What the IEA debates didn't tell us

The presidential debates initiated by the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) have been welcomed by many. They at least push us towards the more entrenched democracies where candidates appear before well-informed audiences to respond to serious national issues. We can do better by going beyond the debates and holding periodic encounters where whoever wins the election to form the government could be put before a similar audience to respond to his/her campaign promises and not necessarily wait until the end of his/her term. Whether the debates will influence the voting pattern or whether the candidates will live up to their words are different matters but the venture is worth taking and we hope next time, all the presidential candidates will be offered equal opportunity to make their voices heard on the same platform. This year’s two debates held in Tamale and Accra might have addressed some serious issues but ignored what some may think are trivial and need not bother presidential candidates. Some of us think on a daily basis, some issues have become such a part of us that they should be ignored. But these issues must equally be given serious attention as the other good things promised by the candidates. The first that readily comes to mind is the traffic situation in Accra, our national capital. Accra is a relatively small city compared to some of the world capitals and mega-cities. However, the traffic situation in Accra surpasses that of most of the bigger and more densely populated cities in other parts of the world. The situation has become so terrible that one could hardly predict his/her movement from one part of the city to another with any form of accuracy. Throughout t the day, all roads leading to the city centre are choked with heavy traffic which exert enormous pressure on commuters. Workers and students who want to beat the traffic are compelled to wake up very early to set off. This means one has to wake up very early and return home very late. Such a routine is not good for anybody’s health. Those who cannot make the regular dawn journey are trapped for long hours in traffic and get to the office already exhausted. This seriously undermines the productivity we are all yearning for. The traffic situation is serious and it acts as a huge disincentive to those who will want to do business in the country, taking into account our relatively stable political environment and the resources at our disposal. The relief brought to commuters with the opening of the George Bush Expressway is a clear indication that Accra is greatly handicapped in modern road network befitting a modern capital city. Most of the intersections and roundabouts have become bottlenecks in traffic distribution in the capital. Several of the roundabouts in the capital city, including the Kwame Nkrumah Circle, the Obetsebi-Lamptey Circle, the Danquah Circle, have outlived their usefulness and must give way to modern designs and constructions that will take care of the numerous vehicles plying the city roads. In addition to that, we need a more efficient traffic light system than what is existing now. The Accra-Tema Motorway which was the nation’s pride is now worn out and only a symbol of a past glory. After 50 years or so, the motorway has paid its dues and must be decommissioned to give way to something new. Another thing the debates failed to tell us is what our presidents are going to do to stem road accidents which have become part of our daily lives. Some of us believe that the sermons are not doing the trick and we need to address the fundamental issues right from the office of the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) to road checks mounted by the officers and men of the Motor Traffic and Transport Unit (MTTU) of the Ghana Police Service. If in the past we did not factor road safety as a major national issue, things have changed drastically and we need to give the matter a special attention if we are to restore sanity onto our roads. Perhaps it is time to redefine the mandate of the MTTU as a special wing of the Ghana Police Service with service head whose authority is national and not what pertains now when the MTTU boss has a big title but very little authority. Another national canker is the indiscipline that has permeated the building industry in the country. Two weeks ago, we were witnesses to a tragic event, when a five-storey building collapsed killing 14 innocent people and injuring many others. For those who survived, many will live with the psychological scar for the rest of their lives. Part of the traffic problem mentioned earlier could be attributed to the haphazard way many buildings have been constructed in the city with some taking land that was originally earmarked for roads. We cannot talk about good health without paying attention to the filth that is swallowing the capital city. Accra’s sanitation problems have become a major issue that must be addressed with all seriousness and we would want to hear the voices of our presidential candidates on such major issues. Others may not see it as a big problem but begging in the city especially at traffic intersections has become a menace. It can be scary when someone emerges from your blind side begging for alms. Sometimes it is not easy to tell who is a beggar and who is an armed robber. Both operate at traffic intersections. While focusing on the big issues of unemployment, education, energy and others let us not lose sight of the fact that these little things play significant roles in our daily lives and need to be tackled with equal zeal. fokofi@yahoo.co.uk kofiakordor.blogspot.com

The price for institutional indiscipline, corruption

The whole nation went into frenzy when the unexpected happened. The tragedy of Wednesday, November 14, 2012 triggered a flurry of rescue activities unprecedented in the country. The first individuals who got to scene soon after the collapse of the five-storey building housing the Melcom Shopping Mall at Achimota, a suburb of Accra, the national capital, applied whatever implements they could lay their hands on, including bare hands, before organised institutions like the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS), the National Ambulance Service, the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), the Ghana Armed Forces, Zoomlion and many others joined forces in the rescue mission. While rescue efforts were underway, unexpectedly, there was a relentless verbal assault on parties considered to have played various roles to bring about the calamity. They include the owner of the building who was later identified as Nana Nkansah Boadi Ayeboafo, the management of the Melcom Group for not doing due diligence before occupying the building and of course the city authorities for not executing their mandate satisfactorily with regard to the construction of structures whether for domestic, commercial or industrial purposes in the city. Interestingly, one person who was very visible and vocal in the scheme of things was Dr Alfred Okoe Vanderpuije, the Metropolitan Chief Executive, the man who has full jurisdiction over Achimota where the incident happened and who, under normal circumstances should bear full responsibility for the tragedy. It was not strange that after such a monstrous calamity, which at the last count had cost 14 lives and many others injured, there should be a public inquest on the altar of public opinion, to look for scapegoats and possibly pass the buck. The most contentious issue was as to whether there was an approved building permit, and if there was one, whether the building inspectors matched the designed against the site plan and whether the contractor who executed the project, did a professional job. Members of the public were yet to know the truth. While the AMA boss, Dr Vanderpuije, who was quick to download the problem onto the shoulders of others, claimed that there was no permit, Nana Ayeboafo claims he had a permit and other documents that he could produce to prove his case. Dr Vanderpuije was the first to wash his hands off the disaster by telling Ghanaians that the construction of the building started long before he assumed office. He did not fail to point accusing fingers at others and was also instrumental in the arrest of the owner of building, Nana Ayeboafo, and two building inspectors – Karl Henry Clerke and Christian Ababio. Typical of us, there were torrents of advice from all corners as to what should have been done to prevent the Achimota catastrophe and what should be done to avoid similar tragedies in future. What we failed to acknowledge is that even going by existing building regulations, we still have enough legislation to ensure sanity and protect life and property if we apply the rules to the letter. What we lack is the will and determination to apply the rules and regulations we have set for ourselves. We have become a country notorious for making laws that we are not prepared to enforce because of institutional negligence or indiscipline and corruption. One area where we have been severely exposed as a nation is in the construction or better still, the building sector. In comparative terms, Accra our national capital is nothing to write home about because of the haphazard nature of its planning. Accra is about the only national capital where structures of all kinds could spring up anywhere, anytime without recourse to any layouts. Accra has become flood-prone because nobody cares about watercourses and you can drive on roads that end up in the garage of someone’s house. The Town and Country Planning Department and its counterpart departments in the various assemblies have shirked their responsibilities to the state to an extent that those who want to do the right thing become victims of a corrupt system. Because of unnecessary bureaucracy and red-tapeism, corrupt officials have exploited the system, making it extremely difficult for those who genuinely want to acquire building permits to do so without any hindrance. If what pertains in the construction sector could be described as lawlessness, the transportation sector is a huge jungle. This is perhaps about the only place where once you have two legs and two arms you can easily pass as a driver. We all know why our roads have become killing fields but lack the moral strength to enforce the motor traffic regulations to save the situation. Any time there is a major accident which claims innocent lives, we are bombarded with pious sermons on efforts to ensure road safety only to relax and wait for another tragedy. The Melcom tragedy and similar ones are a constant reminder that when we allow national institutions to decay in indiscipline and corruption, we only prepare the ground for such national tragedies, most of which are avoidable. fokofi@yahoo.co.uk kofiakordor.blogspot.com

The beauty of American democracy

One of the fiercest battles for the Oval Office in the White House in modern American history ended dramatically last Tuesday night when Obama added the Ohio electoral votes to his tally to earn his passage for a second term as President of the United States of America. Until then, it was too close to call. When all was over, the Americans exhibited a character which set them apart from the rest of us and which has made that nation the cynosure of the rest of the world. First was the speech delivered by Governor Mitt Romney, the Republican candidate who gave incumbent Obama the scare of his life, to his supporters in Boston, Massachusetts, after he had called the President to concede defeat and to congratulate him on his re-election. Obviously, Romney came so close and was clearly disappointed that his message was rejected by the majority of American voters. However, he never sounded bitter, acrimonious nor antagonistic. He never looked for scapegoats for his defeat or saw the manipulations of unseen hands to thwart his ambition to occupy the most powerful office in the world. In a brief speech, Romney accepted the verdict of the American people and said he had no option than to respect the wish of the majority of Americans and lend his support to President Obama so that together they could work to attain the vision for America. That is well said and done. On the other side, President addressed thousands in Chicago without sounding pompous. At his oratorical best, he delivered one of his most powerful and emotional speeches to thank his supporters, especially those who did the field work to ensure his victory in the tight race. At no time did Obama try to rake old wounds by making reference to the campaign period, which is now history. He did not make any disparaging remarks about the man who was his opponent in the race to the White House. The battle was over and everything he said was about America and the way forward. He said once the elections were over, his administration would work with the Republicans to address the concerns of Americans. Any lessons there? President Obama noted that America had achieved its greatness not because of its status as the world’s wealthiest and most powerful nation, nor for its culture and institutions of learning. America is great because of the greatness and unity of its people who come from diverse backgrounds. This is why others from other nations are clamouring to come and have a taste of the great America. Throughout the campaign period, the American flag was more visible than party flags or other paraphernalia as we see here. The message is simple. The people were pursuing an agenda to elect an American President and not a party president. Electoral contests are not duels between two combatants who are putting their physical strengths to test. They are contests of ideas and the electorate are the judges. Victory for one person means his ideas have triumphed and have been accepted by the majority of the people. This should not be seen as a personal victory to be flaunted and used to taunt others. Political campaigns in the US cannot be said to be smooth always. They could be rough at times, but the bottom line is they are dominated by issues. Once the elections are over, the elected person becomes the President of the US and not a party representative at the seat of government, in our case the Osu Castle who does as he/she pleases to either favour party members or isolate the rest of us. Both Obama and Romney emphasised the point that as individuals, they have their interests and diverse opinions, but what matters is their collective decision and effort to push their nation forward. Obama was elected not because his father came from Kenya in Africa, was born in Hawaii and has Chicago in the State of Illinois as his hometown. His support base cut across the colour spectrum and transcends racial barriers – Whites, Hispanics Latinos and Blacks. He was elected because the majority of Americans bought into his vision of bringing change to America. He won the hearts of the majority of the Americans again because they still share in his vision and believe that he deserves another four years to deliver. If we want this nation to move forward and come close to greatness, we should stop playing the tribal and ethnic cards. We must begin to assess candidates on their merits and what we think they are capable of. We must begin to purge our politics of fanaticism and blind loyalty. America is great because over the years, the people have been able to harness the strength of their diversity and multiple talents into a great cohesive union. We are a few weeks away from our presidential and parliamentary polls and we could do with a few lessons from the American experience. We must begin to dwell on the issues that continue to pin us down to the ground despite all the human and material resources God has generously given us. Our presidential candidates must convince the electorate that they are eager to occupy the Castle not because they want to fleece the country and satisfy their selfish interests but that of the nation. Our politicians must realise that they have no powers of their own and that what makes them powerful is the collective power of the people transferred to them to manage in trust. Let us also resolve that our electoral process will be an opportunity to offer alternatives towards the same ultimate goal. Let us also come to terms with the fact that when we lose, it may not be because the people do not like us or hate us but because other alternatives have prevailed. To those who may emerge victorious, let them not consider it a personal victory but a victory for superior ideas and an opportunity to transform these into practice that would bring drastic and qualitative change in the lives of the people. We must agree that when the contest is over, we are back together as one with one President who must embrace all of us as one big family. fokofi@yahoo.co.uk kofiakordor.blogspot.com