State of the Nation

President Is Addressing Parliament
President John Agyekum Kufuor is expected to deliver his 2003 State of the Nation Address to Parliament Thursday, February 13.

It is coming at a time when fuel process have been doubled, workers are demanding higher salary increases and within a general pressure to fulfil some of the electoral promises of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).

The president has his own research team to bring expectations of majority of Ghanaians to him. Even as the preasident prepares to deliver his address, the expectations of the people are high.

“There is great expectation that JAK will address the issue of crime. The security agencies have done well in the fight against crime, especially, night armed robberies, but the recent trend of armed robbers striking during the day is worrying. JAK must come up with some innovative measures to help the security agencies maintain their tempo.”

Apart from engaging more police personnel, for instance, would the government consider training traffic guards of wardens (not necessarily policemen) to free more police personnel to fight crime?

Ghanaians want to hear from the president, a process to accelerate the implementation of some rather good policies. The NPP’s desire to implement mass transportation system was made clear within months of their assumption of power. If a sense of urgency had been injected into this idea, the impact of the recently announced fuel price increases would have been cushioned.

In his State of the nation Address last year, the president said in part, “it is cheaper to keep our gutters clean and not breed mosquitoes than build hospitals where we shall be treated for malaria.” What has happened since then? Are the various Municipal and District Assemblies waiting for the president’s special initiative on fighting mosquitoes?

When are some of the Assemblies going to appoint sanitary inspectors to ensure cleanliness, reduce incidence of malaria, save money and enhance productivity?

There is a perception that the president is a bit weak in ensuring discipline within certain spheres of his administration. There have been complaints that instances of some District Chief Executives (DCEs) being involved in corrupt practices, and award of non-transparent contracts have gone with the wind.

The views of some of these Ghanaians who are bold enough to report such cases is that these DCEs often allege that some of the ill-gotten gains are meant for the party.

When these DCEs still stay at post, can we imagine the message that such inaction will send - perhaps these allegations may have some truth in them.

There have been reports of power conflicts between the DCEs, Members of Parliament and NPP Regional and Constituency Executives. The most recent and embarrassing one was a news item, which quoted the Jomoro District Assembly as deciding not to allow the transit of cattle because the NPP constituency chairman led 50 men to destroy the Kraal in which about 1,000 had been kept, allegedly on “orders from above.”

We wait to see what will happen – what those “above” who gave the orders will do about the financial loss of ?60 million to the assembly. Past governments have lacked the political will to ensure that pooling of civil service vehicles. Current fuel prices and the desire to cut down on government expenditure makes it imperative that such a decision is thought through and possibly implemented.

Since such vehicles are maintained with monies from the Consolidated Fund, pooling them to be used by civil servants from designated areas will go a long way to reduce expenditure on transportation and enhance productivity. Consider how frustrating it is for a worker to be in a queue for over an hour waiting for public transport, whilst a half empty official bus drives past, headed for the ministerial block next door.

Notwithstanding JAK’s confessions regarding the number of ministers in his government, the over 70 ministers are being underutilized and so the number needs to be cut down. The argument for the cutting down on the number becomes even more relevant with the appointment of so many special assistants and advisors.

It is also true that the decision to reshuffle the ministers is entirely that of the president but quite a number of them have been found wanting. People will also expert the president to announce concrete examples of the sacrifices that members of government would be enduring. For example, will the president announce the limits on use of telephone, fuel and vehicles? There would be expectations of hints of direction of the 2003 budget?

Mr. president, Ghanaians are waiting.