Spio Garbrah: The Unscratchable Itch !

A couple of years ago, students in the tertiary institutions of Ghana rose up to one realisation; that the Facilities User Fees had come to stay! In the minds of the architects of this policy, this levy was to help give a facelift to the deteriorating facilities in our universities which had, until then, seen no maintenance. As typical of every human being and the Ghanaian in particular, we resisted the change claiming that this levy will put untold strain to the already precarious financial positions of our parents. We made our voices resonate through every nook and cranny of Ghana. We registered our grievances by taking to the streets and dubbing our struggle “The Mmobrowa Struggle”.

It was a struggle that exposed me to the happenings in government; it was a struggle that exposed me to the unparalleled leadership qualities of one of the illustrious sons of Ghana. I know that a lot has already been said about this man. But Friends, Ghanaians, countrymen, lend me your ears; I come to write about the man I know, not to praise him. The evil that men do lives after them. During the “Mmobrowa struggle”, a lot happened that served to open our eyes to the true character and personalities of some individuals. One of the those individuals is Ekwow Spio Garbrah, the then Minister of Education.

During the struggle, students took an adamant stance on the issues on the table and swore blood and fire not to take anything coming from the government. We were convinced, beyond any shadows of doubt that the policy was nothing but an orchestration by a rich few to visit untold hardship on the average Ghanaian parent. So we resisted it with the energy of a man caught in the lion’s den. It was in the heat of our resistance that we heard in the grapevine the intention of Spio Garbrah to visit KNUST to, as it were, address the student body. We laughed it off as the prattles of an ignorant government ‘aponkyee‘. But day after day, the news gathered more momentum and authenticity. It was then we realised that the man meant his word. So we got prepared with all the necessary artillery to lampoon him. Infact some of us carried water in buckets to the premises of the Great Hall in readiness to “cut Him water” (pond him) if he started any politricks .

But we were disappointed. The man was accorded an audience and an atmosphere of tranquillity unprecedented in the history of the Great Hall. When the man mounted the podium to address us, there was the initial murmurs, catcalls and insinuations. But his ability to listen endeared him to the students. Infact Spio Garbrah manifested 6 impressive qualities worthy of a leader. He was decisive throughout the course of the deliberations. Even though he was patient to listen to our side of the bargain, he left no stone unturned in pointing out the fact that the final decision rested with the powers-that-be. What is remarkable about it all is that this position was asserted irrespective of the hostility and sense of belligerence in the students. As a leader, one has to be decisive even in the face of hostility.

At KNUST, Spio Garbrah also exhibited a sense of consistency. One thing a leader cannot afford to do is to keep vacillating between opinions depending on the exegesis of the time. Infact Spio Garbrah was very consistent in the articulation of the position of government on the issue of facilities user fees. As a leader one cannot frequently change direction. That will undermine authority. An example will suffice. We all know of the pressure Tony Blair has suffered in the hands of the rather loquacious British press over his decision to take Britain to war in Iraq. Remarkably, the man has never changed directions. He has always stood by that decision even in the face of the hostility and the potential repercussions of that decision on his party.

Integrity has been defined as “the personal inner sense of ‘wholeness’ deriving from honesty and consistent uprightness of character.” That defines the persona of Spio Garbrah. This perhaps is the reason he has been able to weather the storm even on the most difficult terrains. In the walls of the KNUST, Spio showed that he was a force to reckon with when it comes to listening and the willingness to admit mistakes. It therefore came as no surprise that at the close of the day on that fateful afternoon, we the doubting thomasses went back to our halls rethinking our adamantine stance against the powers-that-be on that issue.

Without prejudice to the outstanding qualities of the other equally competent aspiring candidates, I think Spio must be given the nod to lead the NDC party at this very moment. From all indications, the man, at this moment, seem to be holding that magic stick that will help wrestle power out of the hands of the incumbent government. He certainly has the charisma and the derive to attract the youth into the party. He has the negotiating skills to bring back the prodigal sons of the party who are at the moment wondering in the wilderness trying to find their bearing.

There is no denying the fact that Professor Mills is a very competent individual who can equally see the NDC through the future. The problem with the learned Professor lie in two things : the SWEDRU DECLARATION and the portrayal of himself as a liberal man (asomdwehene). As per the Swedru Declaration, Marchiavelli had this to say “..but he who, contrary to the will of the people, has become prince by the favour of the nobles, should at once and before everything else strive to win the goodwill of the people, which will be easy for him, by taking them under his protection”. The failure of the learned professor to adhere to the loquacious admonitions Machiavelli on this issue is perhaps the reason some of the party stalwarts seceded to form their own party. And Professor Mills could have earned the goodwill of his people (in this case, his party members) by taking the admonitions of Machiavelli when he said “…a wise prince should, when opportunity offers, adroitly nurse some enmities ( in this case,Rawlings) against himself, so that by overcoming them, his greatness will be increased”.

On the issue of liberality which was used against the Professor on two successive elections, Machiavelli wrote and I quote “…and yet liberality indulged in so that you will no longer be feared will prove injurious. For liberality worthily exercised, as it should be, will not be recognised, and may bring upon you the reproach of the very opposite . For if you desire the reputation of being liberal, you must not stop at any degree of sumptuousness …” The perception inculcated in the minds of Ghanaians that the learned Professor is “asomdwehene” has not and will not help in his political enterprise. It is not the “asomdwe” per se which is the problem. After all who is it that will deny the beauty of peace? But the “asomdwe” espoused in this case is a manifestation of a fundamental weakness in the Professor; the weakness being that he might not be decisive when it comes to making decisions of a vital nature. That is the impression the Professor must learn to demystify as Ghanaians cannot afford to have a President who will be remote-controlled.

Some of us have the belief that each of the candidates contesting for the position of the presidential candidate of the NDC has all it takes to manage Ghana. But it will take wrestling power from the incumbent for one to be able to show what one has up his sleeves. Among the whole lot, the one individual who has the ability, at this moment, is that intelligent young man called Dr Ekwow Spio Garbrah. Hence come December 2006, let all well meaning “Akatamansonians” go out in their very numbers and make that choice that will bring back the glories of the NDC. Let us not be deceived by the example of President Kuffuor as some of us believe that he won the 2002 elections, not because Ghanaians voted for him, but because the invisible hands of rigging were at their operational best. And woe betides you if you think Akuffo Addo will sit behind and allow you to rig the elections.

EYE ZU!

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