Celebrate Ghana at 60 in moderation
It was in the news that Ghana will celebrate 60 years of its independence. The President has implored planners to celebrate modestly in view of the critical economic situation of the country.
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So the objective is to celebrate frugally yet elegantly. One radio presenter read the names of those who constituted the planning committee. They number more than 36, performing various functions.
The President wants nothing but trouble for himself, because the concept of moderation has no place in public assignment or planning in Ghana. In the last election, the Electoral Commission (EC) overrun its budget by GH¢ 290 million. That could happen in Ghana only. Even if the election had been an impromptu event, even if all the staff had learnt mathematics up to primary six only, they could not have under calculated to that level. To have an EC staffed by very qualified personnel – with high credentials, long service, experience in managing public offices – yet be slapped with this tall overrun figure should clearly teach us that moderation is not a national virtue.
In fact, constituting a committee of about 36 members negates any intention of moderation or frugality. The amount that will be named for sitting allowances alone will numb the taxpayer. Knowing my fellow country people, price quotations for every item or service that will be sought will not match the market price. People assigned with tasks will find creative means to delegate or outsource such tasks. There will be no real bargaining for goods and services, all because this will be Government money .
Celebrate the event, Mr President, if your heart so desires, but have a very strong heart for the amount you will be presented with on the morning of March 7, 2017. And please watch that procurement provision regarding public purchases, Sir, because procurement in Ghana does the opposite of what it is expected to do for public institutions. I am a taxpayer in Ghana, yet my voice does not count. That has never stopped me from voicing my opinion though, so I state here that we should not celebrate extraordinarily.
Apart from the fact that we rule ourselves — never mind that we run to our former coloniser for money and services all the time – what reasons do we have for celebration? We are consistently and now speedily turning this once well-planned and beautiful nation into one big slum. We are engulfed by filth because the very people who are supposed to celebrate 60 years of independence refuse to clean up filth created by themselves. Noise pollution makes this country a hostile, not a friendly one. A cross-section of leadership is conniving with unscrupulous Chinese to destroy forests, farmlands and water bodies at an alarming rate. Our health and educational systems are scornful spectacles. Our cedi depreciation has made existence so hard for the ordinary Ghanaian, to mention these. Amidst such gloom, we are going to witness a celebration that will be characterised by sheer revelry.
Here is my naïve alternative. Please, let us show elegance through simplicity. Let us have the usual parade, but let schoolchildren only march and delight us to fascinating gymnastics on March 6. I hope our sports personalities are still up to that task. A month to that, throw a national challenge for creative technological solutions to our waste crisis. Have a five-member panel of judges. Announce the best three write-ups on March 6. Present authors to the nation. Let the three work under the Environment, Science and Technology minister, so that the ideas can be scrutinised for practical immediate implementation.
If my naïve suggestion is accepted, there will be a dignified celebration at a reduced cost. It would motivate creativity among those passionate about sanitation and the environment. It would use local resources to solve national needs. It would implement rather than shelve proposal/recommendations, as has hitherto been our nature. Above all, we would be ridding the nation of filth. What a sterling way to honour this nation and assert our independence.
