Stop Looting The Economy Part II.

And Save! Create Jobs! And Create a Fair Society! A Plea to our Government Leaders! A Plea for Change!

In my article “Stop Looting The Economy” of June 6th 2007, I provided some links to prove my case. The topic of one of the links, “GHANA BLEEDING FROM CRONY CAPITALISM“, an article published by The Statesman newspaper of Ghana and on Ghanaweb of October 6, 2005, catalogues BILLIONS OF DOLLARS of Government guaranteed Loans to some NDC Political cronies, which were not paid. Some had been written off as bad debts under President John Agyekum Kufuor’s administration. WHY? These people are not dead, and they are the same people who will be credited some more Loans by virtue of their political connections, while the underprivileged will be denied such facilities for lack of collaterals. Ghana is unfortunately still bleeding from crony capitalism from the NPP administration that every Ghanaian thought was going to do away with cronyism. This is sheer wickedness and unjust to human existence. Leaders in Africa will never learn that creating a fair and balanced social system creates a peaceful country.

In his article “NOT THIS KIND OF RIGHT TO INFORMATION BILL” of June 18 2007, the Author Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, wrote in part and I quote.“Finally, it is important that we tell our Government that a Right to Information Bill has not collapsed any government in history. Sweden passed its Freedom of the Press Act in 1776 and no Swedish Government has ever collapsed because of this legislation neither is Sweden in turmoil“.

Those in Politics in Africa consider themselves as overlords, and Ghanaian Politicians are no exception. Everything that happens in Government is classified, and the people have no right to know. They do whatever they like, because they are considered superior over those that vote them into office. Unfortunately, those who blindly support the poor and stinky political system think Ghana is far better than most other African Countries, and therefore, however corrupt, greedy and dubious the system and our politicians are, we must be content where we are. I view these comments as childish and irresponsible. I think we should compare Ghana to Malaysia, Singapore, India or any of those that are doing well. We should ask why they are doing well while we are still in Economic hopelessness, when we were all in the same situation 50 years ago. In our human personal situations, we look up to our highly placed school mates, and some others in society as mentors, and aspire to be what they are, or just like them. Why then do we have to compare ourselves to others only in Africa, perhaps war-torn and failed nations!

Ghana under the first president Kwame Nkrumah, transformed our Economy rapidly from Agro- based to Industrial based. We could then boast of many accomplishments including the following:

1) a fleet of ships that constituted the Black star line, 2) A number of Hotels that constituted the State Hotels Corporation, 3) Akosombo Hydro Electric Dam. 4) Tema Harbor, 5) Hundreds of manufacturing Industries that constituted the Ghana Industrial Holding Corporation, 6) The State Farms corporation, 7) State construction Corporation. 8) Ghana Airways.

In the advent of the 1966 coup, there were other near completed industrial sites. All were left to rot by subsequent governments. All these State establishments, which were a source of employment for thousands of graduates of Schools, Colleges and Universities have been sold or left to rot. The million dollar question is that, if some who followed claim they did not like Kwame Nkrumah as a person, why couldn’t they protect the investments he used our money to establish?

Ghana has become a failed state because, for 40 years, our leaders ahead of us have failed to plan; and as a popular saying goes, it is obvious that those who fail to plan always plan to fail. In addition our leaders have failed to correct mistakes and punish social crimes! Ghana has failed to develop our economic base in the last 40 years because our post-Nkrumah leaders failed to plan to sustain the sprit of industrial development momentum created by Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah. Leaders after 1966 simply seemed to have no clear vision. Most of them were self-serving and not honest. They never planned that the population would change and residential land area would expand as population grows. We are therefore now paying the price for our leaders’ inability to plan. Today, we have young graduates from our Schools, colleges and universities without opportunities for employment. We have relied on the same Akosombo Hydro Electric Dam built 45 years ago. Today, we face Power rationing which has crippled businesses and a big setback to the National Economy.

Let’s examine this simple example. Ghana is a leading world producer of cocoa. We have a jute factory that can be a source of employment if reactivated and properly managed outside political interferences, to manufacture bags for cocoa exports. This factory is lying idle, while we import bags for our cocoa industry. Can the Minister of industries and the Minister of Agriculture release any information to the people of Ghana on why we import cocoa bags, instead of making use of the industry? Does our President have any idea on this? Ghana can only move forward if our people will abhor greed and selfishness. A greater percentage of the leadership and people in official positions only think about what will benefit them, and not what will benefit the whole country. Are we importing everything for officials to get their selfish 10% cut deposited into their foreign accounts or what? Inquiring minds want to know.

What are some possible SOLUTIONS?

Ghana needs strong leadership that can punish wrong doing, to eliminate greed, selfishness, bribery and corruption and all social vices that retard the process of nation building. We should not compromise and accept second class standard of living. If our leaders knowingly want our unfortunate majority to remain in the current sad and unjust state as we now sees it, this is tantamount to slavery. We may be able to forget our political past and move on. What I think we should not forget is the history of our Economic past. We should therefore go beyond 31st December women Movement’s Nsawam Cannery and the Caridam Development Company, and find all those who have LOOTED the Nation by any means through the divestiture implementation policy, through contracts, over-Invoicing and Government guaranteed Loans. We must investigate all Government officials since 1966 to date and let the rule of Law hold them accountable for their crimes against the state and people.

I am totally against political vindictiveness. What I am interested in is for us to solve the Ghanaian protracted lust for undeserved wealth, and eventually see us through the creation of a prosperous, fair and hopeful society, full of opportunities for all, and not just a few privileged individuals. It will cost us substantially to carry out this exercise, but in the final analysis, we would create a new Ghanaian thinking about protecting what belongs to Ghana, and not individual interests. We would create a new mindset against official looting of the National Economy, and hopefully set our feet onto the Promised Land.

Many Ghanaians think Ghana is in a total mess so nobody can make it better. In fact, people are disillusioned about politics and politicians in Ghana. Those who do not believe in themselves will never trust anybody ever to sacrifice to do just what is right for Ghana’s Economic emancipation. However, there are still some good people around in Ghana and in the Diaspora ready to sacrifice to establish a new political direction. The time to save Ghana is now, and we must look for the new kind of sincere, selfless, compassionate and dedicated leaders.

Not just leaders who will hide behind the old TRADITIONS and be voted for and just continue with the same old mindset of looting our nation through the political system, while the unfortunate majority keeps poorer and poorer in Economic slavery. Ghana has the potentials and capabilities to transform to a first class country, but not under the old political systems that have failed us. We therefore challenge Ghanaians to be bold to welcome GHANA NATIONAL PARTY. As the best and viable alternative to NPP, NDC and all the other Political Parties. Visit our web site www.natlparty.com