Uneasy, they say, lies the head that wears the crown. This is because leadership is not only a heavy responsibility; it can be very stressful as well.
Unless there is a buy-in into the programmes and policies of leaders at all levels, be they religious or temporal, public initiatives cannot achieve the desired goals.
That is why leadership is about followership and example, to the extent that the person at the helm of affairs must not provide leadership from behind.
Yesterday, the government outlined its 2014 Budget Statement and Economic Policy in which the President and his team decided to reduce their salaries by 10 per cent in 2014.
The Minister of Finance, Mr Seth Terkper, told Parliament when presenting the account on the economy that the savings that would accrue to the state from the sacrifices of the President, his vice and his ministers would be used to fight maternal mortality in rural communities.
Already, the social media platform is awash with all kinds of comments, some appreciative of the sacrifice by the President and his team, while others think they have done nothing to deserve commendation.
This is normal in a democracy where political activists in contest for power try to downplay the efforts of their opponents for advantage.
The Daily Graphic thinks the initiative is historic and that it will go down in history as one of the bold steps taken by the government to make some savings when the going is tough.
Our leaders, from time immemorial, have not missed the opportunity to call on the people to sacrifice, sometimes much to the chagrin of the ordinary Ghanaian.
While the people see their leaders display extravagant lifestyles, these same leaders use every forum to stress the need for hard work and more sacrifices for a better tomorrow.
The tightening of belt campaign goes on at a time when leaders who hold power in trust for the people have loosened their belts or have none on at all.
The decision by the government to slash the salaries of some of its appointees indicates that the President and his team are listening to the cries of the people and they want to lead the way.
Truly, the President and his team, no matter the quantum of their salary reduction, want to signal to the people that they want to share in the economic burden of the country.
The Daily Graphic urges the people to rally behind the government for the development of the country. Nation building is a collective responsibility and on no account should it be left to the leaders alone.
Whichever way the reduction in salaries is looked at, it is a positive and progressive move for which we salute the government because the move demonstrates its readiness to sacrifice and lead the governed.
This is a good beginning, but there are other things that require the attention of the government to bring back the economy, which we all know has not been performing well in recent years, on track..
The reasons are not far-fetched. Inflation and the exchange rate have suffered over the last few months.
Today, inflation is at the highest level in three years, while the cedi has dropped in value against the major currencies.
We have challenges in education and health, while road infrastructure is also crying for more attention.That is why Ghana needs all its resources to fix the broken economy.
The Daily Graphic calls on the government to account for every pesewa that goes into the Consolidated Fund, so that we can have value for money.
We ought to make the embezzlement of public funds a risky business by punishing those who have made it their habit to steal state funds.
The Daily Graphic reminds the government that the budget can be transformational only if it keeps within its target. If we overspend, the deficit will linger on and retard our progress.
In the meantime, we salute the government for its sacrifices to build a better Ghana.
