The theatrics of governance: the case of Ghana
For five years as Ghana’s economy was flagging, government kept Ghanaians the impression that the economy was growing in leaps and bounds. In 2012, when the state of the nation’s economy was much better but jobs had started dwindling, a junior minister went on radio and told Ghanaians that his government had created 1.6 million jobs. It took more than five years for the NDC government to admit that it had failed Ghanaians. A forum of diverse opinions was invited to discuss the way forward for the country’s economy. And this is after a barrage of insults had been deployed as a defensive mechanism. Most prominent in the promenade of insults and lies were the so-called children with sharp teeth all of who were compensated by President John Mills of blessed memory to boost the incompetence of his administration. Ghanaians are now the unwilling spectators of a comedic performance called governance.
Ghanaians for the past six years or so have been saddled with a brand of government that only speaks to imbecility. One sometimes wonders if our people could be as imbecilic but seeing the docility with which they greet events as they occur, one is tempted not to doubt that impression. However, it seems as if cynicism has now assumed the status of a belief system in the country. As we speak it is only those who have access to the booty that believe in the nonsense and offer vehement defense to the ongoing rot.
The incidence of unbelievable events in this country only questions the intelligence of men and women put in charge of affairs by the people of Ghana. Rev. Dr. Martey, Moderator of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana could not hide his frustration as he screamed for wise men to come deliver Ghana from its current state. But then with aid of electoral malfeasance Ghanaians have been at the butt of criminal negligence by a band of ignoramuses. Only God knows how long this situation is going to stay with us. May be the man of the cloth can help. Prof. Martey where are you?
The theatrics in Ghana is worse than a comedy of errors, for errors are committed on a limited scale. In our case the errors have become systemic and endemic. We are living at a time when the only communication that comes from the presidency are mostly unfulfilled promises. We were told a couple of years ago that the West African Gas Pipeline was going to deliver the needed fuel for the generators for energy production to stem the tide of dumso. Next thing we heard, the pipeline has been hit by an errant seagoing vehicle that went out of its way. Where was the skipper at the time? Sounds more like the oil tanker that disgorged its entire abdomen of its contents on the coast of Alaska in 1989. Do you know the captain – in the Alaska case – was charged with ‘’driving’’ a ship under the influence?
Uniforms ordered for the Fire Department last year were actually used clothing. Some even had cigarette butts and condoms in their pockets. But what happened? Who ordered them and how much was paid for them? I bet Ghanaians abroad could have offered to supply the uniforms for free with an appeal to their local fire departments to save precious foreign exchange if they were told their national fire department does not mind wearing oburoni waawu uniforms.
A funnier thing happened in Brazil. We had to ship by special delivery a jet plane load of money to our dear Black Star players. They threatened to pull out of the match with Portugal if the money was not sent over. And His Excellency was applauded for his magnanimity. It is an event that provided the world of comics with tons of material for their audiences.
A commission of inquiry set up by the government to investigate Ghana at the World Cup has now become a crying scene by Elvis and the Wailers. First it was former Sports and Youth Minister Elvis Afriyie Ankrah and then the man called Hon. Swagger Kwadwo Adu Asare, former MP for Adenta constituency. Listening to proceedings at the Presidential Commission of Enquiry on Brazil, one is led to believe that the governmental system is now retrofitted to accommodate corruption and ineptitude as an accepted mode of behavior.
As we speak rumors are making the rounds that the ruling party is taking advantage of the falling value of the cedi against the US dollar. You can trust Gen. Secretary Asiedu (Gen. Mosquito) Nketiah to employ any ruse to win elections by all means. Rural folks with relatives abroad are being asked to be grateful to Mahama as he has made it possible for them to receive more cedis for the foreign moneys they receive, something cruel Kufuor would not do. The ruling government has now added another achievement to its numerous accomplishments: using ignorance to its advantage if needs be.
Some of us thought the Kufuor administration had a lot of stuffy and arrogant officials but the ruling administration has more doctoral degree holders than any time in the history of our nation. We have a Dr. Kofi Wampah, governor of the central bank apologizing to Ghanaians for his mishandling of the nation’s finances. We hear he has withdrawn the directive to limit the amount of foreign currency one can withdraw from one’s foreign account. There were calls for his resignation but he stood firmly on his qualifications and his right to the position. We hear it is a helluva a juicy job; the perks, endless. Dr. Wampah would be a fool to quit as he is being advised. I wouldn’t.
When you thought the show would end here with the wailing at the Brazil probe, no mean personality than the Commissioner for the Commission of Human Rights and Justice (CHRAJ) herself, Ms. Lauretta Lamptey was joyfully indulging herself: 39 months living in one of the most pricey digs in the city – the AU Village – at $5,500 month, and currently in a hotel for a discounted rate of $460 per day with two vehicles at her disposal, while she has not been seen at her office since April this year. All of this profligacy has been going on while the designated residence for the CHRAJ Commissioner is being refurbished. So far almost $180,000 has been spent on the project to house the lady for the past three blissful years and is yet to be finished. We hear some officials at CHRAJ are being questioned by the authorities for their role in the affair.
Ms. Lamptey’s drama appears to me comparable to Ghanaians peeing in public right under a notice warning against that shameful practice. This time the same person who wrote the warning is committing the offense. But who can blame her? She is an investment banker and only a lawyer by training. And another joke in the arsenal of jokes in the comedy of errors called governance. Trust me, worse scandals are unfolding that would make your stomach churn at the rate of ineptitude and lack of commitment.
Stay tuned.