President Mahama Does Not Seem To Understand His Authority.

Other than elected officials and those who the constitution remove from the influences of the President, anyone who receives government pay is responsible to the President as authorized by the people of Ghana. Anyone working for the government thus serves at the pleasure of the President.

If there is corruption in the police, the President has every authority to call the IGP in to explain why. The IGP in turn has the authority to call his subordinates in to explain why there is corruption in their areas of influence. The President can give the IGP his "walking papers" any time he feels and for any reason. He similarly can give anyone in government the "walking papers" at any time and for any reason. As I have heard it explained by the President in the Ghana Youth Employment and Entrepreneurial Development Agency (GYEEDA), contracts were not signed by the right people and the President's answer is to appoint a commission.

The people who were supposed to sign the contracts work for the President. The people who actually signed the contracts work for the President. Why would the President need a commission before dealing with this issue when he can get the answers right from the "horse's mouth"? Why can't the President call those who have the authority to sign the contracts, who work for him, to come in and explain why they weren't the ones signing the contracts, and then call in those who signed the contracts, who also work for him, to explain how they got the authority to sign contracts that they were not authorized to sign. Following that, heads roll.

There has been many reports in the news lately about corruption in government. True or false, there is wide spread opinion that President Mahama's government is riddled with corruption. The President has not dealt with it effectively thus far and this GYEEDA affair presented a fine opportunity for the President to present himself as the one in charge and assert that everyone working in government works at his pleasure. The President instead bungled this by calling on a commission thereby failing to establish clearly that those who did wrong went against his authority and they would suffer for it. Investigate surely even if it takes a commission but that should come after heads have rolled.

In my opinion, Ghana needs a more effective and assertive President and President Mahama ain't it. Unless the President proves that he has the right stuff between now and the next election, Ghanaians will be selling themselves short to re-elect President Mahama. Ghana will suffer for it. Ghana has until next election to suffer through this government. We should not repeat the mistake we made by electing him.

Tony Pobee-Mensah