The ideal environment for politicians

Politics mainly is the engine that runs the development agenda of countries in Africa.

How well the environment works for the benefit of the citizenry is another story to talk about on another day.

The continent of Africa ranks in as the richest continent in the world with abundant natural resources in gold, oil, bauxite and Cocoa to mention a few.

But we have the most improvised population growth living on the face of the earth.

In Africa, the politician is seen as a king while the people he had sworn to serve rather become the servants. The roles are sadly reversed in this part of the world, making the politicians, some kind of tin gods to the very people they are supposed to serve in dignity.

The ideal environment Africa needs is not the environment where the politician becomes king, but the environment where he understands the essence of service and accountability to the citizenry who voted him in.

The “Animal farm” kind of politics where some citizenry in a same country are treated much better than others must stop. And it must stop from its top hierarchy of power to the bottom where the powerless and the vulnerable are found.

A lingering question ponders on me over and over again…

What makes the average African politics so lucrative and “a gold mine to riches” over a short period of time of a person being elected???

The privileges and benefits involved especially the acclaimed title of “Honourable” is an allure of scented flower to them. If certain privileges politicians hold in Ghana and Africa were carefully brought under control or supervised, a due behavior and an individual strive for excellence and selflessness will be highly sought after by those elected into office.

It may seem far fetched to achieve these things to the ordinary Ghanaian or African, but funny enough, this imaginary dream or wish is so achievable. Here are a few of them if properly implemented and enforced can put the Ghanaian or the African in the driving seat of development, not the other way round.

How do we make political position and politics not a lucrative venture for political persons? Let’s list 15 ways to disincentivize it.

1. Any leader guilty of corruption or crime should face full rigours of the law.

2. Indemnity clause should be abolished

3. Ex gratia should be abolished

4. The Special Prosecutor, Auditor General and Chief Justice should be appointed outside the government in power with clear line of non- partisan activities to undertake

5. Sharia law could also be introduced.

6. all goverment workers/ politicians should be paid per the productive hours of work

7. Closer look should be given to salaries, per diems and other allowances of politicians and political CEOs of COCOBOD, GNPC, TOR, BOG, etc etc

8. Abolish winners take all

9. Re-orientation of the African political system.

10. Political education (politics as service)

11. Press Freedom should be held esteem

12. Right to Information Law should be allowed to work fully to guard against procurement breeches among others

13. Appointments to top positions in other highly sensitive offices like electoral commission, police service, CHRAJ, Ghana Armed Forces etc should be critically examined to check excessive or abuse of power

14. Appointment of Public/Political Office holders should solely be on merit. I mean professional experience and competence should be the basis for appointment instead of the political patronage.

15. The political environment should not be a make or break avenue for elected officials to become rich at all cost but should be the avenue where service and selflessness will be sought after at almost every turn.

The writer holds an MA. (Public Administration) as the Records Information Management Project Coordinator of a Private company in United States of America. He opens the line of communication between clients, customers, and businesses to get projects done. With over 8 years in both public and private sectors, GUYGEE has experience in management consultation, team building, professional development, strategic implementation, and company collaboration. He has managed projects in Records, Information and Management, where he was a finalist for the PMI® Project of the Year. He holds an MPA from Kean University, Union, New Jersey and a current PMP® certification.