THE THOUGHTS OF A WELL-MEANING GHANAIAN

Before I delve into the crux of the matter, I deem it fit to introduce myself. I am Kwasi Adu-Berchie, 19 years of age, a Ghanaian, an African and a citizen of the world. I passed through the Ghanaian education system, graduating from Martyrs of Uganda Junior High School and Opoku Ware School, and tasted the beauty of Pan African cooperation when I attended the African Leadership Academy, a two year Pan African institution in Johannesburg, South Africa which seeks to develop the next generation of African leaders. This sense of diversity and tolerance has further broadened after enrolling at Michigan State University, USA, where I have the opportunity of interacting with people from about 135 countries across the world. I was privileged to serve as President of the Ashanti Regional Students’ Representative Council in the 2008/2009 academic year and currently Chief Executive Officer of the Pan African Peace Initiative, an organisation which envisions helping create an Africa where the love for humanity exceeds ethnic and religious differences.

I am motivated to pen these opinions down because of my belief that the development of Ghana and Africa hinges on the citizens’ conscious effort to seek development, not on a passive wishful endeavour nor on the idolisation of political leaders who are portrayed to have the keys to all of Africa’s challenges. This document will therefore tackle some of the issues that continue to emanate from the lips of most Ghanaians as well as some humble suggestions on how to curb these cankers.

If at all, I expect this document to be analysed by three categories of people; people who may perceive no sense in these many words and rubbish them, others who may see no sense in this document but who may make an attempt to remould it into something more sensible and people who can make sense of this document and agree with its implementation. I however hope that the last two categories will be more than the first one. Whatever the case, I hope that the constructive intention with which I write this document will be noticed and analysed as such.

DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS

After almost six years into the commencement of the Accra-Kumasi highway reconstruction, it is only natural that people, including myself, feel appalled by the state of the road now. Even more appalling is the terrible state in which I found the Asokwa and Sofoline interchanges after my two-year stay in Johannesburg.  In my state of disappointment, I inquired the reason for which these otherwise very good initiatives have seen little progress. The answer was simply varied;  (i) lack of funds and (ii) the government has decided to stall the former government’s project and begin its own projects.” To be very charitable with words, I was saddened by this explanation. Yes, this may just be rumours, however, why should I disbelieve this when construction on these roads especially the Apedwa Nsawam portion seems dead and no work seems to be done.  The contractors seem to have deserted their work and little explanation is being given for the undue delay. I am then told of other projects that have been halted; the affordable housing project started by the previous government, the construction of a football stadium in Cape Coast and others. I then hear of the new STX deal in which about 200,000 housing units are supposed to be built and other road constructions whose sods have already been cut. I asked myself of what happens to these new projects when the current government leaves power and they have not been completed.   Is this the development pathway we wish to carve for our country, where a project starts and is abandoned?  I do not think so.

I therefore humbly request that any project that is started by a particular government should seize to be under the wing of any political party. The project should become entrenched as a state property as soon as the sod is cut and should have priority in terms of budget allocation no matter the government in power. I do not say that no new projects should be started when another is on-going; instead, no project should be abandoned as far as the expenses are being catered for by the state and the project is deemed useful to the state.

Secondly, the propaganda of who started a project or initiative should not be encouraged on political platforms. In as much as it would be fair to acknowledge the government that commenced a project, it would also be just as fair to acknowledge the government that completed it.  It is therefore worthless to place premium on the originator of a project and side-line its implementer.

Additionally, any project that is started should have gone through fair assessment by parliament and other stakeholders.  In the long run, projects which have been well accepted by the citizenry have a greater probability of being completed than those projects which raise lots of eyebrows.

   

PARLIAMENTARY PROCEEDINGS

I am touching on this issue based on the little knowledge I have about our parliament. Any misrepresentation or misunderstanding should therefore be pardoned.

I appreciate the fact that parliament is divided into the majority and minority caucus and hence debate on issues along those lines. I am also privy to the statement, “The minority talks but the majority decides.” However I am quite uncomfortable that almost all major issues are approached along partisan lines. There are times I tend to think that some parliamentarians are forced to side with their colleagues (on the same side of the house) even if they disagree with their ideology. It would be very surprising to assume that all the parliamentarians on a particular side of the house would agree with everything that is said on behalf of that caucus. I am however of the opinion that in as much as parliamentarians enter parliament on the ticket of a political party, they are expected to be nuanced and objective when deliberating on issues.

I hereby suggest the implementation of the secret ballot more in parliament. This mode of voting need not be implemented every time but may be necessary when there seem to be sharp disagreement among members of the house on very essential issues. I suggest this approach because even though some parliamentarians vote on issues just because their party says so (notwithstanding the mode of voting), others vote based on their convictions and the ultimate good of the people. It will be much easier for such open-minded politicians to stand by their convictions on issues when they are to be decided by secret ballot as against the raising of hands in parliament.

CHIEFTANCY AND POLITCS

I deem it fair to refresh our memories on the history of governance in our country before I get into the issue.

The Ghanaian people, like those of many African countries were governed by chiefs or kings in units called clans or tribes. The arrival of the Europeans and the subsequent colonisation of the people gradually diminished the authority of the chiefs who had to obey their colonial masters to preserve their states. Independence then followed, and like many African countries, the Western approach to governance was adopted. Whether this system has been profitable to Africa thus far is debatable. Nonetheless, there are times I ask myself if these two facets of authority could be harmonised to create a stronger front in the administration of the country.

The following is just a framework of the harmonisation process. It could be altered to suit the actual conditions pertaining on the ground.

The President of the National House of Chiefs should become a permanent member of the cabinet, notwithstanding the government in power. Additionally, the National House of Chiefs should be mandated to recall any bill or proposal that may have been passed by parliament but which they believe has not received due diligence or which needs further clarification by the house. Such proposals or bills may relate to budget allocation, purchases, contracts etc.

This move will help re-invigorate the authority of chiefs and give more credibility to decisions that are taken by parliament. Decisions are less likely to be partisan due to the presence of the non-partisan House of Chiefs who are authorised to probe into questionable policies. 

EDUCATIONAL MATTERS

Holistic Education: Having passed through the Ghanaian education system, I have to admit that it has helped shape me morally and intellectually. However, I tend to believe that this system places more emphasis on moulding book worms and academic geniuses than holistic people. Right from childhood, I have been interested in leadership and hence have involved myself in extra-curricular activities that have helped bring out the sense of leadership embedded in me. On the other hand, I have met severe opposition in the development of my holistic self both within the fabric of the education system itself and the stakeholders of the system. I can recount several instances when I was told I was wasting my time because in the long run, my time outside the classroom will not be appreciated. Nonetheless, I saw education as more than an academic experience but as a medium through which I can nurture myself to help solve today’s problems.

Despite this, I believe that the people who advised me to concentrate on my books alone were not entirely wrong.  Holistic education is largely not appreciated in this country, though talked off all the time. I can remember countless colleagues who were talented in various fields but who suppressed these endowments because they had to give attention to their books alone. The ripple effect of this is the training of academic geniuses, not problem solvers; people who reproduce theory but not analytical thinkers and people who are not equipped enough to give their best to our country.

To promote holistic education, I suggest that students’ involvement in extra-curricular activities become a pre-requisite in the admissions process of both secondary and tertiary institutions. With this, students will be encouraged to develop their talents and learn to balance and excel in in-class and out-of-class activities. I also suggest that community service becomes a graduation requirement for Senior High School students. This could be implemented by putting students into groups and tasking them to identify a need in a community and provide solutions to that need. For instance, students could involve themselves in Agriculture, designing and constructing simple irrigation facilities, organising talent shows to raise funds for an impoverished community, designing cheap yet efficient recycling methods and many others, all with the guidance of a supervisor. Such a move will go a long way to help develop such students into problem-solving analytical thinkers while providing accelerated development for our communities.

Student Representation: As a past president of the Ashanti Regional Students’ Representative Council (SRC), it is important that I touch on some issues concerning students’ representation in decision making within the various strata of our educational system. In the Senior High School level for instance, the Ashanti Region and Greater Accra Region remain the only regions with active student representation at the regional level. The Ashanti Regional SRC remains the most vibrant after its near demise as a result of an impasse it had with some heads of schools within the region. It took the efforts of the Regional Director of Education and the then executives of the council to bring it back to its feet.

I firmly believe that well groomed student representation and leadership is essential for the administration of institutions whether in the second-cycle or tertiary levels. It is also expedient in the development of the next generation of our country’s leaders. Taking the Ashanti Regional SRC as a classical example, student leaders from different institutions are able to meet and discuss ideas on how to better channel students’ grievances in an effective yet cordial manner to their respective administrations. The council also serves as a platform on which students’ talents could be harnessed through the organisation of several literary group competitions and events. Taking advantage of such a platform will help groom leaders, promote student interaction and pull down the bridges of hostility and rivalry that exist among schools. The presence of multiple regional SRCs will eventually go a step further to promote inter-regional cooperation as well as help student leaders to network and build good rapport amongst one another. Such councils, when allowed to operate freely but monitored by the various heads of schools and Regional Directors of Education could end up becoming a very important tool in reducing student vandalism and rivalry.

With such a foundation, student leaders will be more confident in dialoguing with authorities when they get to the tertiary level. If such leaders were previously groomed in their various high schools where their heads of schools had more control over their activities, they are less likely to indulge in dubious acts when they assume student leadership at the tertiary levels. At later stages of life, such students are less likely to see other leaders as enemies since they would have learnt to interact and build cordial relationships with student leaders from other Senior High Schools in their regions and beyond.

Infrastructure: There are times I am saddened by the deplorable state of some schools and the devastating situation in which some students find themselves. This situation continues to persist even though several governments have consciously tried to curb the canker. I however believe that more could and should be done knowing very well that education serves as a backbone of the development of Ghana.

I thereby suggest that at least 30% of the oil revenue be channelled specifically to the educational sector. Additionally, the various Teachers’ Associations should be more involved in the disbursement of the funds since they are better informed of which regions need more support. Better incentives should also be given to teachers and much higher professional standards set for them. I envision a time when people will opt to be teachers because they want to be and not because it is their last option, when the teaching field is lucrative enough to incentivised teachers to give off their best. Just like other emerging economies, I envision a time when education, the right type of education, will indeed be a backbone of the country’s development.

SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH IN GHANA

I have decided to tackle this topic because of my passion for science, especially in the field of research and engineering. I believe that the technological development of Ghana is highly dependent on the level of scientific research in the country. I also acknowledge the strides various governments have made in encouraging Ghanaian scientists who are undertaking very important scientific research.

I however think that more could be done. It could be through further broadening the scope of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) to include Medical and Herbal Research as well as Mechanical Research. This could help enhance holistic growth in the research sector.

This will result in the reduction in the belief that some engineering students end up working for banks because of lack of job opportunities in their area of specialisation. Deepening research in areas like medicine (both Western and Herbal) will reduce our dependency as a country on Western technology. This will also help in the development of technologies that are better targeted towards our local communities.

HOUSING

It is a well-known fact that Ghana is currently plagued with tremendous housing problems. The latest disappointment was the failure of the STX partners to commence the construction of the first phase of the 200,000 housing units deal. Several people also express their disappointment at the current inability of the government to complete the affordable housing project started by the previous government. The challenges of housing thus continue to linger in the face of government-designed policies (policies which obviously look good on paper).

Another problem about housing in Ghana is the wastage of land as a result of the construction of several small housing units, some of which lack basic housing requirements such as toilets and bathrooms. Such approach to housing, which is mostly uncoordinated, usually ends up in the formation of shanty, scattered settlements.

I would therefore suggest that government and interested private sector co-operations strike an agreement with traditional leaders and land owners of such settlements requesting the demolishing of the shanty housing and the building of estates of better, taller buildings with several apartments, good access roads and other social amenities for free on the land. In return, the chiefs and owners of the land could be given apartments for free within the building and the rest rented to other people. In the long run, the unsightly, shanty settlement will give way to better, taller estate housing at lower costs since the land would be for free. The owners of the shanty settlement would get access to better housing for free and the government/private sector co-operations would generate revenue from the rent of the remaining apartments, a percentage of which could be given as royalties to the chiefs to enable them undertake other development projects within the community.

I however acknowledge the possible challenges in creating temporary structures for the people when their houses are demolished as well as making the citizenry understand the project in the first place, especially on lands designated as family lands.

I would also entreat government and the private sector to endeavour to build less of several small new housing units and focus more on building taller, multi-apartment buildings which can house more of the people who roam our streets without proper housing. I also suggest an increase use of quality wood in the construction of houses. Except for the outside walls and other essential supporting structures, I believe the use of wood could greatly reduce building cost and increase the pace of work but still deliver good quality structures.

CONCLUSION:

The question of development continues to linger on the minds of every well-meaning citizen. I have provided the above ideas with the belief that they could help develop this country. These words are totally devoid of political intentions and hence should not be analysed along those lines. I truly hope that together as Ghanaians, we will put aside all selfish intentions and hand-in-hand help develop the place we call home.