2012 flag-bearer of the Progressive People’s Party (PPP,) Dr. Papa Kwesi Nduom, has noted with great concern, the kind of leaders Ghana has had since the inception of the Fourth Republic.
According to him, the cause of Ghana’s numerous socio-economic woes was due to the leadership style of the people in the helm of affairs.
“There are a lot of signs that show that leadership in the country presently has gone bad,” he observed.
Buttressing his claim, he asserted that for utility providers like the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) and the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) to resort to pre-paid metres as a means of revenue mobilisation was a clear indication of “leadership gone badly.”
“To resort to pre-paid metres for revenue collection is a lazy way of managing things. And it is a clear indication that the leadership of the government cannot manage the resources of the country,” Dr. Nduom stressed.
The PPP’s 2012 flag-bearer made these observations during his engagement with his listeners across the country on Ghana, Great and Strong last Saturday in Accra.
The programme, which is non-partisan, is broadcast on every Saturday on Ghana’s premier internet-based radio, www.hedjorleonlineradio.com from 7:00 P.M., to 8:00 P.M., and Dr. Nduom is the host.
The astute politician and business man was interacting with listeners and viewers on wide range of national issues such as the institution of the National Sanitation Day, introduction of pre-paid metres for revenue collection, bad roads, poor management of the country’s resources among others.
According to Dr. Nduom, developed countries like the United States of America (USA,) United Kingdom (UK,) Canada and others are not better than Ghana. He went on to say that he could not understand why Ghana was lagging behind in development.
In his estimation, “we are where we are now because of bad leadership of the people voted into power to manage our resources.”
Concerning the National Sanitation Day which was instituted by the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) government last month, Dr. Nduom described it as “unnecessary and waste of precious time and resources.”
According to him, that was a clear sign of “bad leadership showing that everything has gone bad in this country.”
“A country which is performing well will not set a day out of every month as a sanitation day,” he intimated.
He argued that the appointees of the government, ostensibly the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) at the regional and district assemblies, who are paid and given Common Fund must ensure that “our cities are clean.”
“Governments have responsibility to collect taxes from us, and with it, clean our villages, towns and cities and keep us away from cholera, malaria, guinea worm etcetera,” he pointed out.
In his view, that is what the current administration and future ones must do in Ghana and not to be shirking responsibility and turn around to blame the citizens. These concerns by Dr. Nduom were corroborated by all the listeners who were part of his interactive discussion via telephone calls and text messages.
About ninety-two (92) per cent of the callers were in support of his concerns on the National Sanitation Day, and the introduction of pre-paid metres.
The callers bemoaned the leadership style of the past and present governments and called on Ghanaians to make a change in 2016.
“How can a country like ours where people are paid to do their jobs make cleaning of our environments a mandatory? It is purely a sign of leadership failure,” a caller from Yendi in the Northern region, Abubakar Abass, opined.
According to the Yendi caller, the only way Ghanaians can register their resentment at the NDC government was to vote it out in 2016.
Questions Sanitation Day
Meanwhile Dr. Nduom has also questioned the rationale behind the institution of the Sanitation Day by Mahama administration, stressing that it is an indication of bad leadership.
According to him, he could not understand why the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development should attempt to introduce a law to make the monthly clean-up exercise mandatory.
“Reports are that the Ministry intends to propose sanctions against those who do not join this monthly activity. Really? This is another example of leadership gone bad,” Dr. Nduom quizzed.
He made these statements in a terse statement he posted on his Facebook Wall at the weekend.
He noted that while many Ghanaians including the PPP wanted Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) to be elected directly by the people, the current administration still insisted on appointing them.
It would be recalled that President John Dramani Mahama last month instituted the National Sanitation Day by declaring first Saturday of every month for national clean-up exercise as a measure to prevent any future cholera outbreak.
Below is the full statement by Dr. Papa Kwesi Nduom
It has been reported in the media that the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development intends to introduce a law to make the monthly cleanup exercise started last month mandatory.
Reports are that the Ministry intends to propose sanctions against those who do not join this monthly activity. Really?
This is another example of leadership gone bad. While many of us have asked for Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives to be elected directly by the people, the current administration still insists on appointing them. One of the key responsibilities of local governments in America, Japan, UK, South Africa and indeed Ghana, is to keep their environments clean and ensure a healthy people. That is why Mayors in some cities in the world become unpopular, resign their positions or are voted out when epidemics break out, snow is not cleared on time or when garbage piles up.
Governments have a responsibility to collect taxes from us, and with it, clean our villages, towns and cities and keep us away from cholera, malaria, guinea worm, etc.
This is what the current administration and future ones must do in Ghana. No shirking responsibility and turn around to blame the citizen victims. In the same way, when utility companies insist on pre-paid meters because they are not able to bill and collect what is due them, it tells us of management gone bad.
Let's fix the real problem of incompetence. And let's give the people the right to elect directly their local leaders.
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