Ghanaians Abroad Can’t Vote In 2008?

Why It Takes More Effective Management – The Views of GHANA NATIONAL PARTY

There is a feeling among some people in Ghana that Ghanaian abroad wanted to vote so they would have power over those in Ghana. Nothing can be further from the truth. It is a shame that some in Ghana would have such feelings of personal insecurity when our own blood and kin want to serve our beloved Ghana. GNP wants to present our view.

The news reported on Ghanaweb from Network Herald on Saturday February 24, 2007 that Ghanaians in the Diasporas cannot vote in 2008 should not surprise anybody. Some of us in the GNP predicted that based on the level of incompetence in the administration to implement such a good idea at the global level. It would be very difficult if not impossible for them. If moneys collected at the embassies are squandered and cannot be accounted for since the NDC era, national buildings were not maintained in Ghana and at our foreign embassies since the PNDC days to now, what does one expect! Let us recall that the electoral register is open only for a very short two or three week period in the 4 year cycle for Ghanaians to register to vote. Why? Why can American cities and towns have continuous registration till a few weeks before the elections, but Ghana cannot do it? It has been attributed to lack of resources, but this comes from lack of skills to computerize and use modern management systems, and better still, lack of will. It can be surmised that Kofi Boateng and the DVC committee who championed this worthy cause perhaps were a little too optimistic in favor of the NPP to expect them to execute such a “complicated” strategy.

According to the article, The Deputy Director in charge of Finance and Administration of the Electoral Commission, David Adeense Kangah has indicated that the Representative of the People’s Amendment Law (ROPAL) will not be effective for the 2008 Presidential and Parliamentary elections. ROPAL allows Ghanaian residents abroad to exercise their franchise during national elections and referenda (Ghanaweb, 2007, Feb.23)

We are Not Surprised The reason the GNP is not surprised should be evident to anybody who can be objective. If we cut out the anti and pro-NDC or anti and pro-NPP or tribal arguments that are common on Ghanaweb, one can argue clearly. If the government has not been able to plan, budget, collect taxes, and deliver ordinary water through pipes, and plan for delivery of electricity, be it from private companies or government corporations, what makes anybody think they can set up a system that allows voting from around the world? If our leaders can invite millions of people to a 50th birthday party and still have open sewage and gutters, and everybody has his private septic and water reservoirs and generators, and 50,000 to 200,000 reported dying of malaria per year, what makes us think we can manage a global business of voting? Let’s be true to ourselves!

One writer has described this process as “logistical nightmare” and suggested “Matter of fact, Ghanaians should take their time to research well about issue before they push this law into action. I would suggest 10 to 20 years (2016 or 2020 probably) time frame to do proper work which should start from” (Manu, 2007-02-24 10:20:00)

Whiles Mr. Manu uses the word “research”, it should be noted that in the past few decades, the poor ability to implement good ideas and visions, with discipline, integrity, enforcement and accountability, seem to be the most important element of failure in our society. It is failure in leadership. A 100 years under such leadership will still not get the job done! Period! There is very little evidence that evolution alone is adequate for modern human and economic development. The writer listed among others such problems as:

1. Fixing corruption at the passport offices and the embassies abroad in the issuing of Ghanaians Passport and identification, especially now that there is a perceived believe that Nigerians are major holders of Ghanaians passports abroad. 2. Accounting for who is holding which Ghanaians passport Number and whether the holder is not like Kofi Marfoh Asiedu 3. Costing and analyzing the funds that needs to go into this exercise and discussing with Diaporans as to who is going to bear, how much? 4. Coming out with Diasporas Voters Registry/role and addresses of all Ghanaians and possibly publishing them on a secured website for all diaporans to be able to access and confirm their identities 5. Issuing them with Diasporas ID voters’ card. 6. Deciding on where polling station should be set in, every country. How many and where in say Canada do we set these polling stations. (Manu, 2007-02-24 10:20:00)

Ghana National Party believes that the DVC/ROPAB committee overestimated the skill levels of the people in government, or their real intent and commitment, if not their willingness to execute. Leadership and management have failed our nation, and the corruption in party politics prevents innovative ideas.

Decentralized Management The irony in our culture is that almost everybody in Ghana government seems to be waiting for one Omanpanin Kufuor to tell them what to do. There is a serious shortage of decentralized and effective management systems and originality. Most of this is due to the centralization of financial resources. Nobody is blaming the NPP. Unfortunately centralization was bequeathed to us from the days of Kwame Nkrumah and his effort to take care of all of us under a system of centralization that failed to work even in the once-mighty USSR. Why have Nkrumah’s critics been unable to make effective changes? The lack of adequate cognitive skills, global experience and sincerity of purpose and commitment to change in the governments that followed Nkrumah also has led to the current state of Ghana where even ordinary water is rationed. Good examples of the failure of centralization and the need for new leadership with understanding of modern management systems, is found at the ports and harbors and the Vehicle Licensing Offices in Ghana, where despite millions of dollars collected monthly and sometimes daily, ordinary clean toilet facilities cannot be provided for paying customers. Again, neighborhoods with nice houses are still under the control of central government that keep building open sewage gutters that clog up in a few days creating very annoying and disgraceful stink and sight, and breeding mosquitoes. Nobody in the government of the NPP or the NDC has thought about an effective solution! These are part of the issues why the nation needs a new government under the Ghana National Party. GNP is built from a mixture of men and women from the Diaspora and who have settled recently in Ghana, experienced the problems, and not yet swallowed by the system.

Decentralization is in the Constitution, but nobody in the NDC administration knew and nobody in the NPP administration seems to know or want to implement such projects, let alone implement such a complicated global project others have called “logistical nightmare”.

The lack of management savvy, total lack of new ideas and project implementation experience, constitutes part of the main reasons why some of us who have studied the system found the need to establish a new platform for change. These NGO efforts culminated in the GHANA NATIONAL PARTY!! GNP aims to tap the talent pool of all Ghanaians, in and outside Ghana to rebuild our nation. We care and we want to serve.

We strongly advice the people of Ghana to take a closer look at the GNP. The founders include men who the newspaper public may not know but have been student and social activists and leaders for their generation. Mr. Ofori Ampofo, the current executive Chairman was an Engineer and technical Manager at International Tobacco before it was closed down during the P/NDC administration. Kwaku A. Danso has been around, been a writer, columnist, and worked in American high technology industry as Engineer and Manager for over three decades and a private entrepreneur. Others include Dr. Charles Kwame Addo, with expertise in Finance and Administration. There are Medical Doctors, people with competence in Law, Psychology, Information and Communication Technologies, Semiconductor technology, Economics and Finance. The GNP has opened the doors for new membership from the Diaspora and in Ghana and will have a global management structure, the first ever in our history. GNP hopes to field prominent candidates to represent their constituencies and retire the incumbent politicians most of whom are known to visit their areas only during elections.

Do we Really Care for the People? There is the need for leaders to care for their people, and to manage the country. It starts from political electoral mandate!! However many MPs don’t even know what the needs of their constituents are. We seek the help of everybody to bring the message to the rural areas and seek their mandate for change.

In conclusion, let me share with readers some of the reasons many want to participate on the GNP platform to the rebuilding of Ghana:

Now that I am at my mid life, age 46, I am ready to take all that my life's journey has offered me to serve my nation and to serve the people of Ghana. I strongly believe that we the people of Ghana, as a Collective Whole, are deserving of a much improved today. I believe it is up to each and every one of us to contribute toward the birth of the improved day. I believe that my contribution lies in the growth and development of this young political party I am delighted and excited that I am now able to serve within this New Political Party. This is a Party that brings so much promise to the people of Ghana; to the Nation of Ghana. The Ghana National Party's active members have the same visions and goals I have. Visions and goals I have held since my youth. It is truly remarkable to meet a group of individuals that have the same vision. Truly remarkable. (Dr. (Mrs) Brenya Twumasi, JD, MA, Co-Founder, GNP, Feb.2007)

For those who share a similar vision, let us work together for a better Ghana. Check out our website at www.natlparty.com and contact us:

For Ghana National Party By: Dr. Kwaku A. Danso, Exec. Co-Founder Email:kwaku.danso@natlparty.com

(Kwaku A. Danso is a co-founder of GNP and formerly co-founded GDRP in 1991 to help stimulate political change in Ghana and strategically help lift the ban on political activities in May 11, 1992. He has been an Engineer and Manager in American high tech industry, and then a real estate entrepreneur and financier. He is also a columnist and has written for many papers such as West Africa, Ghana Drum, Chronicle, Statesman, Toronto Ghanaian News, and magazines since high school at Prempeh College. Dr. Danso was a former Science teacher at Kumasi Academy in 1967/68 and he is developing a technology business in Ghana and lives in Fremont, California and East Legon, Accra, Ghana.)

For your copy of the latest Book by Dr. Kwaku A. Danso: Leadership Concepts And The Role Of Government In Africa: The Case of Ghana Go to: www.xlibris.com/LeadershipConceptsandtheRoleofGovernmentinAfrica.html