Book Review: A New Agenda For Africa

It is an honor to present to you A New Agenda for Ghana. Having said that, I cannot overemphasize that the book is timely. Because you need to read it before you go to the polls in 2008. I recommend it to all Africans and especially Ghanaian politicians. I had my only complimentary copy in the mail today. I started to read and could not put it down. It sure makes a good reading and I trust it would be received well. It may appear to condemn the Establishment as per cover but a thorough reading will reveal a strong balance. Well I leave the rest to the critics. For those who want a copy of the book this is the link: http://www.authorhouse.com/BookStore/BookStoreSearchResults.aspx?SearchType=smpl&SearchTerm=OKYERE+BONNA

Politics is about the future.

Ghana has come this far from colonial rule but what can we boast of as a nation that began on the same page with Singapore, Malaysia and our friends in the East? Although some may argue that coups (military interventions) are a necessary evil in a dictatorial regime, subsequent coups have shown Africa beyond doubt that the best military government is no better than the worst republic/civilian government. Today Ghana, though 49 years old, is still crawling, thanks to political mismanagement.

My text is in two volumes. Volume 2 gives some insights into what ought to be done to save Ghana from destruction/debt. This volume 1 brings to light some of the concerns of Ghanaians, especially those in the Diaspora (as I am). The frustration over how the Establishment is running the nation is heartbreaking to say the least. I present here material on the frustrations in many areas. In these pages I provide numerous examples that prove how the current government is handling economic, social and political issues to the detriment of the nation’s people and posterity.

Instead of searching for solutions to the nation’s problems, the current leaders resort to begging and borrowing. In these pages I speak for Ghana and for Africa in general. Corruption is endemic in African politics thanks to a residual colonial mentality. The colonial structures and institutions handed over at independence led to corruption and inefficiency in government. The African Heads of State wield too much power, just as the Imperial colonial governments did.

Until what we inherited from the colonial system is reformed to reflect the African culture, Africa (Ghana included) will keep running in circles. Our leaders need to break from the status quo, come out of the "club,” and identify with the needs of the people.

For the purposes of our discussion I will call these neo-colonialist leaders the Establishment. The politicians and the government alike say the economy is tight and the people and workers need to take pay cuts, but the MPs and CEOs are always taking a raise in salary and compensations. They receive huge bonuses at the end of the year and also take big cuts in percentage of state contracts. This again is the legacy of the colonial administration. The inconsistency illustrates how the colonial mentality of the servant-master relationship pervades the political institutions in Ghana today. Corruption is always on the rise. Our political elites live with incongruity and a lack of discipline that goes against the grain with the citizens and the nation. The results show well in the big gap between the upper class and the lower class. There is virtually no middle class in Ghana (and Africa in general). One is either very poor or very rich. In this text I make the case for a new breed of leaders for Ghana – and for Africa. We need a democratically elected Head of State who has a vision for developing the nation into First World status.

Those who are supposed to uphold and administer the laws of the land are now the big breakers of the rules and laws. Leaders MUST lead by example. The president we elect in 2008 must be a visionary. The presidency must be about "ideas and principles instead of thievery and personalities. It must seek to lift the nation's sight and spirit and move them to higher grounds. Our new president must strengthen the capacities of anti-corruption agencies. The government must honor our values and lead us into the future and make us proud. The government must set a standard of good and responsive governance for our age and ages to come, and build and strengthen institutions throughout our nation.

There are literally thousands of Ghanaians dying every year due to poor road design and construction, for example. The government response is far from adequate. Frequent high incidence of fatal motor accidents on Ghana roads results in the loss of many lives. Before Ghanaians can obey and observe the carefully crafted laws of the land, the government and the security apparatus of the state – including the courts and the law enforcement agencies – must be born again.

-The practice of routinely withholding information from the public in Ghana creates ‘subjects’ rather than ‘citizens’ of civil society and is a violation of their rights. The importance of a Right to Information Law as an attendant to good governance was recognized by the United Nations at its very inception in 1946, when the General Assembly resolved that, “Freedom of Information is a fundamental human right and the touchstone for all freedoms to which the United Nations is consecrated.”

While the West often cites corruption by African leaders, there is no mention of those in the West who allow their territories to be used as depositories for the monies that are looted. In an online debate among Ghana Leadership Union of July 29, 2005, Professor George Ayittey of America University cited, “Africa experiences capital flight of up to $90 billion a year and the external stock of capital held by Africa's political elites is $700 billion-800 billion.” Why is nobody talking about helping to repay Africa's foreign debt by repatriating the loot corrupt African elites have hidden abroad? The Western countries that benefit from these stolen funds should be made to put an end to supporting these criminal activities.

Africa’s (Ghana not excluded) wounds are self-inflicted and are nothing of the devil’s doing. They are the result of our own continued choice of incompetent and wrong leaders. In 2008, politicking, power games, boasting, and popularity contests are out.

Ghana, thanks to HPIC, has been receiving some debt relief. Debt relief is intended to enable Ghana to spend more on creating jobs, building infrastructure, utilizing natural resources, and promoting health and education. But this has not been the case in Ghana. The borrowing continues though.

How long must Ghana lose so many citizens in road accidents? In the absence of laws the people suffer needlessly. There will always be some traffic fatalities, of course, but these extremely high numbers indicate crisis. The numbers call for stricter laws and rigorous enforcement. Mere letters that exhort good behavior cannot cure this canker. A change of attitude is in order, and it needs to start at the top, with Ghana’s government officials. Ghana’s government must institute strict fines and punitive measures.

Ghana has not changed much since independence in 1957. Let’s be sure that the president we choose in 2008 exhibits an ability to communicate truthfully and handle disagreements wisely.

Leaders of Ghana, you have become enemies of the people. You are not leading Ghana toward the 2020 vision of self-reliance. You preach by example and lead our citizens down the nasty road of corruptness. You have failed the democratic standard of government by the people and for the people. You, politician, quickly learn the fine points of colorful political speeches and how to inflate statistics so they confound the West (and ordinary Ghanaians). You are conflated with your ego trip and care not about the problems of the nation. You make it look like you’re working for the people, but obviously you’re not. There is no substitute for a heart of love and justice. Move past the trivia, please. Your capacity for trivia is a weakness that needs to be checked. Get to the real questions and answers. The Ghanaian people need new roads, schools, and healthcare centers. Our hospitals and schools are still waiting for improvements.