You are here: HomeOpinionsArticles2010 07 04Article 185422

Opinions of Sunday, 4 July 2010

Columnist: Quaye, Stephen A.

Why Ghanaians Are Blamimg President Mills For Hard Living Conditions.

From: Stephen A. Quaye, Toronto-Canada.

It is too sad to observe that anything that does not go right, people point accusing fingers at the president Professor John Evans Atta Mills, by saying it is his government that has not made things right. Meanwhile, his able ministers are there with the laid down structures to work to perfection. Readers will be shocked to know that many of the problems that Ghanaians are facing that has created hardships in their lives are created at the grassroots level and it takes time before they are exposed to the president to take an action to resolve them. Currently in the country there is too much complain of economic hardships recorded in the lives of residents that have made many of them to point accusing fingers at the president for their bad living conditions. For those who have two legs and two hands with sound brains but do not want to use them to work and earn a living, they do not have any reason to complain about lack of daily bread because the bible says the hand that does not work must not be fed. But those who strife hard to work by using their two legs, hands and sound brains to do something that are employed to do but are not being paid accordingly do have power to even march to the castle to complain to the president for action to be taken against those bosses who are making life hard for their employees by not paying them for their work done. It will interest readers to know that among the chunk of Ghanaians who are complaining of economic hardship in the country currently are those who are civil servants instead of those who are unemployed which must not be the case at all. In the normal circumstances, those without jobs were those who were suppose to complain more but no, the civil servants are rather the ones seriously complaining “EKOM DE YEN OO TON”. Yes they are complaining because they are basing their living budgets on what they are suppose to earn every month where by feeding, clothing, school fees, utility bills transportation fairs and other expenses go into it therefore any delays in salary payment will make them complain and point accusing fingers at the president. But startling revelations coming out indicates that it is rather most of the employers who are making life very difficult for a lot of Ghanaian workers as they intentionally delay their salaries without any reason. For instance, how can a company employ the services of responsible ladies and gentlemen who have been applying their requisite knowledge and professional kills to raise profit of their employed companies then have to wait for their salaries two months sometimes three months before they are paid? As at the time of filing this story, there are thousands of civil servants who have worked to perfection or satisfaction of their respective companies but have not been paid for more than two months and do not know where to go for a solution only for them to turn round and accuse the Tax Professors government for the hard living conditions they are going through due to non payment of their salaries. Else where apart from Ghana, one receives his pay cheque every two weeks therefore he has the idea as to how to budget for the whole forth night on feeding, transportation and rent, utility and many more which are always constant. But in Ghana one can work for even two months without pay. Won’t the people point accusing fingers at the president and his government for the hardship they will be suffering? It is now clear why some civil servants instead of sitting on their butts behind their desk and discharge duties they were employed to do so are now selling donuts, peanuts and banana, kenkey and fish, or run chop bars at the backgrounds of their offices just to make money to support themselves since their monthly salary are not hundred percent guaranteed but have to live. Or instead of smiling to receive clients and talk nicely to them, will be frowning their faces and be giving cheeks as answers to questions because they have not gotten their pay for two months or so which are all not healthy for the growth of the country Ghana The president has shown his dislike about the way his subjects are complaining too much in the country of economic hardship. But has he taken a critical look at what is causing the people to complain? Well your answer is as good as mine. Workers in Takoradi have been urged by their GTUC leaders to star wearing red bands to work as a sign of protest to the high increases in tariffs. It is like other workers in the nine remaining regions are going to follow suit. The president must be made aware that until he ensures that the structures laid down to provide total security for the public sector especially the civil servants with much specification to payment of monthly salary works to perfection,[Allah]he will not get his peace of mind as the people are going to complain more and louder than before. End Story. ……………………………………………………………………………………