Why the President may have fired his Chief of Staff

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• Prof Lungu 10 years ago

  Once again IMANI has delivered in an important Ghana-centered way!
  
  
  It is timely!
  
  
  It is thoughtful!
  
  
  It is goal-prescribed!
  
  
  Those transportation projects need a serious look. The plans we've heard of are poo ...
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  Once again IMANI has delivered in an important Ghana-centered way!
  
  
  It is timely!
  
  
  It is thoughtful!
  
  
  It is goal-prescribed!
  
  
  Those transportation projects need a serious look. The plans we've heard of are poorly conceptualized, unnecessary, or wasteful/over-priced.
  
  Now, it is up to the new Chief of Staff to identify objectives to achieve the "Value-For-Money" (VFM) propositions/goals for all those projects.
  
  However, we will caution that VFM ought not be the only goal in any public sector, particularly in a developing economy.
  
  For instance, it does not make sense to have VFM for a project, if all the profits end up transferred overseas into HSBC-type accounts in Switzerland, and Ghanaian workers do not benefit - do not receive training to support what is built/constructed, for instance.
  
  And so, we will say that there ought to be more reflection on that point.
  
  Effectiveness is important!
  
  Equity if Important!
  
  Further, our sense is IMANI missed a big one!
  
  We believe that the new Chief of Staff ought also to be tasked with immediate effect to lead a serious team to acquire the list of all those individuals and corporations that have parked nearly $90 million dollars in HSBC Bank accounts and have not paid taxes on them. Out sense if much of those funds were probably not legally earned - but all the funds originated from Ghana. (It is instructive note here that the last we say the list, the hidden, untaxed amount carried from Ethiopia, was a less than $10 million. Compare that to Ghana nearly $90 million).
  
  Ghana has to be serious! And it is the President who has to lead with wise policies and attention to details.
  
  There are no "Divine Interventions" in these things!

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• Kwadwo 10 years ago

  Keep up the good work, IMAN

  Keep up the good work, IMAN

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• Prof Lungu 10 years ago

  In referring to VFM, we were thinking about "Value" concepts "Economy", "Efficiency", and "Effectiveness. If that is what IMANI and apparently the government agree on as VFM, then our original comments stand.
  
  ---there is ...
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  In referring to VFM, we were thinking about "Value" concepts "Economy", "Efficiency", and "Effectiveness. If that is what IMANI and apparently the government agree on as VFM, then our original comments stand.
  
  ---there is more to be desired by this focus on VFM.
  
  If, however, by VFM we are talking about aggregated/weighted measures where all the values (Efficiency, Effectiveness, Economy, Equity and Sustainability) are carefully considered, ranked, and used to inform selection, then our comment does not stand:
  
  ---the Government and IMANI are on the right track!

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• Prof Lungu 10 years ago

  ETHIOPIA = Less than $10M
  GHANA = Nearly $90M
  
  We believe that the new Chief of Staff ought also to be tasked with immediate effect to lead a serious team to acquire the list of all those individuals and corporations th ...
  read full comment

  ETHIOPIA = Less than $10M
  GHANA = Nearly $90M
  
  We believe that the new Chief of Staff ought also to be tasked with immediate effect to lead a serious team to acquire the list of all those individuals and corporations that have parked nearly $90 million dollars in HSBC Bank accounts and have not paid taxes on them. Out sense if much of those funds were probably not legally earned - but all the funds originated from Ghana. (It is instructive note here that the last we say the list, the hidden, untaxed amount carried from Ethiopia, was a less than $10 million. Compare that to Ghana nearly $90 million).

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• Gator 10 years ago

  Fock off!

  Fock off!

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• Abeeku Mensah 10 years ago

  IMANI thrives on supposed scandals and innuendo to fill it's coffers but nothing substantive to offer Ghana. My idea, ideals and expectations from think tanks far exceed the mediocity of current breed of self serving think ta ...
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  IMANI thrives on supposed scandals and innuendo to fill it's coffers but nothing substantive to offer Ghana. My idea, ideals and expectations from think tanks far exceed the mediocity of current breed of self serving think tanks that keep politigation discourse in Ghana.
  Nowhere in Ghana's lousy constitution is parliament forbidden to control the purse of government or from writing guidelines to govern practices and procedures of agencies that spend government/taxpayer money. We can all pretend we give up the right to think once we exercise our rights to vote and elect the president and members of Parliament if we want to be excused but we cannot shirk our responsibility for the people we elect. We must not nourish the stupidity and biasis of think tanks; we did not vote them to become our spokesmen. If being invited by foreign governments and international organization is a mark of legitimacy and certification of good work then why do we need think tanks? Has Ghana ever had an elected president who has not been welcomed at foreign meetings and or invited to any meeting?
  IMANI must explain why despite the evils of government procurement and spending of government funds since 1970, neither the NPP or NDC is willing to correct the process through legislation or mandated directive as ruling majority party?

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• BlackC 10 years ago

  I don’t want to come across as if I speak for IMANI, but I find it strange how you can portray an institution that is trying to make Ghana better by labeling it’s ideas as
  “Stupidity and bias.” Nothing says you have ...
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  I don’t want to come across as if I speak for IMANI, but I find it strange how you can portray an institution that is trying to make Ghana better by labeling it’s ideas as
  “Stupidity and bias.” Nothing says you have to agree with the ideas that come from think tanks. Developed countries have think tanks because even in the best of circumstances politicians are short sighted and ordinary people don’t have the time to do the necessary research to come up necessary actions that take care of issues and challenges that weaken societies. There’s a need for institutions that are not emboldened to making decisions based on whether they’ll get enough votes.
  
  These developed nation’s citizens aren’t giving up their right to think. Instead these institutions enable citizens to think about things that aren’t in the public discourse. Like it or not IMANI has legitimacy around the world. While no one institution has all the right answers they’re at least contributing and out of this comes the right solution or best possible.
  
  Institutions and media houses that are in existence today weren’t around in 1970. Internet & social media weren’t around in 1970. NPP & NDC may not have had the will to correct some processes back then, but they are having to confront the forces that exist today and if they don’t have the interests in making Ghana better, then they will pay a price just like the NDC is right now.
  
  Ghana is where it is because the institutions that are not doing their job were not exposed for what they are and a culture, while beautiful, also played a hand in perpetuating these institutions in doing nothing. The more people and institutions that care about Ghana exist and actually impose their will on the government to do something, the better. There’s too many people who are knocking the good and not enough perpetuating this good.

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• Prof Lungu 10 years ago

  YOUR: "... politicians are short sighted and ordinary people don’t have the time to do the necessary research to come up necessary actions that take care of issues and challenges that weaken societies..."
  
  OUR COMMENT: Ag ...
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  YOUR: "... politicians are short sighted and ordinary people don’t have the time to do the necessary research to come up necessary actions that take care of issues and challenges that weaken societies..."
  
  OUR COMMENT: Agree, strongly!
  
  Most politicians are "short-sighted for a reason - their own private gain, and the gain of their funders!
  
  IMANI and the like have a role to play. At least they take time to read, think, apply, and present ideas about better way forward, for all the People.
  
  Above all, in Ghana, IMANI is not a Danquah Institute.
  
  There is a big difference, there!

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