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LEADERSHIP CRISIS IN GHANA. ( A REVIEW ON Crisis of Leadership in Ghana’ by Professor Ashitey)

Leadership refers to the process of leading others roars the attainment of set goals.

The article “Leadership Crisis  in Ghana” by Professor G.A Ashitey  seeks to explore how educated sons and daughters of this country  who the state use its resources to finance their education in abroad, with the intent of coming back to ameliorate the nation have failed the nation in that regard. Astheauthor explains how “founding fathers placed a great premium on education…. The justification for that exercise was that, the new nation-Ghana needed leaders who would feed herpeople and free them from ignorance and disease.” Unfortunately, these educated individual have played an instrumental role in siphoning the resources of Ghana.

Prof G. A Ashitey’s article could be said to be a mirror, which reflect how our scholars have disappointed not only Ghana but Africa as a whole. As the author said that ‘some of us helped some foreigners, dubious industrialists to exploit our people and transfer abroad millions of foreign exchange which they had not earned.” A paragon example is the overthrow of Dr Kwame Nkrumah in1966, the coup leaders William P. Mahoney. Col. Kotoka and Major Afrifa had a 13 million dollars financial support from the CIA to over throw DrKwame Nkrumah.

Ghana as a country is crippling down and our educated leaders can not make policies, which can breathe life into the crippling economy. The genesis of this problem stems from the process of having “square pegs in round holes”.The educated few who administer state industries provide employment for people on the ground of ethnicity and nepotism and not on merit, the current Ghana Youth Employment and 

Entrepreneurial Development Agency (GYEEDA) being example of leadership failure in providing jobs for the  Ghanaianyouths.

At one point, the author explains how the premium that we placed on having educated leaders manage the affairs of the new nation Ghana unfortunately fueled the pride and egos of our leaders. They saw and still see themselves has thin god and claim a reporcity of knowledge therefore they are untouchable. For instance even Dr Kwame Nkrumah at a point was corrupted by power that he passed the Preventive Detention Act (1958), which provided for detention without trial for up to 5 years (later extended to 10 years)this law placed fear in parties and individual who will oppose his decisions. 

Besides Former President Rawlings stayed in power for 21 years (1976-2000) and it only took the threats of ex Prime Minister Tony Blair, ex President Bill Clinton, ex President Chirac Gorgon to willingly hand over power to a civilian government.

In addition to the above, as our leaders see themselves as‘thin gods’ theyare stooges in the eyes of international bodies, our leaders comply to their whims and caprices to  deprive their fellows of basic “amenities like good drinking water and excreta disposal systems”.For example, last year the government went for $156 million just to buy sanitary pad for school girls,  this year we have borrowed $1 billion from IMF  at a neck braking interest, yet we have leaders who have PhDs and Professors manning our economy but they can’t generate revenues internally apart from daily increment in taxes on ordinary  Ghanaians.

Ghana is believed to be the first West African country to obtain independence but comparing Ghana’s democracy to countries like United Kingdom  and America  

Ghana’s democracy  is very young. This means that there is more room for improvement  as we embark our democratic dispensation. We will be able to attain the height of UK or America when we strengthen our institution and appoint qualified and Patriotic leaders to administer  the affairs of the state.

Moreover, our leaders should be brave and courageous when formulating and implementing decisions for the citizenry, because over the years  decisions by our leaders have been thwarted by effort from international partners, a act which Dr Kwame Nkrumah christened has Neocolonialism: a system where the white man will stay at home but has colonized and ruling over Africa through funds and donations they give to us. Leadership in Ghana will be better in the near future , if our leaders and the youth of the country understand that “the black man is capable of managing his own affairs”.

To conclude,Prof.  Ashietey article reminds  me of P.O.C Umeh’s poem “Ambassadors of poverty” which he stated  that “Ambassadors of poverty  are the corrupt masters of the economy. With their head abroad and anus at home.  Patriots in reverse order. Determined merchants of loot. Who boost the economy of the colonial order, to impoverished brothers and sisters at home”, but in every adversities there are opportunities, the article admonish and provide a framework for educated youth to become good leaders and to solve Ghana’s leadership crisis.