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Dear President-elect Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo,
On behalf of the youth and people of Tolon, the traditional authorities and myself, I cordially congratulate you on your election as President of the Republic of Ghana.
Thousands of victorious campaign workers, donors, fame seekers and hangers will soon swarm the capital in search of jobs in the new administration. This law, for political and administrative purposes, has always been the case for all past governments.
Excellency, as the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Ghanaian Armed Forces, you must identify, recruit and retain talented individuals committed to your programmatic and political goals. No matter how political your goals are, there should be a reasonable percentage that is needed to put development at the forefront of everything. I am sure, and so are you, of the serious challenges in your management four years ago. The challenges associated with corruption and illegal mining (also known as galamsey) involving certain people appointed by your government made it a daunting task for you heading into the 2020 election. You could easily have gotten a broad majority if some of the appointees behaved in a professional manner.
I am respectfully aware that in identifying and recruiting candidates, the President is obliged to take into account his partisan and electoral coalitions. Yet the management skills of most politicians – and even the technical skills of many – are no longer relevant to their positions. Put simply, fix your appointees where they are meant to be and not what they want or lobbied for. You do not place a doctor as Minister of Education and expect the person to reach greater heights. It will not work, despite the fact that we have chief directors and technical directors in different ministries. The minister must have a full and professional understanding of the ministry and not be briefed on fundamental questions about it.
Mr. Speaker, during your second and final term as President, you will be overwhelmed by the names of candidates wishing to be nominated to serve in your government. They may be intelligent, committed, and often energetic workaholics, but most have never led anything except perhaps a political campaign. As president, you must be able to let those who can professionally manage the administration of your party continue to do so. All the party has to do is provide them with resources and put them on a payroll that would take them away from official government duties. Ghanaians expect a lot from your government and you must live in this direction. I am well aware of what lobbyists and party financiers want. I am well aware that financiers want you to dance to their tunes. They want you to nominate their favorites to sensitive positions so they can be awarded juicy contracts. Your Excellency, it behooves you to work in balance with the financiers or to give them all your government. The first would be better because you can hardly do without it.
Mr. Speaker, a number of your policies have helped alleviate the suffering of ordinary Ghanaians in many aspects of their live work. Your free high school policy has done magic for parents and guardians across the country who have had to pay school fees to see their children study in our many high schools across the country. I have to say that this is a fantastic project that has been implemented by your government.
However, that did not translate into real votes as we might have thought. It didn’t materialize with votes like NABCO, Planting for Food and Jobs, and many other job opportunities initiated by your government. This doesn’t mean your leadership is poor, but you need to work on implementing strong policies and be very mindful of supply issues. Procurement is a major area that easily translates into corruption in the blink of an eye. And all of this can be curbed when you appoint professional directors who really use the word “professional” in all of their transactions. One single act or attempted corruption can ruin your entire government for four years. When that happens, citizens will stop talking about all the good aspects of your administration to discussing corruption throughout your tenure. Challenges are inevitable, but you must be prepared to face them face-to-face.
Commander, I know you still find it difficult to understand why a good number of your Members of Parliament (Members of Parliament) have lost in their attempt to retain their seats in Parliament. It is instructive to know that at least 33 outgoing New Patriotic Party (NPP) MPs lost their seats in the December 7 elections. About 21 of them are ministers, ministers of state or deputy ministers. They lost because they did not launch their own policies to benefit their constituents. They relied heavily on your national policies to get them elected. Some of them relay or poorly communicate your policies to their people.
Mr. Speaker, in addition to your government’s policy of benefiting all Ghanaians, voters expect their MPs to initiate different policies that would once again alleviate their suffering. Constituents view your policies (FREE SHS, etc.) as government policy and, by extension, should not, taken as a whole, be used as a criterion for voting for an MP. They expect the member to develop his own policies to prove his worth as a member of Parliament. You and I know full well that members of Parliament are not responsible for creating job opportunities, as the Constitution provides. They are responsible for promulgating the laws for us. But our unofficial social dynamics now make them agents of job creation and development – and because they want votes from their constituents, they gladly and happily stick to it.
The challenges to be met are enormous. The current electoral cycle has seen increasing political tensions, especially between members of your party and the opposition Democratic National Congress. Violent incidents occurred during the December 7 elections, resulting in injuries and deaths on both sides. Your commitment to strengthening dialogue is positive, but for the democratic space to thrive and for the rights of Ghanaians to be respected, they should not be required to speak the same language as the government. Ghanaians should be free to peacefully express their dissent, concerns, opinions or questions about the actions of your government by any means they choose, provided it is legal within the constitutional framework. As a renowned international human rights defender and long-time lawyer, your tenure as President of the Republic of Ghana has much to do in this regard.
Mr. Speaker, I have been worried for too long. I am worried about a problem that is never solved, but this problem is the bane of our woes. Your Excellency, why do people in many communities in Ghana live in poverty? Why epidemics that appear to be man-made have not yet been tracked to the source. Why do you allow a company like MTN – Ghana to continue raping citizens using data and high call charges? Why? I mean why? So today and starting in 2021, I, on behalf of the people of Tolon, the people you serve, demand to know the truth – about everything. It’s a win-win situation.
Excellency, I am fully aware of the immensity of the task that awaits you. Be assured of my prayers and of my will as a citizen to accompany you in building a country founded on justice, peace and reconciliation, where the fullness and dignity of life will be everyone’s daily experience.
I humbly ask Allah Almighty to bless you for further achievements in your activities. May God keep you under the aegis of His holy law and grant you long years of healthy life.
I respectfully urge you and your government to make these issues a priority.
Regards,
…Sign…
Abdul-Razak Lukman
(Ghanaian citizen)
[email protected]+233.24.244.3937
Tolon – District of Tolon in the N / R
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