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Opinions of Saturday, 9 November 2013

Columnist: Ashiagbor, Kwaku Kele

The Ghanaian condition (part 34)

MR PRESIDENT,THE HONEYMOON IS OVER---PLEASE SHOW REAL COURAGE AND LEADERSHIP QUALITIES.

Recent developments in the N.D.C Camp doe not augur well for neither the Party nor the Country.
Who would have thought that so soon after the Supreme Court judgement, the N.D.C Government would have so dramatically lost the Political Capital they so deservedly gained after the 8 months protracted court case.
Let me highlight just a few cases which need to be dealt with swiftly, openly and without any political equivocation:
1)The way the GYEEDA REPORT is being handled.
2)The simmering and deliberate way and manner Dr. Tony Aidoo’s outfit----the office for monitoring govt policies etc is being side-lined and made inoperative.
3) The Gbagbin and Stan Dogbey’s public spat.
4)The open and capricious display of arrogance and affluence by some of your Ministers and their Deputies.
5) The perception (rightly or wrongly)of corruption of some few Government officials/appointees.
As if the above in themselves are not bad enough, BANG came the ‘Victoria Hammah’s leaked tape and the immediate dismissal of her without any explanation or reason being given.
All the above added together may not necessarily be enough for the discerning public (the voters) to lose confidence in you right now but their cumulative effect, if not checked now will/may have a lasting negative ramifications come election time.
Please Mr President, you do not have the luxury of time to be dithering about.
It is alright to have ‘Babies with sharp teeth in your Government’ but it is not alright or politically wise when these Babies’ begin bitting seasoned and experienced members of you Government. For a good and effective governance,you need to blend the old with the new.
It is better to have old and experienced hands like Dr Tony Aidoo, Hon Gbagbin et al in the camp spitting out than have them outside spitting in.
For the Ghanaian Voter to believe that your fight against corruption is no gimmick or rhetoric you should please do the following:
1) Let your Ministers, Deputies, Heads of Government Institutions openly declare ALL their ASSETS including that of their spouses.
2) To convince the sceptics, you should please declare yours as well. This will go a long way to convince us that you mean what you say, and say what you mean.
3) Urgently and seriously constitute a team to review the size of Government and other suggestions as advanced by Prof Ayittey in his press release yesterday.
Admittedly he is in the camp of the opposition but believe me, his ideas are worth considering and implementing.
It is such a pity that a small country of ours uses 70% of our resources in paying a little over 700,000 employees of the state, we need to downsize our labour force.
It is not fair and equitable for an ordinary worker to use his meagre wages to pay for his rent, transport and other essential utility services whereas the Ministers,their Deputies and other Govrnment Offficials still enjoy all the freebies and other perks handed over from the Colonial Regime.
For the sake of Mother Ghana and Posterity, I pray that you find courage and fortitude to do what is good for our country and generations to come.

May the Almighty God give you the STRENGHT AND WISDOM to see these through.

KWAKU.KELE.ASHIAGBOR