Mahama violates laws of statistics in selecting our officials By Nana Osei
It is a well-known fact that for a high caliber selection, one needs to maximize the selection pool. That is why statistical polls strive for as large a sampling as economically practical. Unfortunately, that is NOT the case with selections for Ghana’s National posts.
Table 1 of Ghana’s 2010 population census (Ref. http://www.statsghana.gov.gh/docfiles/2010phc/) lists GHANA’s total population of 24,658,823 made of:
(i) WESTERN - 2,376,021 (9.6%), CENTRAL - 2,201,863 (8.9%), ASHANTI - 4,780,380 (19.3%), BRONG AHAFO - 2,310,983 (9.4%), EASTERN - 2,633,154 (10.7%) for a total AKAN population of 14,302,401, which is 58% of the total population; (ii) NORTHERN - 2,479,461 (10.1%), UPPER EAST - 1,046,545 (4.2%), UPPER WEST - 702,110 (2.8%) for a total NORTHERN ( above Brong Ahafo and Volta) population of 4,228,116, which is 17.1% of the total population; (iii) GREATER ACCRA - 4,010,054 (16.3%); and (iv) VOLTA - 2,118,252 (8.6%).
This means with ALL “CREDENTIALS” BEING EQUAL, any personnel selections to our various government institutions should consist approximately of 58% Akans, 17% Northerners, 16% Gas, and 9% Voltarians. “CREDENTIALS” includes (a) educational background – whether through the competitive entrance exams, as most Southerners experienced, or by wholesale affirmative placements as enjoyed by most Northerners; (b) Relevant Experience for those positions; (c) Integrity and Honesty, as demonstrated in one’s community, school, or village/town; (d) Nationalism, as demonstrated in (c) above; (e) Gender may be considered for balance; (f) Party affiliation, etc.
Successive governments have systematically skewed the selection criteria and credentials to suit THEIR, agenda instead of the nation’s. Instead of the necessary competency, integrity and nationalism required of our Ministers, Board members, institutional heads, etc. for efficient running of the country, starting with Rawlings, our institutions have been manned by ideologues, tribesmen, friends, family members, lovers, LOOTERS, big bottomed women, praise singers, etc. Of course this has reduced the selection pool to the barest minority. This minority pool might still be effective in propelling mother Ghana forward if there is a track record (Asuma Banda’s caliber) to that effect. On the contrary, this minority, exemplified by Malam Issa, Ibrahim Adams, Moses Asaga, Muntaka, Ayariga, Gilbert Seidu Iddi, Alhaji Mustapha Ahmed and Mahama Shaibu, etc. are the ones now leading our ministries and institutions.
Nineteen years of Rawlings’ governments, manned by the Tsikata’s, the Ahwoi’s, the Yankah’s, P.V. Oben, Kwame Peprah, Kwesi Botchwey, Ato Quarshie, Moses Asaga, Alvin Bagbin, Ibrahim Adams, John Mahama, etc. supervised the decline of Ghana, by (a) killing off all entrepreneurial spirit and capital, (b) selling off our manufacturing industries for pittance with eventual collapse, and (c) handed over 97 % of our mineral resources to foreign entities. So why would President Mahama bring back these ex-government officials, most of whom were tainted with various scandals even then, to govern Mother Ghana now?. What is hard to understand is the fact that most of these recycled appointees have already demonstrated their incompetence as well as their actual motives – to loot the country’s coffers.
What has Moses Asaga done for mother Ghana besides (a) as a deputy finance minister, purchase for President Rawlings a used plane which was listed for $ 7.0 mil, and ended up costing Ghana more than $25.0 mil after the transaction had passed through Cayman Islands, or (b) negotiating Ghana’s share of a meager 3% of our OWN Saltpond oil (already discovered and in production) (c) signing and authorizing the astronomical end of service payments to parliamentarians before President Mills could say “MOSES”; (d) drawing perks and allowances as Minister (Works and Housing, Youth Employment), Chairman or member of various boards and institutions, while accomplishing NOTHING to improve those entities?
What has Alvin Bagbin done for mother Ghana besides (a) the STX fiasco which cost Ghana plenty, but made plenty money for the “Financial Engineers”; (b) drawing perks and allowances as Minister (Works and Housing, Health); Chairman or member of various boards and institutions, while accomplishing nothing for those entities.
What did P.V Obeng do for the country except saddling us with a Scancem monopoly of our cement supply to choke our nascent housing industry? As de facto Prime Minister in Rawlings’ regimes, how many FAVOURABLE agreements did he negotiate for Ghana? NONE!!
Since January 2009 we have witnessed the gradual collapse of our nascent NHIS and School Feeding programmes; we experience frequent shortages of our power, water, petrol and gas supplies. All these can be attributed to INCOMPETENT PEOPLE AT THE HELMS. Ex- President Rawlings said it right early 2009 that the TEAM “B” Ministers and Executives did not bode well for the country. Yet still President Mahama continues to recycle these people when there are many QUALIFIED, CAPABLE, and PROVEN (in their fields) Ghanaians that can push the country forward. By Rawlings’ definition, our NON PERFORMING INSTITUTIONS ARE NOW HEADED BY TEAM “D” MINISTERS AND EXECUTIVES.
WHY would Mahama's government have 80% Northerners as Ministers, CEO's and Board members when they make up ONLY 17% of the population? If SADA, GYEEDA, and other programmes, all headed by Northerners and supposed to develop their OWN Northern Regions failed miserably, What makes President Mahama think Ghana’s development depends SOLELY on the same Northerners? CAN YOU IMAGINE PRESIDENT OBAMA POPULATING 80% OF US GOVERNMENT INSTITUTIONS WITH AFRICAN AMERICANS? IT IS NO WONDER THERE IS SHORTAGE OF EVERYTHING: electricity, water, petrol, gas, medicines, salaries, you-name-it under this government. INCOMPETENT PEOPLE AND KLEPTOMANIACS NOW HEAD MOST OF OUR INSTITUTIONS either upfront or behind the scene. The drastic DEPRECIATION of the Cedi can be attributed to the arrogant and wanton exchange of looted contract/project cedis into foreign currencies for offshore bank deposits and/or investments. Rawlings aptly called them “GREEDY BASTARDS”; he should have listed them by name.
For the past 2 years, Ghana under President Mahama has gone from bad to worse daily with no respite in sight. AND YET HE’S STILL KEEPING THE SAME TEAM “D” AT POST!! It does not take rocket science, or the Opposition to see that our energy, local government, attorney general’s dept., works and housing, transport, industries ministries, for example, are not functioning. Now this TEAM “D” government wants to sell us again to the EU and America with the EPA and Plant Breeders Bills.
Our so-called "leaders" and "liberators" have reduced us to this miserable existence, while they loot our coffers, and sell us out. The genesis of the “Arab Spring” was an UNEMPLOYED GRADUATE who was hawking for his daily bread in Tunisia, and was being harassed by the police. Likewise, most of our graduates are unemployed; the males wandering daily in search of nonexistent jobs, while some of the females venture into prostitution abroad.
WE MUST DEMAND AN END TO THIS MADNESS!!
(1) Mahama should replace his Team “D” in ALL INSTITUTIONS. (2) His new team must reflect our population distribution. (3) He and all ministers and staffers, new and old, should declare their assets, (4) PARLIAMENT MUST IMPLEMENT THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT AS A MATTER OF URGENCY; (5) Parliament should NOT pass the Plant Breeders’ Bill in its current form; (6) Mahama should NOT sign the EPA. (7) Parliament should enact a new MINING law to allocate 45% minimum share of ANY MINING CO. to Local and National governments, with Board representations; (8)Restore TOR’s ORIGINAL MANDATES, namely PURCHASE BULK OIL, REFINE AND DISTRIBUTE ALL END PRODUCTS. (9) Enforce LOCAL CONTENT LAW TO CREATE JOBS FOR GHANAIANS – in construction, etc. (10) All Agreements must be transparent.
