Performance of Ministers - In response to Kwesi Pratt

Your attack on the performance of ministers could be in the right

direction, since it could make them sit up and give a good account of

themselves. It is however important to make the criticism clear by

stating the measure or the parameter of your judgment. A blanket

condemnation of all ministers is not very helpful.

You cited the Acheampong administration and its operation feed yourself

and backyard gardening program as a management style that must be

emulated. Operation feed yourself or backyard gardening, to some of us

were mere slogans which yielded nothing. If the production and

exportation of farm produce increased as some will want us to believe,

then why did we suffer such acute foreign exchange shortage during that

period? Remember, Ghanaians left for Nigeria en mass.

The simplest definition for management is working through people, if you

do it yourself; you are not managing. If you do not see a manager

running all over the place it does not mean that he is do nothing.

Oftentimes those who are running all over are playing to the gallery,

throwing dust into the eyes of the public or pretending to be working -

it usually is plain bravado.

If a ministry should delay the salary of teachers or nurse and which

causes them to withdraw their services for innocent patients to die or

students go untaught, one can argue a clear case of nonperformance or

ineptitude; and a few heads have to roll to put things in order.

Jake Addo

Chairman (NDC)

Site 18 Branch