ight now ,we are groping, yes, groping in the dark, stumbling through the darkness in search of light. Like a people without a shepherd, Ghanaians, after 50 years of independence and after 18 years of multi-party democracy under the Fourth Republican Constitution, are really wondering who really our leaders are, and what they are doing to resolve the daily suffocating problems they face.
Ghanaians are wondering whether this is really a country or just a pretence, a nation in denial or just a mere geographical expression governed by politicians who keep recycling after every four or eight years.
In the last eight years, between 2001 and 2008, when the New Patriotic Party (NPP) led by the former President John Agyekum Kufuor, was in office, we saw our country wither before our very own eyes, but fortunately things are beginning to shape up except very slowly.
Take it from me, ask the ordinary Ghanaian worker or hawker, the hundreds of thousands of unemployed youth, the small -scale entrepreneurs and factory owners who need electricity to run their companies and they will tell you the problems they face.
Ask the trotro and taxi drivers, who ply our so- called roads that consume lives and destroy their cars, and you will agree with me that things are not moving fast.
For example, drive from Madina through Atomic Junction to Legon, and you will ask, where are our leaders? What are they doing? And what are they thinking? Can’t anything be done in the meantime, as the road is under construction and at a snail pace, to alleviate the suffering of commuters? Especially at the Atomic junction, we could, at least, level the place and cover the pot or manholes that are eating the road.
From the summer of hope rekindled after the 1992 elections, Ghanaians are now back in the winter of frustration and near-hopelessness.
For the government and our Members of Parliament, it is business as usual. The profligacy, the sharing and squandering of public money continue unabated.
The President, only last week, directed that the ex-gratia of former appointees of the erstwhile New Patriotic Party (NPP) government and Members of Parliament be paid to them.
For the ordinary Ghanaian, government goes on making empty promises, delivering empty rhetorics that things will get better, yet there is no evidence that those in power, are applying themselves to solving our problems, except the stabilization of the micro-economy that is yet to reflect in the pockets of Ghanaians.
Rather, there is a preponderance of evidence that they are only concerned about their own welfare and that of their cronies.
Before the spring of discontent comes upon us, our leaders need to act. First, we need a leader, yes we have one right now, but we need a leader with guts. A leader who can go for broke, one who must rise above party politics, one who must ride the storm of parochialism and make bold decisions.
Ghanaians need a leader, a strong man with the positive attributes of decisiveness, sharp mind, a grip on issues and one with resolute political will, to turn Ghana around.
Indecisiveness leads to self –destruct. Ghanaians cannot afford such ambivalence and delay in taking important decisions at a time like this. We watch and we wait.
For now I’m not convinced that the President John Evans Atta Mills has the right tools in his tools box. Some of his appointees are performing below average and must be shown the exit, especially Collins Dauda, who is interested in things that he will get for himself.
Ghana needs a leader who will not dither, one that will look at our problems in the eye, and deal with them decisively. Ghana needs a President who will implement, without delay, an action plan of fixing our roads, an action plan of fixing the power sector.
At the time of writing this piece, electricity supply in the office had gone off at least three times, and the erratic nature of power fluctuations these days is so annoying that you need the heart of dove to tolerate it.. We are tired of fantastic ideas on paper that fail to translate into more mega watts for our homes and factories.
An action plan for some form of public transportation system that serves the millions of Ghanaians across the ten regions of the country, is necessary.
An action plan with a time frame to deal with the menace of insecurity and an overhaul of the police service is also needed. I must hasten to add that the current administration, led by President John Evans Atta Mills, and the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Patrick Tawiah Quaye, needs special commendation for revamping the police services and the security services with logistics and the introduction of the Single Spine Salary Structure (SSSS).
More importantly, an agenda for head hunting for the best Ghanaian brains who can execute the action plan mandate. Ghana is where it is today because of the pandering and nepotism of who gets appointed, and as it were, mediocrity has been taken to new heights in Ghana.
There is something wrong with a country where only the crooked, the half -smart, those with a penchant for corruption, ethnic jingoist and those with godfathers, get elected into Parliament to pick up most juicy contracts, not forgetting appointments.
It looks to me as though, we are a nation in constant motion, yet without any movement.
Last week, the Member of Parliament for Abuakwa South, Hon. Atta Akyea, was arrested in court because a businessman he is alleged to have duped had filed a complaint at the Police Station.
Less than 48 hours later, the Minority in Parliament hurriedly organised a press conference accusing the Attorney- General and Minster of Justice of involving himself in what they termed a ‘private matter’. They accused the police administration of breaching the standing orders of Parliament and the Constitution.
Yet, when Dan Abodakpi was imprisoned and Twumasi Appiah arrested sometime ago, the Minority saw nothing wrong with it. We have not moved and have not learnt any lesson as a country.
What we should aspire for is the rule of law, not rule of men, and we should uphold these principles, regardless of who is in power.
President Mills is doing remarkably well, but time is ticking. The President has the greatest opportunity to fix this country.
It is said that it is from the morning that we know how the rest of the day will turn out. The morning time is over and there is enough evidence that the President is doing well. We can’t pat him at the back until the work is done.
This is the time for the President to step up to the plate and demonstrate to us that he knows the importance of his office and that he is bold enough to force the hand of change. It is time to wake up to running a country like it should be ran.
Mr President, roll up your sleeves, and lead this country.
