Kwabena Amikaketo sat in his favourite chair on his balcony viewing the setting sun which was making way for the shadows to grow longer and soon cover his part of the world like a dark blanket.
That evening his mind was again on his beloved departed and he had attempted to write a few notes on the cost of her death when something shocking entered his mind.
The new Regional Minister of the Greater Accra Region, Hon. Henry Quartey, had started on a right foot when he evicted some traders who were using space meant for relaxation to ply their trade. The Minister, who campaigning under the banner, “Make Accra Work Again,” had moved to demolish buildings on waterways and cleared the filth in the capital.
To Kwabena, Henry was doing what his predecessors should have done, but could not. He stepped out of his high office to supervise the act of setting things right in the city in particular, and the region in general.
It was just pleasing that Accra was finally on the way to become the cleanest city in Africa. Henry Quartey looked like he had what it takes to be a future head of state of the country. Descending down to the basement of the city and led the clean-up campaign. This clean-up was not like the others where high officials led in the de-silting of choked gutters and invited the local and international media to capture the jamboree on prime time news on the electronic media, and in headline news on print media. The following year, the gutters will go business as usual and become very choked again.
The Regional Minister led in clean-ups that were going to be permanent. That is a man of action, who has qualities that can make him very effective in any office, even in the presidency.
Kwabena wished he could get to the Regional Minister and hand him a long list of things to be done to turn Accra into a modern city. But he was so shocked to read that the General Secretary of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mr John Boadu, had come out to condemn the actions, because, according to him, even though the Regional Minister was doing a good job, his activities could pose lots of challenges to the party’s interest by affecting its support on the ground.
The General Secretary added that the traders, who were asked to vacate where they ply their trade and commercial drivers who were told not to park their vehicles just anyhow and just anywhere, would not be pleased with the party. Meaning, these could cost the party valuable votes in the next elections.
Kwabena Amikaketo could not believe what he heard. He asked himself over and over again whether politicians were interested in improving the lot of the people, or were only interested in being in power. This is one of the reasons he never wanted to indulge in politics. And what had made him even more confused was that this was coming from the only party he admired, the New Patriotic Party.
The current governance dispensation demands a multi-party system and politicians of the different political parties, including independent ones, line-up every four years, like in a beauty contest, to compete for the electorates’ votes in a national lot casting called General Elections. No matter what ideology each candidate possesses and believes in, there is one song they all sing out loud and clear. And that is, I promise to change the lot of Ghanaians for the better. Things are going to be much better than ever before, if you vote for me.
Kwabena believed that the change for the better would certainly include the eradication of lawlessness and holding lawbreakers accountable, no matter who and what they are, fully implementing all laws, including bye-laws, decongesting towns and cities, ridding everywhere off filth, creating employment opportunities, provision of better health facilities and accommodation, adequate security and many others to better the life of the ordinary Ghanaian.
So what was the Regional Minister trying to do in the city? And is the General Secretary saying that the actions of the Minister are in conflict with the mission of the New Patriotic Party? Kwabena wished he could get access to that party’s constitution to find out if, indeed, the Regional Minister violated an article as a party man. Or was there something in the New Patriotic Party’s 2020 Manifesto which said that traders would be allowed to trade anywhere they chose to, even in people’s bedrooms, and commercial drivers can stop and park anywhere, even in the middle of the streets, in people’s drive-ways among others, to pick and alight passengers?
Kwabena Amikaketo believed that H.E. President Akufo-Addo chose Hon Henry Quartey above many others, because he believed he could make lots of positive changes in Accra in particular, and the region as a whole. So how does General Secretary John Boadu understand that change, if it should be business as usual?
The General Secretary had dealt a bad blow to his party and the only way his comments would be forgotten before the party is adversely affected in the next elections in the region, is for the Regional Minister to achieve high marks in making the city the cleanest in Africa, or get close to achieving that.
As for John Boadu, he should be advised never to make comments like comparing success to votes the way he just did. The fact that one General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress, Mr Gyan, warned the then Accra Mayor, Hon Okoe Vanderpuye, to stop decongestion the capital because it could affect NDC votes, does not mean the NPP General Secretary should toe that line. Politicians are supposed to better the lives of the people, even at the cost of their office.
The President himself put his political career on the line when he decided to deal with galamsey, and it showed clearly in the elections that lots of people were not happy with the ban on illegal mining. Less than three months after that lot turned against the President, we are all seeing the wisdom in his fight against illegal mining. Today, some European Union (EU) countries are sounding warnings that soon they would ban cocoa from Ghana due to pollution in our soils. And slowly Ghanaians are waking up to the wisdom in the President’s agenda against galamsey.
Kwabena would encourage Hon Henry Quartey to continue his agenda to the very end. He should adopt the Minyila Approach. In the seventies, Col George Minyila was appointed Eastern Regional Commissioner, as in Regional Minister. He made lots of reforms in the region, particularly in Koforidua, the capital. One major reform was first considered to be very unpopular, but to this day, he is praised for his insight. He demolished the Zongo community against popular decision, and put up modern houses in a well laid out area. Today Minyila is a legend in Koforidua and upheld as the best Regional Minister by the very people who had earlier condemned him.
Kwabena heard someone saying that it was not the duty of the Regional Minister to embark on that exercise. According to him, it was the duty of the Chief Executives of the assemblies to go about demolishing illegally placed structures and disciplining drivers, motorbike riders and pedestrians.
If the chief executives are sitting idle watching things go on as business as usual, it will take a boss who knows how to do it to descend below and let everyone know he is more efficient than the chief executives.
Anyone who feels so important and indispensable will realise that the boss is more efficient than him or her. This will make them know that they can be made redundant if they just sit in their offices doing nothing.
Kwabena was so fill of praise for the new Regional Minister. Hon Henry Quartey was a great asset to the New Patriotic Party, and Kwabena knew there are many like him in government, if only they will not get discouraged by high ranking party officers, who think it was okay for the nation to rot, so long as it would guarantee a stay in power.
Kwabena hoped he would be able to list things that Hon Henry Quartey could do to turn the region in general, and the capital in particular, into a beautiful place where the peace, security, health, accommodation and job requirements of the individual will be fully guaranteed. He will entitle it Accra Stays by Plan.
He got up and walked indoors to his bedroom.
Hon Daniel Dugan
The post Memoires And Lamentations Of Kwabena Amikaketo (33) Between a Regional Minister and a General Secretary appeared first on The Chronicle Online.
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