When great minds speak

By Kofi Akordor
I have great admiration for some of our traditional rulers. There may be more, but for the purpose of this article, I shall dwell on three. They are the Okyenhene, Osagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Panin II, the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, and the Agbogbomefia, Togbe Afede XIV. These are noble men who speak with conviction and address national issues impartially. These are men who will not sprawl before any politician for favour and, therefore, will say it as it should be said.
If Ghanaians will follow the admonitions and the practical examples set by these chiefs and others not mentioned here, this country will move forward instead of drifting in circles as it is doing now.
About two weeks ago, the Asantehene did not mince his words when the Vice-President in charge of AngloGold Ashanti’s operations in West Africa, Mr Christian Rampa Luhembwe, called on him at the Manhyia Palace. The Otumfuo used the opportunity to express his disappointment at the betrayal of trust and faith as exhibited by AngloGold Ashanti, when they were courting the acquisition of Ashanti Goldfields Company (AGC).
AngloGold, the South African investors at the time, made very tantalising promises, giving the impression that the Obuasi Mine was going to be transformed into a modern and flourishing one.
As the Otumfuo observed, nearly four years after the merger, the new owners have not done anything to near his personal expectations or that of Asanteman in general and definitely that of the nation as a whole.
How many of our leaders will confront the truth in such a blunt manner? The rape of AGC is just one example of how we have surrendered the wealth of our natural resources in the name of seeking foreign investment or due to our abundant faith in foreign expertise. The picture one sees at Obuasi does not reflect that of home of one of the richest gold mines in the world.
What some people choose to describe as illegal mining or galamsey has gained ascendancy because the unemployed youth of the mineral rich Obuasi and its environs have no other means of survival but to plunge into the bowels of the earth even at the peril of their lives seeking for the precious metal. The lifestyle of those who succeed proves that galamsey is a worthwhile venture.
Meanwhile, the mineral wealth of Obuasi and other mining areas continue to keep foreigners in opulence while a classroom block here and a toilet facility there are all that the communities benefit from their God-given treasures. Under the circumstance, defying the law and gambling for survival become the only option for the youth.
Not too long ago, we handed over the management of Ghana Telecommunications Company to a Malaysian consultancy. They fleeced us neat and dry and left with millions of dollars tucked under their armpits, leaving Ghana Telecom worse than they came to meet it. We did not learn any lessons, so we brought in the Norwegians believing that since they are Europeans, they will do better. The Norwegians came and milked us dry without meeting any of the targets set out in the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). The rest is history.
Still not able to overcome our dependency syndrome and inferiority complex we thought the best way to salvage our water system was to as usual look outwards. A South African company with roots in The Netherlands, Aqua Vitens Rand Limited (AVRL) was brought in about one and half years ago to the rescue. Today, if anything has changed, it is the more monies we are paying to the expatriates who have not proved better than Ghanaians. At the time of contracting these foreigners, many Ghanaians questioned the wisdom to bring in the so-called foreign experts to manage a system we have built and managed ourselves for years but who will go home with ridiculous salaries and consultancy fees. But no one listened. Soon after their arrival in 2006, Accra experienced one of its most painful water shortages.
In 2006, AVRL could be pardoned because they had just arrived. What about the current water shortage in Accra and its satellite towns? I have listened to officials of AVRL and the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) and the full page adverts in the newspapers by the former on the water crisis.
In their explanation, AVRL said there already exists a deficit of 70 million gallons of water supply a day, since production at Weija and Kpong treatment plants total 82 million gallons a day as against demand of 150 million gallons a day. The long drought has also not helped matters.
Secondly, the two treatment plants at Weija and Kpong were closed down for repair works on February 26, 2008, the former for two-and-half hours and the latter, 18 hours.
Thirdly, on February 27, February 29 and March 1, 2008, there were a series of power interruptions at the two stations which affected water production and distribution.
According to the full page advert running in the major newspapers, AVRL’s contract “is limited to efficiently operating the infrastructure for urban water services, maintenance of water quality, billing and collection”.
If AVRL did not bring into the country any extra volumes of water; did not bring any standby generators in case of emergency; did not bring in foreign capital; have not built additional pipelines or expanded the existing ones and have not in any way contributed to the improvement of the system, but are only here to feed on the existing infrastructure and collect bills, then what is their strategic importance?
The GWCL and many other local companies can be managed efficiently if only our governments will pay little attention to faces and names and concentrate on quality and expertise, when appointing key management staff of our local companies.
AVRL has proved that they have nothing better to offer Ghanaians and what we need is the overhauling of the infrastructure of GWCL, not foreign debt collectors.
Since the water crisis, Ghanaians have been bombarded with a lot of rhetoric without much action. The latest is that 13 boreholes are to be sunk in Accra, the national capital, to feed distressed areas with water. We are hearing this less than a week after we have celebrated our 51st anniversary as an independent nation in pomp and pageantry.
This is where I got attracted to one of Osagyefuo Ofori Panin‘s wise observations when he said as Ghanaians, we like talking too much without translating what we say into action. The Okyenhene made that observation when he chaired a forum on dams in Accra about two weeks ago. Talking is good. After all, it eases tension. But how does it benefit us as a nation if we spend all our productive hours talking when we should be thinking, planning and executing meaningful programmes to change our fortunes? If mere talking could develop a nation, Ghana would have been one of the most developed nations in the world.
Our radio stations, in the name of freedom of speech, have become platforms for long and senseless arguments on matters which do not merit the time spent on them. Even where the subject matters are of national relevance, the discussions take such partisan angles, they lose their significance.
I wonder what times our political and their bureaucrats and technocrats sit down to think and act, since most of the time, they are addressing workshops and seminars, receiving various delegations or inspecting projects that never get completed.
Our ministers are always in the media attending one public function or another, where, as usual, they never get short of promises, while our problems as a nation continue to pile up. If they are not engaged in a public function then they are attending any of the endless meetings which do not bring results. The Okyenhene has spoken. We talk too much.
Many Ghanaians were aware of the efforts the Agbogbomefia, Togbe Afede XIV, made to bring a Chinese firm to the country for power generation. This was at a time the country was grappling with power rationing. Just when everything was ready and the Chinese engineers were here to comment business, a land that was lying fallow for years suddenly gained title and ready for a power project and factory envisaged many years ago.
Notwithstanding that setback, the Agbogbomefia is still pursuing his dream, thanks to a new plot released to the company by the traditional authorities of Kpone.
I started with these three great chiefs because of their industry, leadership qualities and their determination to leave behind legacies of success for the present generation and those yet unborn.
This nation, with its abundant resources, will surely change for the better if only those entrusted with power and responsibility will emulate the determination of these chiefs to see Ghana a better place, spend lesser time talking and holding meetings and to confront national issues with greater zeal so that this country will take concrete steps towards progress and development.
The performance of AVRL has also proved a point. Until we stop converting key public offices into ‘thank you’ gift parcels, we shall continue to see our salvations in the hands of foreigners. Our problems can only be solved by ourselves.

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fokofi@yahoo.co.uk