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

A season of promises

THE game is getting more and more exciting as all the parties and their candidates criss-cross the length and breadth of the country, drawing attention to themselves with their promises. The season is ripe for such promises that are being dished out with gusto from all the parties and their candidates to those who are willing to hear and believe. There are many others who will listen but reject or treat with contempt some of the outrageous promises, based on past experiences. Promises, sometimes compiled into manifestoes, are like the grease that lubricates the campaign machinery of the parties and their candidates. At least, they are necessary to test the candidates’ appreciation of our national problems and how they are going to solve them. It is a phenomenon associated with the democratic culture and Ghanaian politicians are not alone when it comes to campaign promises. What is lacking, which has created a big gap between the promises and the reality once parties win power, is our inability to take parties/candidates on for their campaign promises. Elsewhere, politicians are careful about what they say on campaign platforms lest they lose their credibility and integrity. Here, politicians just drop the promises like ripe mangoes in windstorm without regard to the sensibility of the electorate, knowing very well they are as soon forgotten as they were delivered. There could be many reasons why our politicians often escape with their empty promises. I could readily cite a media that is not aggressive enough to hold politicians accountable for their promises. The media which credit itself as the fourth estate of the realm very often abandon their traditional roles and become appendages of politicians in government or in opposition. Our journalists become so much attached that they lose the moral courage and strength to speak authoritatively and objectively on issues of national interest. Second, there is so much fanaticism in our politics that we fail to see the good in others and the evil in ourselves. Party supporters take entrenched positions and defending their parties even if it is clear that the national interest is suffering. Even when it comes to fighting corruption, party fanatics are not able to differentiate between individual misbehaviour and party interest, and so as long as government functionaries can count on party support, they can easily escape sanction for undermining the national interest. In other words, governments are able to escape with failed promises because majority of Ghanaians are not prepared to assess our leaders by the quality of their performance or the calibre of people who constitute the leadership of parties. The promises being made today towards Election 2012 are not different from the ones we have heard since we returned to constitutional rule in 1993. We have had enough of promises to turn this country into a paradise. If promises were anything to go by, there should have been two additional international airports in Kumasi and Tamale. Again on transportation, there should have been a railway line connecting Accra, the national capital, to Tamale in the Northern Region and beyond, while expressways with asphalt cut across the length and breadth of the country, linking all our major towns and cities. Based on previous promises, fishing communities on the coastal belt should be brimming with fishing activity at modern landing sites with refrigeration facilities. Still on agriculture, the Afram and Accra plains should by now become food baskets of the nation, with irrigation canals feeding farms with water from the River Volta, which flows wastefully into the sea. While we continue to pronounce the private sector as the engine of growth, the sector has not benefitted from the needed government support to truly deliver as the engine of growth. The sector continues to battle the same problems – lack of capital and unfair competition from cheap imports from outside, especially China and other Asian countries. All our governments at various times made promises that were never delivered, either because they were made without any commitment or they were made without calculating the costs and other social implications. We cannot continue to survive on empty promises. Our political parties and presidential candidates must begin to take the business of campaigns serious and tell us what they can do and do well and not what we want to hear from them. The electorate must also be discerning and begin to assess candidates on merit and not by party affiliation. We should be able to disengage ourselves from our candidates if it is obvious that their interest does not coincide with the general good of Ghanaians. It is only when politicians realise that they cannot take the support of their traditional strongholds for granted that they will buck up and deliver when given the mandate. fokofi@yahoo.co.uk kofiakordor.blogspot.com

Who caused the STC mess?

The nation’s biggest and best-selling newspaper, the Daily Graphic, was screaming with the banner headline: ‘STC FOR SALE’. Those who were old enough could remember with nostalgia, the State Transport Corporation (STC) in its full glory. They could not but open their mouths in shock and disgust at such a story about a national institution that had left sweet memories in the minds of many households. What went wrong? Is an obvious question they would be asking. Those were the days the nation’s number one transporter – the brainchild of Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah – was the dominant carrier of human beings and cargo in the country, visibly commanding the country’s roads. The STC was not only a symbol of national pride but the main guarantor of road safety. No wonder every Ghanaian wanted to enjoy the services of STC. Students particularly going to and returning from school, would go for nothing except the STC bus which provided safety and comfort. In those days, even young children were ‘posted’ on STC buses or trucks and they would be delivered safely to their relatives. STC trucks also delivered mails on behalf of the then Post and Telecommunications Department throughout the country with regular precision while its tankers made sure fuel and other lubricants reached the remotest corner of the country. Then the rot set in. The STC, like all other state enterprises, started experiencing a downward slide in its operations thanks to undue political interference, cronyism and corrupt practices. The time came when the stage was set for the STC to go the way of other state enterprises nurtured and groomed and made vibrant under the First Republic – divestiture – or in most cases, as a giveaway to whoever is nearest and dearest to the ruling clique. A Serious Fraud Office (SFO), now Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), report stumbled upon by yours truly cleared showed how some organisations and individuals conspired in various ways to strip this country naked and milk it dry of precious national resources. It began in 1996, when the STC was put on divestiture by the Divestiture Implementation Committee (DIC). Bids were received from three companies, namely; Vanef Consortium Limited (VCL), Yellow Cab Limited and Densu Ventures Limited. The bid price was US$12.4 million and a cedi component of c4,984 billion. VCL won the bid but could not pay within the stipulated time so it lapsed. The divestiture was re-advertised in 1998 and October, 1998, three bids were received from VCL, WMBO (Workers Management Buy Out) and Kalahari Investments. The bid was won again by VCL. The bid price was US$14.52 million and VCL was to pay as follows: US$2.4m to be paid upon execution of the Sale and Purchase Agreement (SPA); another US$10m payment within eight weeks of finalising due diligence on assets to be taken over to DIC. A third instalment of US$2.12 was to be paid six months after the second payment. The SPA was signed on December 1999, thus by January 2000, the payment of US$12.4m was to be effected, leaving a balance of US$2.12m to be effected by June 17, 2000. VCL managed to get a loan from the Social Security Bank (SSB), which was guaranteed by Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) totaling US$14m and c4.98bn based upon a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) it signed with SSNIT on December 14, 1998, that SSNIT would purchase STC through its debt swap arrangement with Government for VCL which spelt out the responsibilities of SSNIT. As would be expected, VCL defaulted in the loan repayments even though it operated the full fleet of the transport company and SSNIT had to settle SSB which became SG-SSB. In any case the personalities behind VCL have raked in millions of cedis and dollars in personal gains at the expense of the taxpayer. What became known as Vanef-STC was actually acquired with moneys from SSNIT with nothing coming from VCL. The capital and expertise were expected to be injected into the company to make it more viable and profitable before did not come. If anything at all, it made people to reap where they never sowed. Meanwhile organisations and individuals mentioned by the SFO report, that benefitted illegally in the transactions which imposed extra burden on the Ghanaian taxpayer went scot free, until the company changed hands again with SSNIT owning 80 per cent shares and the government 20 per cent in Intercity-STC. In 2005, in what could be described as conflict of interest, the then board chairman of Intercity-STC, Mr Stephen Sekyere Abankwa, who was also the Managing Director of Prudential Bank, engineered a loan of US3,783,935 from his bank for the purchase of 45 FAW buses. The acquisition of the buses was fraught with irregularities as they were not tested and certified to be suitable for our roads and climatic conditions. According to most of the workers of Intercity-STC, none of the buses could last two years, thus creating payment problems. This is the loan that the beleaguered Intercity-STC had defaulted in paying, compelling Mr Abankwa to seek a court order to go in for his pound of flesh from the company he one-time was the board chairman. As in the case of Vanef-STC, SSNIT, the nation’s number one workers’ pension manager, will have to use workers contributions to pay a debt created by some few unscrupulous people who have made fortunes on the blood and sweat of Ghanaian workers. The divestiture concept under its current execution has not helped the nation and the workers of those organisations and firms. It has become a big joke, since it would have been better giving out these companies free of charge than using state money to purchase a company and handing it over to a few individuals to rape it and create more debts for the state. fokofi@yahoo.co.uk kofiakordor.blogspot.com

Tribute to a living V-Mate

We live in a world where as soon as a person dies, that person becomes a saint. The tributes that pour forth in the event of death make it look as if while that person was alive, he had never stepped on an ant, spat or blown his nose in public; everything about the dead person was exemplary and needed to be emulated by all. In fact, so copious and flowery are the praises that there is no doubt in the minds of anybody that if there is truly any place as heaven, then that person is marching straight to a first-class apartment in that celestial realm. Sincerely speaking, there were and still are, men and women who have made and continue to make their lives worth emulating. That is why there is nothing wrong with tributes per se. If for nothing at all, they serve as inspiration to those still alive to either continue in their good ways or mend their lives where they obviously believe they have fallen short of expectation. For the dead, I wonder whether those sweet tributes serve any useful purpose for them. That is why some of us would prefer that those who do well in life are told about it before their demise. In that wise, those persons and those close to or associated with them would savour their good works. It will also urge them to do more and inspire others to follow suit. Moreover, in our part of the world, where certain virtues have become scarce commodities and at best exist as mere words, it is only fair and in order that those who have exhibited certain sterling qualities become examples for the rest of us. It is on account of this that I join many others to congratulate Mr Justice Saeed Kwaku Gyan. Justice Gyan has found himself in a profession that has its peculiar challenges. As a High Court Judge, his job definitely puts a lot of physical strain on him. He is also confronted with the challenge of interpreting the law to the letter and satisfaction of those who appear before him. I do not think Justice Gyan ever declared himself incorruptible, the way others do. I do not think he ever made claim to honesty, impartiality or fairness. It is his deeds and not words that are speaking for him. At the recent annual conference of the Ghana Bar Association (GBA), held in Takoradi in the Western Region, Justice Gyan came up for special mention. He was singled out for mention by the august body of legal brains for his exemplary performance. The inscription on the plaque presented to him read; “For his uprightness and will to resist corruption in the discharge of his duties as a Justice of the High Court”. It said, “The National Executive Committee of the GBA toured the regions and visited Sekondi-Takoradi in its Western Regional tour. Nowhere in the regions visited was a judge so singled out for praise by the Bar and Bench”. It went on; “Your first station as a judge was Sekondi-Takoradi where you remained for four years. We visited the region in your absence, but the lawyers could not stop mentioning you for instilling in them discipline and diligent work. “They confirmed you upheld your path of office and dispensed justice without fear or favour. You worked very hard, without thinking of being in competition with anybody. No wonder you gained the admiration of your peers who wondered whether they could leave office with the same commendation and accolade. “Human as you are, you were bound to have made some mistakes. But none bordered on corruption whatsoever. The testimony was that not even ‘thank you’ gift after a decision would be entertained by you. Indeed, in you, we have an anti-corruption personality. “It is for reason, therefore, that the Bar is bestowing on you this singular honour for being who you are, an honest, hardworking and incorruptible judge”. This is the verdict of the members of the Bar and Bench who are the peers of Justice Gyan. These are people who have worked with Justice Gyan over the years either defending clients in his court or observing his performance as fellow professionals on the Bench. So they stand in a very good stead to make judgement and come to a reliable verdict. As stated earlier, in a world where certain virtues or qualities are mere words and in a profession that has come under heavy public criticism for lapses perceived to border on corruption, it is only fair and proper that Justice Gyan’s high attributes are not left unheralded till his body is lowered into his grave before the trumpets begin to blow his spectacular qualities. This is the time to make his wife, children, relatives and friends proud of his achievements and to celebrate them while he is still in active service and could serve as an inspiration to others. There are many other Justice Gyans all over the place doing their best to make this country a better place for all. There are health professionals including doctors and nurses that are doing their best against all odds to save lives, even at the peril of their lives. There are teachers that are ready to serve in any part of the country and without any extra incentives or textbooks are trying hard to transform raw brains into top-class professionals for the future. There are cashiers and accountants who, with all the company money before them are prepared to suffer deprivation just to protect what belongs to all. The list is long and endless and all such people need to be identified and acknowledged. Society must begin to cherish value and merit and not the corrupt brigands who are loudest. To V-Mate Justice Gyan, I say congrats. Remember that once you have been mentioned publicly for honour , the temptations would be become more, but remain resolute and steadfast and be yourself. Remember, ‘Truth Stands’, which is the motto of Commonwealth Hall of the University of Ghana, of which you are a proud and revered member. fokofi@yahoo.co.uk

Beating unnecessary war drums

Last week, the police invited the media to brief them about their preparations towards Election 2012. On display for public view were some accoutrements of their business. These included armoured vehicles, water cannons and other riot control gear. These, the police have promised to deploy to counter those who would want to cause mischief during the elections. We cherish our peace as a nation at all times and not only during elections. It will, therefore, be the wish of every citizen that the police, being the guardians of internal order, were provided with all the resources, both human and material, to undertake that enterprise to the satisfaction of all. However, preparing for national elections is not the same as preparing for war and if the idea is to put the fear of the Lord into mischievous characters, then we may be sending the wrong signals and creating psychological wounds in their skulls which may take long to heal. What we need to do as a nation is to create all the necessary conditions for a free and fair election to avoid stirring emotions that could trigger discontent and probably violent behaviour. If we fail and that happens, no amount of armour will scare an aggrieved population and the consequences would be beyond the control of a few police vans spraying tear gas among a mob. Perhaps we need to take a few lessons from history. In 1974, what became known as the Ethiopian Revolution started as street protests by workers for better wages and economic reforms. Government reaction, as usual, was to use the police to quell the daily demonstrations which never stopped. Things took a different turn, the police also embarked on strike on the same grounds -- economic hardships – and refused to go to the streets to suppress the civilian demonstrations. The military, which was already at the battle front in Eritrea, joined the protests and not long, the empire of Emperor Haille Selassie came to an end. The Islamic Revolution of Iran started in 1978 as street protests against the Shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, who vainly tried to use brute force at the disposal of the military to quell it. By January, 1979, the Shah himself had to flee into exile and the opposition, led by Ayatollah Khomeini, took over and prepared the ground for the Islamic Revolution. There was a photograph of the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989 which captured global attention and continue to be a symbol of people’s resistance up till today. That was a picture of a lone man standing before a column of military tanks prepared to be crushed. The man was not crushed but the protests which started in April of that year was brought to an end on June 4, 1989, with the declaration of martial law by the Chinese authorities after the death of hundreds of protesting civilians. All the above examples showed that once you set certain events in motion, the fear element is gone and people would be prepared to make the supreme sacrifice if that would be the only way they could register their point. The best bet, therefore, is to make sure that things do not get that far. We have been organising elections since 1992, but each time it seems to be the first, full of fear, suspicion and apprehension. Why should electing our lawmakers and a president for the republic generate so much heat so much so that the police, that are supposed to be peace officers, have to put on display battle hardware to frighten the population? There are those who will suffer personal losses when they lose the election and there are those who will make personal gains when they win the elections. These categories of people are behind the tension in our election. If we can isolate such people and selfish intentions, there will be no need to prepare for war when elections are due. The best way to ensure a peaceful election is to display maturity and civility in all the electoral processes. All those who have key roles to play in the process – from the Electoral Commission to the political parties and their candidates – must act with fairness and firmness and do what is expected of them according to law; and on voting day the police armoured vehicles and water cannons will remain redundant. It is a big shame that in Africa, elections are associated with fear and apprehension, sometimes ending in violence like what happened in Kenya in 2007 and Cote d’Ivoire in 2011 and part of this year. If the national good is the objective, then those war drums must remain silent so that we can reflect soberly and decide who among the candidates comes closest to what we want in a leader and choose accordingly. fokofi@yahoo.co.uk kofiakordor.blogspot.com

Looking beyond the stars

There is a wise counsel that you cut your coat according to the size of your cloth. The lesson is very simple. When nursing any ambition you should not lose sight of your capabilities both in terms of resources and capacity. That should not give room for mediocrity. In other words we should not shy away from setting ambitious targets whether as individuals or as a nation. In 1961, the late President John F. Kennedy addressed the US Congress and charged that before that decade came to an end, the US should be able to land man on the Moon and return him safely back to the Earth. The US had previously been beaten to it by the Soviet Union, its Cold War rivals, when the giant communist state on April 12, 1961 launched the first human being in the person of Yuri Alexeyevich Gagarin into outer space. That achievement fuelled the urge in the US to do more than the then Soviet Union. President Kennedy was not unaware of the daunting nature of the task he set for the US scientists. He knew putting man on the Moon was not going be like taking off at New York International Airport, which was later named after him, and landing at Dulles International Airport in Washington DC. President Kennedy’s challenge, therefore, was for a purpose – to re-establish the might of the US in space exploration and to affirm its position as a superpower not only in international politics but also in science and technology – and he knew it was achievable. President Kennedy did not live to see the end of that decade, having been killed by an assassin’s bullet on November 22, 1963, in Dallas in the state of Texas. He did not know that on July 20, 1969, the first human being – Neil Armstrong – a US astronaut, set foot on the Moon. All the countries that have made it, and continue to make it set for themselves ambitious targets which were pursued with religious fervour. It is not enough to aim for the hills and streams when you can target the stars and the mighty oceans. Ghana’s first President, Dr Kwame Nkrumah, was not a man of low ambitions. Even at a time when some people thought the country was not ripe to break the chains of colonial rule, Dr Nkrumah felt there was no need to remain a day longer under British colonial rule. After independence, President Nkrumah set off an ambitious programme to transform Ghana and to make it a symbol of independence and development not only on the continent, but internationally. The President’s agenda encompassed all fronts – agriculture, education, science and technology, commerce and industry. There were people in this country in those days who felt President Nkrumah was moving at too fast a pace and criticised most of the projects as grandiose and unnecessary. Some were critical when the idea of constructing a hydro-electric dam on the Volta at Akosombo was mooted. They claimed the diesel generating plant serving Accra at the time was still under-utilised and, therefore, there was no need for a huge project such as a hydro-electric dam. Anyway, Akosombo Dam was built, but today, not even the additions of the Kpong Dam and the thermal plants could provide for Ghana’s domestic and industrial needs. It means the man was seeing deep into the future. At a time nuclear energy was not on the table of many countries, President Nkrumah set up the Atomic Energy Research Station at Kwabenya near Accra to exploit the research benefits of nuclear energy and possibly for power generation. More than 40 years after President Nkrumah’s demise, we are still promising ourselves the development of nuclear energy for power generation. Incidentally those who took the lead in this regard are revising their notes and closing down some of their nuclear stations. The giant silos that were never completed all over the country have made nonsense any claim that we are committed to food security when we have not made provision for storage, processing and preservation of our agriculture produce which were the ambition of President Nkrumah as far back as in the 1960s. Today, thanks to our oil and gas find and the expansions witnessed in the economy, the country’s two ports in Tema and Takoradi are coming under severe pressure, whereas years earlier, the idea of an additional port at Tema was criticised. A section of the population even questioned the educational policy of President Nkrumah which made basic education virtually free because to those people, it was like robbing them to pay others who did not deserve it. President Nkrumah’s big dreams and mission were truncated when his administration was overthrown on February 24, 1966. Some said we were better off with that military coup. History is still unfolding. Unfortunately we have not, as a nation, been able to set for ourselves any ambitious targets. Our development plan is without any bold and calculated targets. We have become a nation of sceptics. When Professor John Evans Atta Mills, while campaigning for the presidency, pledged to build two new universities in the Brong Ahafo and Volta regions, the chorus from the other end was that we do not have the financial resources for such projects. Some argued in favour of expanding the facilities in the existing universities instead of starting fresh projects. What we should note is that universities are not only centres of learning; they are avenues of opportunities. This is because they have the potential of creating new townships and offering all the services that are required for a township. The locations of these universities are bound to experience positive transformation when they are developed fully. One of the contentious issues engaging politicians on the campaign trail is the promise by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) flag bearer, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, to provide free education up to the second cycle level. His opponents including the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and some civil society organisations are very emphatic that this is a mirage. Some are saying we should forget such an idea for at least another 20 years. The proponents are defending their position by saying that the country has enough resources which can absorb free education up to the senior high school (SHS) level if we are committed to the idea. One voice which was quite loud and clear on this side of the argument was that of Prof. George Benneh, a former Vice Chancellor of the University of Ghana, Legon. His argument was that the nation has the resources, what may be lacking is the commitment and determination. This is campaign time so we should expect that the discussions on the subject will lack any objectivity. Many Ghanaians have lost interest in promises made on political campaign platforms. Even those documented in party manifestoes are hardly fulfilled and, therefore, have very little to do with voter decision. Getting close to election in December, we should expect promises and counter-promises without any objective analyses, politicians knowing Ghanaians would not bother to do so. So whether free SHS from the mathematics point of view is possible or not, we should as a nation begin to think big not only about education but about everything. We must begin to set our sights deep into the skies instead of looking a few metres ahead of us. Countries such as Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea and China that have become examples of economic success did not see themselves crawling but galloping. Our problem is not essentially about lack of resources but our priorities and how we utilise our resources. We can build this nation with positive thinking and the ‘CAN DO’ spirit instead of giving up easily and running to others for support at the least opportunity. fokofi@yahoo.co.uk kofiakordor.blogspot.com

What it takes to brand a nation

Mention the name Jamaica and immediately the image of a legendary musician begins to form in your mind. Robert Nesta Marley died more than three decades ago (May 11, 1981), but his image continues to hang huge on the Reggae landscape, never fading. Reggae is a music form played all over the Caribbean, where it takes its roots; and Africa, where most of the blacks inhabiting the Caribbean originally hailed from. Other musicians of the American and European stock drifted along the reggae craze and released their version of what has established the black identity on the international musical scene. The role played by Bob Marley in popularising reggae music effectively makes him the Godfather of Reggae Music and this image has reflected on Jamaica which is seen as the home of reggae. Beyond reggae music, Jamaica has also carved a niche for itself as the home of the world’s fastest athletes. Jamaica has always been home to some of the world’s best sprinters. As far back as 1976, a Jamaican, Don Quarrie, won the Olympic Gold in the 200 metres at the Montreal Olympic Games. The discovery of Usain Bolt in Beijing 2008, and the repeat performance at London 2012, have effectively pushed the United States of America [USA], (their closest rivals in the sprints and who have dominated this track event for decades) into the background. Now it should be obvious to those who care that Jamaica has branded itself, not by chance but through deliberate policy. It knows where its strength lies and has exploited it to the fullest advantage. The name Jamaica will definitely conjure in the mind such terrific sprinters as Usain Bolt, Johan Blake, Asafa Powell, Shelly-Ann Fraser, and Veronica Campbell-Brown. Jamaica, a small island of 2.7 million souls, can boast being the strongest athletics nation (at least by per capita) and this did not come by chance. The authorities know very well that they have the raw materials and instituted measures to unearth more talents on a regular basis. National competitions are organised for children as little as six years and these cut across all levels of the educational ladder. Scholarships are offered to the best to enrol in schools with specialist coaches, where they are groomed to stardom. It is no wonder that Jamaica has the best quartet in the relays because the talents are overwhelming, and getting a place on Team Jamaica is a huge challenge for the athletes and coaches. Brazil is one of the emerging world powers, ranking eighth on the global economic ladder. However, Brazil is best known for its prowess in football. Other countries are excited for just playing Brazil, whether in a friendly or competitive soccer. Brazil did not sit idle for things to happen. It has several soccer academies that groom the young talents who are in regular line of succession taking over from their seniors. Last year or so, there was a long list of personalities in the newspapers being invited to congregate to deliberate on the best way to rebrand Ghana. ‘Meeting to discuss branding the Republic?’ was an obvious question. Don’t we have enough already to package ourselves? Do we need a whole bureaucracy and its cost to the kitty to deliberate on branding? Politically, we have already scored marks for being the first black nation on the continent to wrest liberty from the colonists. Our position as the torchbearers of Africa’s independence struggle could have marketed this country to every part of the globe. For many years, we were the world’s largest producer of cocoa beans out of which chocolate and other cocoa products are produced. What have we done to make the mere mention of chocolate tingle with the image of Ghana? Nothing. We are still proud producing and shipping raw cocoa beans to the outside world while chocolate remains a delicacy on our breakfast table. Mother Earth has been generous to us. Buried in her bowls in almost every part of the country are tonnes and tonnes of gold, which have attracted diggers from every part of the world, including China. What have we done with our gold? Nothing. We do not even have a refinery after mining gold and diamond for decades to enhance the value of our precious minerals. The Chinese, having studied us and seen how careless and corrupt we can be, have invaded our forests with impunity digging for gold everywhere while our youth who attempt to do similar things on lesser scale are hounded and chained like wild animals. There are many ways to brand Ghana without putting fortunes into people’s pockets. We have the foundation which we can build on. Like Jamaica, we have raw athletics talents that could be unearthed, groomed and polished for the international arena where they could bring fortune and glory to themselves and the nation. There is no better way of branding a nation than advertising its performance on the world market. Where are those inter-school/college athletics competitions which unearth talents? Where are those inter-regional competitions which brought healthy rivalry among the regions and at the same time afforded the opportunity for young talents to advertise themselves? Where are the Armed Forces Games which were another source of unearthing national talents? Like Brazil, Ghana abounds in football talents. What we have failed to do over the years is to treat football as a business that can bring good returns. In that lackadaisical manner, there is no way we can do what the Brazilians are doing and printing their image on the football map of the world. Branding a country cannot be attained through endless meetings, workshops and seminars. It takes a conscious effort to project a positive image of oneself, capitalising on your strengths and dimming your weaknesses. Our tourism potentialities have hardly been tapped because of poor infrastructure such as bad roads and poor hospitality facilities. If we continue to live in filth, no amount of rhetoric will endear us to others. Our performance at the 2006 and 2010 World Cup tournaments in Germany and South Africa respectively illustrate the point that the world will acknowledge you if you position yourself through performance or achievements on the world stage. It tells you that branding has not got anything to do with bureaucracy, which is nothing but a drain on national resources. Even our democracy is a form of branding which we must encourage and improve upon. fokofi@yahoo.co.uk kofiakordor.blospot.com