"Why" – writes Dr. Papa Kwesi Nduom

"Why" – writes Dr. Papa Kwesi Nduom

Tonight, I ask why? Why has not any Ghanaian bank crossed the border into other African countries or the United Kingdom, Europe, Asia??

But Nigerian, South African, French, etc. banks. settled in Ghana?

Why can not we name Ghanaian private sector companies that have been in business successfully for more than 50 years?

Why do we prefer state-owned companies or foreign companies to Ghanaian companies? We can not let our neighbors, our school friends or our "friends" succeed?

Why when a Ghanaian company faces challenges, the answer is to shut it down, make noise and dishonor the owners? Are the challenges not supposed to be solved?

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And we wonder why we continue to import everything? And wonder why the Cedi can not compete with the pound, the euro or the dollar?

Why do we think Dankote, Elumelu, Buffet, J P Morgan, Bill Gates has not faced challenges or made mistakes while riding? What if their businesses were vilified and closed when problems arose?

What if we stopped using the Cedi whenever it was losing a lot of value against the dollar? What would we do?

And if we banned political parties whenever they lost an election? What would happen to nuclear power plants and NDCs?

Why do we like sweet words, and those who promise "milk and honey", no losses, no hard work, no problem and instant riches who still live in these harsh conditions?

More soon. I have not finished yet!

This will be withdrawn tomorrow Sunday and replaced by the second part.

Why … Part Two

And as if I did not know it would happen, a lot of people got into politics to answer my comments from the first part. And become staff right away.

Why do we think politics will define everything?

Should not someone have accomplished something in life and then engage in politics to use that experience for the good of the nation?

Why do we believe that we should enter the government because it is the best place to go to get money quickly and easily and get rich?

Why do some politicians think this way and the voters too? How can a people prosper with this kind of thinking? So leave the politics behind us.

Why should we customize everything? A friend tells me that Ghanaians do not want to solve anything. They like to talk about problems with vim. Especially the specific problems of people. So, always, that's who we can find to blame. Once we find someone who owns the problem, we leave and go to another one. A deadly game of blame, shame, destruction because "if I can not do it, you should not either".

Why are many happy, really happy to find that someone is facing challenges or problems? Then it's: "we knew he could not do it!"

Recently, someone met a Ghanaian who recently made the news. His business had collapsed. Or it has been reported. This person could not believe that the business was still in business and that the lady was trying to restore it. Why are there so many people "I told you that he / she could not do it" in Ghana?

I studied the history of entrepreneurship in Ghana. Many want to be rich but do not want problems with starting and running a business. They are therefore constantly searching for the "simplest way". But there is never an easy way out. At first glance, real challenges, our businesses tend to collapse. Partly because those who should help, give up and are rather quick to help bury it.

Why do not we allow patience to sit with us for a moment? So we can give newly created companies time to find their brands. So when the challenges arise, our entrepreneurs can seek help and come back stronger and better.

How is it that since independence, many government members have been trying to create business opportunities for themselves instead of seeking help from private sector actors?

We learned to say "good governance" as if it had just been discovered in Ghana. At present, every company in difficulty faces "bad governance practices". What about the preferences of our market, the strict enforcement of the regulations each time we choose to realize it, the economic environment and sometimes the bankruptcy of the people employed. Good governance also includes strong problem-solving policies and practices.

Why do we have many rewards programs in Ghana? Best of all, better? So we know something "good" when we see it. We should know that the "problem" always runs after the "good". The failure happens. But "problem "and" failure "can be overcome. We can not give up when we see people or companies in difficulty.

Why do we claim that we have never heard of "when things get complicated", or "good leaders" or "good leaders come in bad times"?

I have lectured on entrepreneurship, on creating and running a business, including on chess management. I know that successful entrepreneurs are trying to achieve long-term success for their businesses to survive beyond their lives. I know that since independence, we have preferred foreign-owned, state-owned companies to private individuals owned by Ghanaian Indians. For some of us, this attitude has been to prevent ours from having more success than they already are; for some politicians, it is to eliminate the threat that some people use their wealth to finance their opponents. It's a pity.

Why do we ask what happens to the Cedi? Forget politics. Study what's happening in the private sector – that's where the issue can be solved and managed. When we try to produce rice, televisions, fruit juices, cars, technological solutions, etc. here in Ghana, we are considered too ambitious. When we hesitate, there is no hand to lift us. Who will lift the Cedi and maintain it? If they are not Ghanaian entrepreneurs, then who? I have often told how JP Morgan and his collaborators helped America come out of the Great Depression. If they were not strong, they would not have helped their country. And in their lives, they made many mistakes but had the opportunity to take corrective action. So, their names live.

Why do some public sector officials not understand that they are in a position to help, strengthen, guide and support?

I have not finished. This is lent. And there is more to come. In addition, some have decided to respond to everything I write through insults, threats and personal attacks. I usually accept evil with good. I'm not looking for anything here for me. I just want one or two people to help one or two Ghanaian companies to become long-term successes, somehow or other. That's all.