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A vexing issue: of ‘family and friends’ and ‘who you know’

A vexing issue: of ‘family and friends’ and ‘who you know’

A recurrent online video, a skit featuring an exchange between a white teacher in America and one of her black primary school pupils, beautifully illustrates, I think, the proverb that ‘many a true word is spoken in jest’.

The following is a transcription of their conversation:

Teacher (T): “I want you to take every single assignment I give you seriously and do the very best job you can. Success in life depends on a good education.”

Kenny (K): “Not always.”

T: “I beg your pardon!”

K: “That's not what my brother says.”

T: “What does your brother say?”

K: “My brother says it's not what you know, it's who you know.”

T: “I see; and who does your brother know?”

K: “Nobody! That's why he doesn't have a job.”

Not surprisingly, the You Tube skit ends with a roar of laughter from a supposed studio audience, probably a recording, in response to Kenny’s amusing answer to the last question, spoken with such unassailable logic.

However, the issue it addresses, is certainly no laughing matter.

‘Who you know’ has become a cynical shorthand for nepotism, defined by one source as “the practice among those with power or influence of favouring relatives or  friends, especially by giving them jobs”.

What a confusing era we live in! A common complaint is that one can’t get a job or succeed in any venture without ‘connections’. Yet, it appears that if one does know influential people who can help one, that is somehow undesirable, even resented! Confusing!

Needless to say, the nomination of Kissi Agyebeng, a lawyer of repute as the new Special Prosecutor has highlighted the ‘who-you-know’ matter again. Some people have said that Mr. Agyeben was nominated mainly because of his friendship with Attorney-General Godfred Dame and Gabby OtchereDarko, reportedly very close to
President Akufo-Addo, his cousin. 

But perhaps the most biting and intriguing criticism has come from a totally unexpected quarter, Mr. Martin Amidu, the former Special Prosecutor.

Mr. Amidu’s shock resignation in November, last year, has necessitated the filling of the vacancy. Mr. Amidu’s resignation letter accused President Akufo-Addo of political interference in his work.

Mr. Amidu insists that the Attorney-General nominated Mr. Agyebeng due to their personal relationship as friends and former classmates, and thus his
neutrality can’t be guaranteed in the Special Prosecutor position which requires impartiality.

One wonders why Mr. Amidu is now so concerned about his former office. If he appreciates so much the importance of the Special Prosecutor position, why the abrupt, acrimonious resignation?

By his reputation, much had been expected from Mr. Amidu’s tenure as Special Prosecutor.

His caustic reaction to the Agyebeng nomination, has no doubt baffled some of those he disappointed by resigning.

Maybe they will now be wondering if Mr. Amidu is familiar with the Akan saying which translates as ‘after pushing an old woman violently, what do you care if, or where, she falls?’

Doubtless, Mr. Amidu’s reaction will be very welcomed by those who accuse President Nana Akufo-Addo of nepotism.

Memorably, in November, 2019, the NDC published what they described as a list of the President’s ‘family and friends’ appointees, numbering 51.

However, it seems that the ‘family-and-friends’ complaints are normal, part of Ghanaian politics. And sometimes it’s not even from the opposition, but from within.

Take the case of now Speaker of Parliament, Mr. Alban Bagbin. In 2013, the then NDC Member of Parliament for Nadowli-Kaleo famously made headlines with his accusations that then President John Mahama was running an administration “for family and friends”.

My thinking is, if politicians of all administrations are going to appoint people they know to some positions, shouldn’t the focus rather be on whether people so appointed QUALIFY, whether they can do the job?

Nevertheless, if they were given the appointment by pushing aside others more qualified simply because they were ‘family’ or friend’, that, of course is totally unacceptable.

Anyhow, recently NDC General Secretary Johnson Asiedu Nketia introduced a new dimension to the controversy, regarding an accusation about the Speaker of Parliament, Mr. Bagbin.

Majority Leader Osei Kyei-MensahBonsu had reportedly expressed concern about the number of NDC-affiliated persons being appointed by the Speaker
to his office, including Mr. Bagbin’s appointment of Asiedu Nketia, to serve on the Parliamentary Service Board.

Mr. Nketia said it was hypocritical of the Majority Leader to make such claims, because the previous Speaker had appointed to his staff only members of his party, the ruling New Patriotic Party.

Memorably, he retorted whether the Majority Leader expected the Speaker to appoint his opponents as his advisors!

What a startling revelation!

My question is, if Mr. Nketia, knows that one doesn’t appoint one’s opponents or enemies to positions, why then has President Akufo-Addo been under constant fire by the NDC for alleged nepotism?

Similarly, if Mr. Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu is aware that when an NPP member was the Speaker all his appointees were from the NPP, why is he complaining about Mr. Bagbin following that well-trodden path? Politicians!

Anyway, on this vexing issue, I tend to agree with American author Mathew Moran who has expressed the view that it should rather be looked at from the perspective of “it’s who knows you AND knows what you know” and NOT simply ‘it’s who you know’.

He explains: “You have to know things and know people. It’s both!”

The views of Kenny’s brother and Mr. Moran show that this ‘family-andfriends’ concern is a worldwide problem; and I like the Moran approach.

Thus, in my opinion, the focus of the questions about Mr. Agyeben should centre not only on who he knows, or who knows him, but what he knows.

Critically, can he do the work?

Conceivably, if Attorney-General Dame didn’t know Kissi Agyebeng and his competence, I he would not have given his name to President AkufoAddo, thereby risking his own reputation if his nominee should fail as Special Prosecutor.

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