectuals would have to encourage the young. It is unfortunate that many lecturers discourage and frustrate students who start postgraduate progammes at our universities.

The free flowing of ideas and sharing of expertise should be developed in our country. All said and done the onus falls on us t o build our motherland just as the Europeans, the Americans and the Asians have done for their respective countries. We cannot continue to bemoan the ills of the past, live else where and hope Ghana becomes developed. We are all indebted to Ghana at least for teaching us A, B, C, D??

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