Opinions of Monday, 19 August 2013

Columnist: GANA

Politicians should be named after what they build or leave behind

The first anniversary of our former late president, Prof. Evans Atta Mills of blessed memory was filled with many events from the national theater to the burial grounds, where he was laid to rest; but one incident which was supposed to honor him took a different turn and over-shadowed the anniversary with public outrage at the Accra Mayor (a.k.a Millennium Beard); being condemned from all corners of the society to the extent that the president had to step in with an unconditional apology.

The decision of the Mayor of Accra, Oko Vanderpuije, to change the name of the hockey stadium from the name of Madam Theodora to that of the late President Atta Mills, generated all this brouhaha.

The question that many Ghanaians are still asking is, wasn’t there any other public structure that the late president could be named after apart from the hockey stadium? Even presidents from other countries have structures in Ghana named after them.

Then I started to think about the structures our late president left behind, roads, hospitals, universities, factories etc

Thinking!!!!

There have to be something; all the schools, roads and hospitals he and his ministers talked about; all the sword cutting he did with his ministers.

There definitely have to be something.

Then it hit me, most of the things he said he will do were all paper work, just like most of the solutions to the country’s problems.

Basically, he did not build anything that was big enough honored him with. Hmm

This also means if we lose a national hero there are no structures to honor them with.

Imagine when a political figure pass away we honor him or her with whatever he or her built or the corruptions and debt they left while in power. From presidents, ministers, down to Assembly men and women, then we will clearly see those who truly served the country and those who did nothing.

It will also be a motivating for our leaders to work to develop infrastructure. In this modern day and age, our communities are depriving of basic structures such as clean water, quality roads, hospitals, factories and constant/stable electricity.

Hmm, Ghana a land of gold, diamond and many natural resources, after 54 years of independence, lack basic amenities.

Question! Nine months of Mahama’s presidency, is there anything to credit him with except the loans, corruption allegations, plethora of strikes and increasing economic hardship… what if he passes away (if all the professies about his deaf is anything to go by) will there be anything to name after him?