RICHARD OBENG MENSAH: 2020

Friday 4 December 2020

SEASON OF POLITICAL HYMNALS

The Lord says: These people come near to me with their mouth and honour me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me- Isaiah 29:13

The very mention of a hymn brings to mind a song of praise or joy, or a song of thanksgiving to God.[1] Amazing Grace, How Great Thou Art, Holy Holy Holy, It is Well, and Great is Thy Faithfulness are some of the most popular Christian hymns. There are also political hymns that are sung during political campaign seasons, and these political hymns may be in the form of slogans or election campaign promises. This article seeks to explore political hymns in Ghana in relation to election campaigns.

Political slogans are interesting features of elections in Ghana because of their ability to motivate and gain public support for a particular political party during elections. William Safire defines a slogan as ‘a rallying cry; catch phrase; a brief message that crystallizes an idea, defines an issue, the best of which thrill, exhort and inspire’.[2] Political slogans typically express a political party’s ideas in a concise manner.[3] Since Ghana’s independence in 1957, the country has held a number of democratic elections and political slogans have played enormous role in influencing voter choices in those elections. The first slogan that gained much popularity was the United Gold Coast Convention’s (UGCC) Self Government in our Lifetime.[4] The Nkrumah led Convention People’s Party (CPP) changed the slogan to Self Government Now. The CPP went on to adopt Freedom as its slogan.[5] The United Party (UP), the first nation-wide political party to oppose the CPP, adopted Justice as its slogan.[6]

It has, however, been observed that Ghanaians did not experience ‘freedom’ in the First Republic despite the CPP’s slogan of freedom.[7] The First Republic is usually remembered as a Republic that was characterised by violations of basic rights and freedoms of citizens. Citizens did not have the freedom of speech or freedom of association since Ghana was made a one party state. The Preventive Detention Act (PDA), for instance, was constantly used to punish individuals who criticised the Nkrumah’s administration.

In 1969, the Progress Party (PP) under the leadership of K.A Busia was in power. The PP’s slogan was Sure! It turned out that the only thing the Busia’s administration was sure of was the unprecedented devaluation of the cedi.[8] The Progress Party later adopted the slogan of Discipline.[9] Citizens were highly inspired by this slogan but later discovered that their leaders themselves had failed to exercise the discipline they were preaching about when it came to the declaration of their assets as stipulated in the then Constitution.[10]

The I.K Acheampong regime which ended the PP’s reign also came up with slogans such as Yentua, Operation Feed Yourself’ and Capturing the Commanding Heights of the Economy.[11] The Rawlings led National Democratic Congress (NDC) can also be remembered for its Probity and Accountability slogan. The New Patriotic Party (NPP) under the leadership of Kufuor adopted the slogan Positive Change.[12] In Kufuor’s view, there was economic negativity under the NDC government and so it was time for a positive change for Ghana and her citizens. In 2008, the Better Ghana Agenda by the NDC gained a lot of public support. The most popular slogans in 2012 and 2016 included Yeresesa mu; Changing Lives, Transforming Ghana; Apam Foforo; The Battle is the Lord’s; JM Toaso; Free SHS; One District, One Factory; Ghana Beyond Aid, and One Village, One Dam. 2020, likewise previous election years, has had its fair share of political slogans. The most popular ones are Four More For Nana, to Do More For You, and Jobs, Prosperity and More.

It is evident that political slogans are very significant since they help propagate campaign messages as well as gain public interest in elections. Nonetheless, just as a hymn is sang to inspire and transform lives; political slogans and campaign promises should not merely create high level of political excitements to win votes. Political leaders who sing political hymns during election campaigns must be prepared to demonstrate their willingness and ability to fulfill the promises embedded in these campaign slogans when they are eventually elected into office. They must not just pay lip service to the electorate by throwing around catchy slogans. Political parties should also have a renewed sense of commitment towards fulfilling their campaign promises when they are elected into office, rather than merely singing political hymns every election year. Electorates should also not allow themselves to be carried away by mere political hymns since such hymns may merely come from the lips of those who sing them, but not from their hearts.

Richard Obeng Mensah, author of If You Think of Your Opposition You Lose Your Position .The writer is an award-winning author of 7 books and over 250 articles. He is also a certified life and leadership coach, a lawyer, a legal academic and a blogger. Blog: www.richard-obeng-mensah.blogspot.com Email: richardobengmensah@gmail.com © 4 December 2020.

[1] ‘Hymn’ https://www.dictionary.com/browse/hymn accessed 15 November 2020

[2] William Safire, ‘Safire’s Political Dictionary’ (Oxford University Press 2008)

[3] Cail Newsome, ‘The Use of Slogans in Political Rhetoric’ (2002), The Corinthian: 4(3)

[4] Nikoi Kotey, ‘Ghana, A Fertile Land of Slogans, Mottos and Shibboleths’ (2002) < https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.modernghana.com/amp/news/111337/ghana-a-fertile-land-of-slogans-mottos-and-shibb.html> accessed 15 November 2020

[5] Ibid

[6] Ibid

[7] Ibid

[8] Ibid

[9] Ibid

[10] Ibid

[11] Ibid

[12] Ibid

Thursday 12 November 2020

THE MOST POWERFUL PEOPLE IN GHANA

THE MOST POWERFUL PEOPLE IN GHANA

There is an evil I have seen under the sun, as an error proceeding from the ruler…I have seen servants on horses, while princes walk on the ground like servants-Ecclesiastes 10: 5,7

Sovereignty as a concept denotes supreme power or authority.[1] A sovereign is a person who exercises power without limitation.[2] God, for instance, is the supreme sovereign because of His authority and control over all things in heaven and on earth. He has nonetheless given the dominion mandate of this earth to humankind.[3] The people of this earth are indeed very powerful and ought to recognize the power they wield. This paper seeks to expose ordinary Ghanaians to the great power God has given to them over the nation Ghana.

The sovereignty of Ghana resides in the people of Ghana.[4] Consequently, the 1992 Constitution requires that powers of government be exercised judiciously and in a manner that promotes the welfare of Ghanaians.[5] This means that the only powers that have been given to the government under the Constitution are the ones that further public interest and welfare. Although the President, Vice-President, the Speaker of Parliament and the Chief Justice take precedence over all other persons in Ghana,[6] it is argued that the foregoing ranking of leadership according to the 1992 Constitution of Ghana does not mean that any of the stated offices or leaders are more important or powerful than the ordinary Ghanaian citizen. The stated leaders are agents of the people who voted them into power. They have been given the political mandate to represent the interests of Ghanaians, not their personal interests nor that of their political affiliations.

Over the years, there has been a growing perception that Ghanaians are only powerful during an election-year because they have the authority to elect, retain or unseat governments. The sovereignty of Ghanaians, however, does not solely begin and end with voting. Voting is much more than a means through which citizens elect their representatives in a democratic society. It is also analogous to a principal-agent relationship. A principal-agent relationship is a fiduciary relationship by which an entity legally appoints another to act on its behalf.[7] This relationship is based on the understanding that the agent will follow the principal’s instructions and not take personal advantage of the position he has been given to the detriment of the principal’s interests. Besides, an agent’s actions are binding on the principal. Consequently, when the Ghanaian electorate vote a particular political party into office, they become equally responsible for the actions and inactions of the government and elected officials since these leaders now act as their agents. This explains why we should not vote for the sake of voting; we must vote based on a reasoned decision and trust. Why should you vote for a person you do not trust? Remember whoever you vote for is a reflection of how you think, and you are what you think.[8] It is only the unwise who employs a dishonest manager over his business and expects that business to flourish.

A servant is not greater than his master. It is ironic that some Ghanaian leaders who are agents of Ghanaians seem to be more powerful than those who elected them into office. This unfortunate phenomenon is partly due to the wealth or privileges some so-called political leaders tend to ‘amass’ or enjoy during their tenure. In 2016, the approved monthly salaries for a Member of Parliament, the Speaker of Parliament and President of the Republic were GH¢19,430, GH¢24,287 and GH¢30,359 respectively.[9] Interestingly, the least paid public sector worker on the Single Spine earned a monthly salary of GH¢207.90 that same year.[10] This translates into only one percent of what that worker’s agent, a Member of Parliament, received. The recommendations of the Ewurama Addy Committee on the topical issue of ex-gratia were rejected in 2016. This implies that qualified Article 71 office holders such as the President, Vice-President, Speaker of Parliament and Members of Parliament take home four-month salary for each of the years that they have been in office as ex-gratia[11] despite other privileges these leaders enjoy. Although the welfare of our leaders should be given the needed attention and priority, it is unjust to do so without paying reasonable attention to the welfare of the very people who appointed such leaders. The recent deployment of about 800 police personnel to protect Members of Parliament at home, when the constituents they are representing do not enjoy such a privilege, has generated a lot of public interest[12] and outcry because most ordinary Ghanaians feel their welfare are neglected.

Notwithstanding the numerous benefits our national leaders enjoy, the fact remains that the most powerful people in Ghana are Ghanaians; not their elected representatives necessarily. Ghanaians should gain cognizance of their sovereignty as a people and not allow themselves to be easily swayed by numerous campaign promises because the hard truth is that we are responsible for the decisions and actions of the people we elect into office. We must also demand accountability from our leaders while serving in public offices, not only during elections. Our elected representatives must never forget that they are elected into office to serve the interest of the Ghanaian populace, not their personal or political interests.

[1] Cornell Law School ‘Sovereignty’ https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/sovereignty> accessed 8 November 2020

[2] Ibid

[3] Genesis 1:26-28; Psalm 24:1; 115:16

[4] 1992 Constitution (Ghana) Art 1(1)

[5] Ibid

[6] Ibid Art 57(2).

[7] James Chen ‘Principal-Agent Relationship’ (2020) < https://www.investopedia.com/terms/p/principal-agent-relationship.asp> accessed 8 November 2020

[8] Proverbs 23:7

[9] Kojo Akoto Boateng ‘Full details of huge pay, ex-gratia for MPs, others’ (2017) https://www.google.com/amp/citifmonline.com/2017/01/full-details-of-huge-pay-ex-gratia-for-mps-others/amp/ accessed 8 November 2020

[10] Ibid

[11] Ibid

[12] Nana Konadu Agyeman ‘800 Police personnel to protect MPs at home-Interior Minister’ (2020) https://www.graphic.com.gh/news/general-news/800-police-personnel-to-protect-mps-at-home-interior-minister.html accessed 8 November 3030

Monday 2 November 2020

ECONOMIC MANAGEMENT AND CORRUPTION IN GHANA

ECONOMIC MANAGEMENT AND CORRUPTION IN GHANA

Without strong watchdog institutions, impunity becomes the very foundation upon which systems of corruption are built. And if impunity is not demolished, all efforts to bring an end to corruption are in vain — Rigoberta Menchú, Nobel Prize laureate.

Economic management and corruption are key determinants of the development of countries around the world. The developed countries are highly advanced because of the effective management of their economies and corruption-related issues. Developing countries on the other hand, continue to grapple with economic management and corruption.

Economic management is the management of the resources, finances, income and expenditure of a community, business enterprise and so forth.[1] In the case of Ghana, the issue of economic management has been a very crucial one in the country’s political space and one of the major determinants of the outcome of the 2016 elections. The New Patriotic Party (NPP) which was the major opposition party at the time criticised the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) for the mismanagement of the country’s economy which in their view had brought untold hardship to many people in Ghana. The NDC was also constantly criticised for excessive borrowing.

In recent times, the Standard and Poor Global Rating has put Ghana’s credit rating to B which implies the country’s economic outlook is stable.[2] This appears to be good news for the Ghana’s economy. However, during the reading of the 2020 midyear budget review, the Finance Minister revealed to Parliament that Ghana’s public debt stock had hit about GH¢255,727.1 million (US$ 45,486.1 million) by the end of June 2020.[3] The figure jumped to GH¢263.1 billion in July 2020, representing about 68.3 percent of the country’s GDP.[4] In October 2020, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) forecast a worrying 76.7% of debt-to-GDP ratio for Ghana in 2020. This put Ghana in the high risk of debt distress category.[5] The foregoing implies that the ruling NPP government has also not fared too well with the management of the economy since the country is now in more debt than it was four years ago. The government has however defended its actions, citing the banking crisis and Covid-19 as some of the reasons that necessitated its action to borrow more. It is worth noting, however, that Ghana’s total public debt stock was GH¢204.6 billion as at January 2020.[6] Both the World Bank and IMF had prior to Covid-19 expressed worry about the country’s rising debt levels, which poses challenges to its fiscal economy.[7]

The World Bank defines corruption as the abuse of public office for private gain. [8] Public office is abused for private gains when an official accepts, solicits, or extorts a bribe. It is also abused when private agents actively offer bribes to circumvent public policies and process for competitive advantage and profit. Corruption is endemic in developing countries and this has stifled development in many parts of the world. One of the major setbacks of development in Africa is largely attributed to the lack of political will of governments and leaders to curb this canker. Ghana’s economy has suffered a great deal because of certain acts of corruption by ruling governments. In August 2019, Ghana Integrity Initiative revealed that the country loses close to US$3 billion to corruption annually.[9] The issue of corruption is constantly included in the manifestos of political parties during election campaigns. However, little is done to combat corruption when these parties are eventually elected into office.

Ghana’s current position on the corruption perception index released by Transparency International in January 2020 is 41 out of 100, a sharp decline from 47 in 2015.[10] Ghana recorded its worst performance with an average score of 40 out of 100. The figure rose marginally to 41 in 2018 and maintained that figure in 2019.[11] This implies that Ghana is failing woefully in the combat of corruption. It is exigent that all citizens remain committed to fighting corruption in all its forms in their various dealings and places of work. Political parties must also have the political will to battle corruption when they are in power and not just talk about it only when they are in opposition. Ghana needs strong and robust institutions as well as people with integrity to fight corruption to enhance an effective management of the economy.

Economic management and corruption are issues which countries, especially developing countries such as Ghana, need to deal with decisively. It serves a country no purpose to have good managers of its economy who are also corrupt. Leaders must not amass wealth to enrich themselves and their families to the detriment of the ordinary Ghanaian and future generations. It is submitted that the lives of many Ghanaians would be greatly transformed if the US$3 billion, which is lost through corruption annually, is injected into the economy to promote national development. The reduction of corruption would also go a long way to reduce the habit of constant borrowing from the IMF, World Bank and other institutions. Tackling the issue of corruption head on is one of the best ways any government can manage Ghana’s economy. One of the effective ways to do this is to build strong national institutions and nip impunity in the bud. No more lip services towards the fight against corruption in Ghana. Let us walk the talk!

[1] ‘Economic management’ <https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/economic-management/> accessed October 30, 2020

[2] ‘S&P Global Rating lowers Ghana’s Long-term Rating to B- with a Stable Outlook (2020) Ministry of Finance

<https://mofep.gov.gh/press-release/2020-09-14/global-ratings-lowers-ghanas-long-term-rating-to-b-with-a-stable-outlook/> Accessed October 30, 2020

[3] ‘Ghana’s public debt stock now GHS 255 bn-Ofori-Atta’ (2020) GhanaW263bn in July 2020 >https://mobile.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/business/Ghana-s-public-debt-stock-now-GH-255bn-Ofori-Atta-1014967< Accessed 2 November 2020

[4] Charles Nixon Yeboah, ‘Ghana’s debt jumped 1.66% to hit GH¢263bn in July 2020’ <https://www.myjoyonline.com/business/ghanas-debt-jumped-1-66-hit-ghs263bn-in-july-2020> Accessed 3 November 2020.

[5] Charles Nixon Yeboah, ‘Ghana’s debt-to-GDP ratio to hit 76.7% in 2020-IMF’ <https://www.myjoyonline.com/business/ghanas-debt-to-gdp-ratio-to-hit-76-7-in-2020-imf/> Accessed 3 November 2020.

[6] Charles Nixon Yeboah (n 4).

[7] Ibid

[8]‘Corruption and Economic Development’ The World Bank Group

<http://www1.worldbank.org/publicsector/anticorrupt/corruptn/cor02.htm> accessed October 30, 2020

[9] Zdravko Ljubas, ‘Ghana loses US$3 Billion to corruption a year’ (2019)

<https://www.occrp.org/en/daily/10498-ghana-loses-us-3-billion-to-corruption-a-year/> accessed October 30, 2020

[10] ‘Ghana Maintains score on Corruption Perception Index’ (2020) ARAP

< http://www.arapghana.eu/news/ghana-maintains-score-on-corruption-perception-index/> accessed October 30, 2020

[11] Ibid

Monday 5 October 2020

‘AGYAPA’ OR ‘AGYABƆNE’?

Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!- Matthew 7:9-11.

Agyapa in Asante Twi literary means a good father while agyabɔne is a bad one. From the above scriptural text, it is evident that no good father will give his child a bad gift. In fact, a good father leaves agyapade3 (inheritance) to his grandchildren -Proverbs 13:22. In recent times, the Agyapa Royalties deal has generated a lot of public interest with several conflicting views about whether the deal is indeed a good one for Ghana.

The Agyapa deal can be traced to June 2018 when Parliament passed the Minerals Income Investment Fund Act 2018 (Act 978). The object of the Act is to manage the equity interests in mining companies, receive royalties on behalf of the Government of Ghana and to provide for the management and investment of the assets of the Fund. The Ministry of Finance revealed on 27^th August 2020 that the Agyapa Royalties Limited is a gold royalty company and its main purpose is to help finance gold mining companies that want to develop new mining projects in exchange for royalties or revenue once a mining company starts producing gold.[1] The deal is valued at $1 billion.[2] According to the Ministry, the deal is aimed at raising between $500 million and $750 million upfront to finance the country’s development in four main sectors: health, education, road infrastructure and housing.[3] The expected revenue will also be used in the development of the mining communities.[4]

The main opposition party in Ghana, the National Democratic Congress, as well as Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) have expressed their displeasure over the Agyapa deal for a number of reasons. It has been argued, that, the creation of Agyapa Royalties Limited as an offshore company in a tax haven will pose a challenge for the government to exercise oversight regarding the company’s activities.[5] There has also been the argument that the deal is problematic because it has been grossly undervalued.[6] To the CSOs, the implementation of the policy lacks sufficient transparency.[7] There has also been concerns about the hasty manner in which the government is running to the stock market without addressing some issues raised by some concerned citizens or stakeholders, thereby hindering consensus building on such a crucial matter.[8]

The Government has however issued a statement in response to the concerns raised by the NDC and the CSOS, stating that the rationale for the deal being valued at $1 billion is mainly to attract investors.[9] The Ministry of Finance had contended that the country has not benefited much from its natural resources because value extraction ends immediately after these resources leave the shores of the country hence the need for the Agyapa deal.[10] It has also been argued that if it is acceptable to borrow today for the future, why then is it not acceptable to use the nation’s assets today to leverage its assets for tomorrow?[11]

Mining industries have significant impact on the economies of countries with mineral deposits. According to the Ghana Chamber of Mines’ 2019 Industry Statistics and Data, the mineral royalties Ghana received in 2019 was GH¢1,006,668.50. Governments therefore ought to be very circumspect in the management of mineral resources and royalties. As a country, it is imperative we interrogate the Agyapa deal further to be certain that its implementation will not be tantamount to selling Ghana’s birthright for a lump sum of money to the detriment of generations unborn. We must critically analyse the implications the deal would have on the future of gold revenue in the country.

Fortunately, the Special Prosecutor, Mr. Martin Amidu has recently commenced investigations into the controversial deal and Ghanaians can only hope that the outcome of his investigations will be timely enough to help us conclude on whether the deal is indeed Agyapa or Agyabɔne.

Richard Obeng Mensah, author of If You Think of Your Opposition You Lose Your Position .The writer is an award-winning author of 7 books and over 200 articles. He is a certified life and leadership coach, a lawyer, a legal academic and a blogger. Blog: www.richard-obeng-mensah.blogspot.com Email: richardobengmensah@gmail.com © October 5, 2020

[1] ‘Agyapa Royalties best deal for Ghana’s Gold’ (2020) Ministry of Finance https://www.mofep.gov.gh/news-and-events/2020-08-29/agyapa-royalties-best-deal-for-ghana%E2%80%99s-gold-ken-ofori-atta accessed 4 October 2020

[2] ‘$1 bn Agyapa Royalties deal valuation was to attract investors-Buaben Asamoa’ (2020) Ghana Web https://mobile.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/1bn-Agyapa-Royalties-deal-valuation-was-to-attract-investors-Buaben-Asamoa-1050538 accessed 5 October 2020

[3] ibid (n 1)

[4] ibid

[5] ‘What you need to know about the Agyapa Royalties deal and the controversies’ (2020) Ghana Web <https://mobile.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/business/What-you-need-to-know-about-Ayapa-Royalties-deal-and-the-controversies-104564> accessed 4 October 2020

[6] ‘Government gambling on value of Agyapa Royalties deal-CSOs’ (2020) Citi News Room https://www.google.com/amp/s/citinewsroom.com/2020/09/government -gambling-on-value-of-agyapa-royalties-deal-csos/amp/ accessed 4 October 2020

[7] ibid

[8] ibid

[9] ibid (n 2)

[10] ibid (n 1)

[11] ibid