I have not finished reading this lengthy article but I want to comment that the really fundamental problem is the IQ, mentality and values held by the living creature called the African. It is these elements that result in o ... read full comment
I have not finished reading this lengthy article but I want to comment that the really fundamental problem is the IQ, mentality and values held by the living creature called the African. It is these elements that result in our type of social organisation, culture, attitudes and the nature and quality of our physical development. We appear to simply lack common sense and scientific culture to be able to sensibly make use of our richly endowed natural resources. There appears to be a difference between academic excellence and common sense in Africa such that even in the Universities, the offices of the professors are as filthy as pigs' sty. And if agents of change in the society are living in such environments you can imagine the type of products they turn out. Our leaders are just the highest expression of what we are as a people.
Cantankerous 10 years ago
By the way are you an African yourself? Judging by your comments you must be a fairly well educated African (Ghanaian) and by implication likely to share the same negative traits you have just described. I am puzzled by the f ... read full comment
By the way are you an African yourself? Judging by your comments you must be a fairly well educated African (Ghanaian) and by implication likely to share the same negative traits you have just described. I am puzzled by the fact that countless Africans (Ghanaians) of all educational levels living in the West often seem to outperform their local(e.g. USA or UK) counterparts.Have you any plausible explanation for this phenomenon? I speak from deep personal experience. I would value you opinion.
Odopa.com 10 years ago
But when we come home to try to create and developed what we have learnt from the west - what do get from OUR own people? PULL HIM DOWN SYNDROM which ahs no cure. If you LIVE in Ghana - YOU HAVE TO ACCEPT that you need to be ... read full comment
But when we come home to try to create and developed what we have learnt from the west - what do get from OUR own people? PULL HIM DOWN SYNDROM which ahs no cure. If you LIVE in Ghana - YOU HAVE TO ACCEPT that you need to be CORRUPT in ALL forms to make a living, then when the time is RIGHT for you- YOU become the UNCORRUPT you! Even the bread seller on the street charges you ANYHOW according to how you are dressed and speak!! All Ghanaians who have NEVER LIVED (Including visitors and back to Ghana and they become GhaMerican in the WEST are THEIFS and CURRUPT to the T!
Odopa.com 10 years ago
Well said my brother and I don't have to add anything else!!! Thank you!!!!
Well said my brother and I don't have to add anything else!!! Thank you!!!!
Nanasei 10 years ago
Ghanaians living abroad are far better than those in Ghana simply because, their habits have changed. They are held accountable for their actions while those in Ghana have no idea what accountability is all about. They have h ... read full comment
Ghanaians living abroad are far better than those in Ghana simply because, their habits have changed. They are held accountable for their actions while those in Ghana have no idea what accountability is all about. They have heard that word but don't know what's it to be held accountable. Second, there's is nothing like productivity in Ghana. You go to work anytime you want and leave anytime they want. If you do that in the western world, you will probably won't have a job the next day, trust me. Because there's no accountability and productivity, we've have become LAZY!! That's the difference between a Ghanaian living abroad and the one living in Kokomlemle. Thanks.
The Trucker 10 years ago
Yes . Unfortunately you are correct. Lack of accountability and responsibility is killing Ghanaians.Even Ghanaians living abroad for a while come to mistrust their friends and relatives as a result of bitter experience. INTEG ... read full comment
Yes . Unfortunately you are correct. Lack of accountability and responsibility is killing Ghanaians.Even Ghanaians living abroad for a while come to mistrust their friends and relatives as a result of bitter experience. INTEGRITY DOES NOT COUNT FOR MUCH IN GHANA
Benash 10 years ago
Thank you Mr. Osie-Adjei for such an insight into leadership. I couldn't have agreed with you more since I also identify the same leadership problems with some close friends. Africa, and Ghana in particular is on a road to an ... read full comment
Thank you Mr. Osie-Adjei for such an insight into leadership. I couldn't have agreed with you more since I also identify the same leadership problems with some close friends. Africa, and Ghana in particular is on a road to annihilation due to lack of good leadership.
Our own family and friends back home who are either semi-educated or completely uneducated makes matters worst. You try to help them understand simple or complex issues from another angle they don't want to hear it. They always sing the same chorus: "This is Ghana, and this is how we do it." Well, we have been doing the same stupid stuff for a very long time and it's not working out well so why can't we try another way. They will just refuse and that lives you to ponder and wonder why.
ekow 10 years ago
I believe Africans are smart enough. This is not about intellect it's about caring about the country to want to move forward. Nation building is not a political idea it's about raising the standard of the whole nation by shar ... read full comment
I believe Africans are smart enough. This is not about intellect it's about caring about the country to want to move forward. Nation building is not a political idea it's about raising the standard of the whole nation by sharing a vision.. Ghana gets united every four years at the World Cup especially when they play the USA.now thinking from that point of view having one mind is key to nation building. . elections should not be individualsrunning for office but teams because at the end of the day the people elect a leader who has a team that shares the vision.without a big vision people perish. All men dream but not equally and it takes leaders with vision to help people with dreams.. The 21 century is Africa's century . What does that mean ? , well it means less talking and more doing. Get the nation involved as shareholders. Get rid of the I got to eat today mentality and build a different conscienceless.
The leader who captures the imagination of the people will get the nation to see the advantage of pulling together. Leadership is not perfect or easy. There is plenty of talent who wants to help they can't help because the system is severally broken. Only the people who vote can fix this. People let your actions speaks older than your words.
PABLO 10 years ago
In my opinion early leaders especially in Ghana abused the country with their education. Because few were educated they were held high and in some instances worshiped them, but they abused that and rather used their education ... read full comment
In my opinion early leaders especially in Ghana abused the country with their education. Because few were educated they were held high and in some instances worshiped them, but they abused that and rather used their education to steal from the country. Look around and you will realized that families of those so called EARLY LEADERS are the RICH in society now because their parents STOLE from the country to build wealth for them. You can name them...
Brother 10 years ago
You are not getting the point. To truncate it to leadership is a bit problematic. We inherited the same thing from our masters, living in a cast system and calling it democracy. It is the attitude not leadership. We all are ... read full comment
You are not getting the point. To truncate it to leadership is a bit problematic. We inherited the same thing from our masters, living in a cast system and calling it democracy. It is the attitude not leadership. We all are so lazy to even question our own conclusion. Have we even bothered to ask, if democracy is our priority? Is building schools the priority in education? What of teacher attitude? I have never heard of anybody's license withdrawn in Ghana whether Bad doctors, layers, teachers, accountants. No one cares about quality. We care more about propaganda. We import financial, trading, marketing and obsolete scientific theories and call ourselves experts. We perform out there because the people there will not take less. Our good attitude was eroded by our so call saviors from from our so called dictator (Nkrumah). Think about it, a conscious effort was made to build a winning attitude by our early leaders. Full of no big scholars, the leadership achieved within ten years, what all presidents up to date could not. We want freedom of insults and democracy in empty stomachs. We could not even get democracy or free speech after the overthrow of Nkrumah. Why because, it was a lie. USA was not interested in our democracy. We either do it our way or stop complaining from corners. Demand quality everything.
PABLO 10 years ago
But i still believe that, especially after the overthrow of Nkrumah, most of the subsequent leaders out of their selfish habits turned the ordinary man to also be inward looking and care less about the nation at a whole.... A ... read full comment
But i still believe that, especially after the overthrow of Nkrumah, most of the subsequent leaders out of their selfish habits turned the ordinary man to also be inward looking and care less about the nation at a whole.... Anyway i really love your point.
Wabee 10 years ago
I have not finish reading your article, but let me give you my thought.Africans like power,so when you give african power he thinks everybody else should obey him. Nobody should do anything or has the right to do anything whi ... read full comment
I have not finish reading your article, but let me give you my thought.Africans like power,so when you give african power he thinks everybody else should obey him. Nobody should do anything or has the right to do anything which he has not authorise. If one does that you become the enemy of the leader because people are going to honor such person and african dont like that. Secondly, because of the same power grabe, african leaders after independence shifted from the african tradition to European ways so as to make them diffirent from the people that help them to cheat the people.
Clarence 10 years ago
This is what I think very African leader must read and have a re-think. I think we cannot just manage our own affairs- consider the poor roads networks across most of the continent, poor delivery of health care to the people, ... read full comment
This is what I think very African leader must read and have a re-think. I think we cannot just manage our own affairs- consider the poor roads networks across most of the continent, poor delivery of health care to the people, lack of jobs, bribery and corruption is at its highest levels, and we yet we can openly see and read about our leaders buying properties in Europe, America, Japan and saving their ill-gotten wealth there,. Most of the leaders fly first class and go abroad for treatments and at the expense of nation ordinary men and women. They are always seen in very expensive silk suits, ties and I ask myself how many American or European leaders do you see wear African wears? When you have even given them our expensive Kente cloths they are seen or been put on display in their living rooms or on their dining tables. Sad isn’t it? Why must our leaders send their children abroad for education? Well this is what they preach.
Akua Mansa 10 years ago
Africans are Pathetic as a people
A times I wonder if our creator put the the same DNA in us as the white man. Quite frankly we are incapable of governing ourselves unless supervised by the Whiteman
Maybe we ought to ac ... read full comment
Africans are Pathetic as a people
A times I wonder if our creator put the the same DNA in us as the white man. Quite frankly we are incapable of governing ourselves unless supervised by the Whiteman
Maybe we ought to accept it and live as perpetual slaves. Ghanaians who do well "outside" is because they conform to the Whitemans rigor of rules and best practices
Indeed the contribution of the African to World progress is zero
We lack the Leaders who can even create the environment for us to live as human beings
We are consumed by GREED, FRAUD, INCOMPETENCE and not ready to change
Simply put, the African is not capable of managing his own affairs contrary to what Nkrumah thought. He tried but like theAfrican he is he failed
There is no hope for us. Africans and for that matter Ghanaians are myopic and dont think of the future. Instant gratification.
We will never advance unless we demand accountability and performance from our Leaders who prefer to keep us poor and uneducated so they can continue to pilfer the country
Those who arrogate to themselves the power to rule don't have a clue as to how the world runs
We should shut the fuck up and live like animals and slaves that we are. There is not even one African Country that is doing well. Why???
Our Leaders are all Incompetent, Greedy, Fraudulent Bastards where will they take us.
kwabena 10 years ago
Akua mensah, you sound so bitter.can I humbly ask you what have you done in your own small way for the betterment of africans. Being it education ( patrick awuah), employment opportunities ( prince kofi amoabeng, effah of fi ... read full comment
Akua mensah, you sound so bitter.can I humbly ask you what have you done in your own small way for the betterment of africans. Being it education ( patrick awuah), employment opportunities ( prince kofi amoabeng, effah of fidelity bank etc). I share your sentiment but what have you done....see talk is very cheap. These white you praise so much do not raise money and travel to china for goods to sell in thier respective country. They create all the opportunities home by manufacturing products home to selling. It must start from you. I rest my case
kwabena 10 years ago
It's start with you!
It's start with you!
Nanasei 10 years ago
Akua, I understand your frustrations, and I do share the same sentiments. But, let's not give up, please!Let's encourage the youth and may be, things might change in the next millennium. It isn't gonna be easy but I sincerely ... read full comment
Akua, I understand your frustrations, and I do share the same sentiments. But, let's not give up, please!Let's encourage the youth and may be, things might change in the next millennium. It isn't gonna be easy but I sincerely believe things might get better one day, but I'm sure as at now. The picture looks so gloomy!!!
Pelicles 10 years ago
Do not bank on that "change thing" because we are not program to change if things are not going the way they should.
Just cast your mind back and look around you. There is nothing to tell that the African has the mindset ... read full comment
Do not bank on that "change thing" because we are not program to change if things are not going the way they should.
Just cast your mind back and look around you. There is nothing to tell that the African has the mindset that can change. We are a destructive force that has no equal and that is how we will be till thy kingdom come.
Abeeku Mensah 10 years ago
Ghanaians are smart as anyone from any part of the world but our actions and management of our national affairs shows us not to be competent people. Smart people are very good at learning or thinking about things or showing i ... read full comment
Ghanaians are smart as anyone from any part of the world but our actions and management of our national affairs shows us not to be competent people. Smart people are very good at learning or thinking about things or showing intelligence or good judgment but being competent is to have sufficient skills, knowledge and or capabilities suitable or sufficient for a purpose. It is the lack of sufficient skills for a purpose that is our downfall.
People who have excelled in classroom settings from grade school through college are not necessarily competent for some desired purposes. This purposeful competency rears its ugly head in everything our government administrations do. It is part of the many reason a Ghana that has many so-called lawyers cannot defend itself against claims by other foreign governments and entities and thus we end up using legal minds from the UK when faced with that silly discoverer 911 sale saga.
Peter Osei-Adjei’s article is a great disservice to Ghana because it presumes the credentials earned by our classroom educated bunch came with moral and intellectual honesty, or that they became principled people with the degrees earned. The reason why civilized, developed and industrious western nations and some emerging market nations have effective and professionally staffed institutions of state with oversight authority over government departments is to ensure government/civil servants adhere to best practices and procedures of state. In Ghana we do not have institutions of state with professional staff, the competency, and resolute principles to make government agencies and civil servants work in the interest of the country; integrity and or competency is not a requirement for civil service post in Ghana.
Komla 10 years ago
Excellent article and well written for that matter. Now regarding the sixty million dollar question "Are Africans smart enough to manage their own affairs". African are book/academically smart individually,however, we lack th ... read full comment
Excellent article and well written for that matter. Now regarding the sixty million dollar question "Are Africans smart enough to manage their own affairs". African are book/academically smart individually,however, we lack the basic collective discipline required to manage our own affairs.
Austiny 10 years ago
Brilliant and thought provoking subject. Nations have developed through industrialization and technology. Can somebody tell me who own the few industries doing well in Africa? Why are more schools being established to pursue ... read full comment
Brilliant and thought provoking subject. Nations have developed through industrialization and technology. Can somebody tell me who own the few industries doing well in Africa? Why are more schools being established to pursue humanities instead of the sciences identified as the panacea? Who controls education in Africa (Ghana)? We need to have a second look for the next generation to takeover.
Pelicles 10 years ago
We are not smart enough to manage our own affairs. That is an undeniable fact and there is no simple answer to give that will satisfy you. Let me use you as an example. Imagine being given the chance to lead. Trust me, you w ... read full comment
We are not smart enough to manage our own affairs. That is an undeniable fact and there is no simple answer to give that will satisfy you. Let me use you as an example. Imagine being given the chance to lead. Trust me, you will do exactly the same thing those before you did or maybe worse.
Have you forgotten our national pledge? "Do you know who I am"? This is the saying of most of us who have acquired something that makes them think that they can fly like a bird through the sky. As I said before, there is not single answer to give that will satisfy you so, what is next?
GIWA 10 years ago
THEES ARE THE WORDS OF BOTHA WHEN HE SAID THEY CANNOT TAKE CARE OF THEMSELVES HOW CAN THEY TAKE CARE OF US
THEES ARE THE WORDS OF BOTHA WHEN HE SAID THEY CANNOT TAKE CARE OF THEMSELVES HOW CAN THEY TAKE CARE OF US
Jasmin 10 years ago
I find your analysis interesting though for me its way too simplistic. Since you have studied how to manage complex organizations and concur that leadership is complex, i believe you know that complexity is not a uni-faceted ... read full comment
I find your analysis interesting though for me its way too simplistic. Since you have studied how to manage complex organizations and concur that leadership is complex, i believe you know that complexity is not a uni-faceted thing. The problem, in my opinion is not just bad leadership. It goes way beyond that. Most of those in leadership were all once like you...having all the ideas, but when they get into leadership the problem begins. I am willing to bet that even if you were to become a leader in Africa you would fall into the same trap.
My point is that the systemic lagging behind in Africa is as a result of the general attitude and worldview of most Africans. They have totally lost their sense of self sufficiency and go through life never thinking they can do anything on their own - how many inventions are from Africa -. All the knowledge is there but because of this lack of self belief, they can't apply it. The result is that we stagnate and wait for help, when it comes, they grab as much as we can so they can eat for long - never thinking of planting on their own for the future-. The same attitude is taken into leadership where they just want to grab what they want as quickly as possible because they cannot fathom how to improve on the little they have to create new and better outputs. That is not leadership, it is institutionalized robbery.
For me the only way Africa can get out of this cycle is through the age old adage "necessity is the mother of invention" So long as we have help from foreigners we will never be self sufficient and stop grabbing all we can at the least opportunity. check zimbabwe and libya (under ghadaffi) and u will see what i mean. When there is nothing and it becomes necessary that we innovate, create and build...our dormant creativity will awake and African shall rise.
IT IS NOT DUMB LEADERS, IT IS THE AFRICANS' MENTALITY
I have not finished reading this lengthy article but I want to comment that the really fundamental problem is the IQ, mentality and values held by the living creature called the African. It is these elements that result in o ...
read full comment
By the way are you an African yourself? Judging by your comments you must be a fairly well educated African (Ghanaian) and by implication likely to share the same negative traits you have just described. I am puzzled by the f ...
read full comment
But when we come home to try to create and developed what we have learnt from the west - what do get from OUR own people? PULL HIM DOWN SYNDROM which ahs no cure. If you LIVE in Ghana - YOU HAVE TO ACCEPT that you need to be ...
read full comment
Well said my brother and I don't have to add anything else!!! Thank you!!!!
Ghanaians living abroad are far better than those in Ghana simply because, their habits have changed. They are held accountable for their actions while those in Ghana have no idea what accountability is all about. They have h ...
read full comment
Yes . Unfortunately you are correct. Lack of accountability and responsibility is killing Ghanaians.Even Ghanaians living abroad for a while come to mistrust their friends and relatives as a result of bitter experience. INTEG ...
read full comment
Thank you Mr. Osie-Adjei for such an insight into leadership. I couldn't have agreed with you more since I also identify the same leadership problems with some close friends. Africa, and Ghana in particular is on a road to an ...
read full comment
I believe Africans are smart enough. This is not about intellect it's about caring about the country to want to move forward. Nation building is not a political idea it's about raising the standard of the whole nation by shar ...
read full comment
In my opinion early leaders especially in Ghana abused the country with their education. Because few were educated they were held high and in some instances worshiped them, but they abused that and rather used their education ...
read full comment
You are not getting the point. To truncate it to leadership is a bit problematic. We inherited the same thing from our masters, living in a cast system and calling it democracy. It is the attitude not leadership. We all are ...
read full comment
But i still believe that, especially after the overthrow of Nkrumah, most of the subsequent leaders out of their selfish habits turned the ordinary man to also be inward looking and care less about the nation at a whole.... A ...
read full comment
I have not finish reading your article, but let me give you my thought.Africans like power,so when you give african power he thinks everybody else should obey him. Nobody should do anything or has the right to do anything whi ...
read full comment
This is what I think very African leader must read and have a re-think. I think we cannot just manage our own affairs- consider the poor roads networks across most of the continent, poor delivery of health care to the people, ...
read full comment
Africans are Pathetic as a people
A times I wonder if our creator put the the same DNA in us as the white man. Quite frankly we are incapable of governing ourselves unless supervised by the Whiteman
Maybe we ought to ac ...
read full comment
Akua mensah, you sound so bitter.can I humbly ask you what have you done in your own small way for the betterment of africans. Being it education ( patrick awuah), employment opportunities ( prince kofi amoabeng, effah of fi ...
read full comment
It's start with you!
Akua, I understand your frustrations, and I do share the same sentiments. But, let's not give up, please!Let's encourage the youth and may be, things might change in the next millennium. It isn't gonna be easy but I sincerely ...
read full comment
Do not bank on that "change thing" because we are not program to change if things are not going the way they should.
Just cast your mind back and look around you. There is nothing to tell that the African has the mindset ...
read full comment
Ghanaians are smart as anyone from any part of the world but our actions and management of our national affairs shows us not to be competent people. Smart people are very good at learning or thinking about things or showing i ...
read full comment
Excellent article and well written for that matter. Now regarding the sixty million dollar question "Are Africans smart enough to manage their own affairs". African are book/academically smart individually,however, we lack th ...
read full comment
Brilliant and thought provoking subject. Nations have developed through industrialization and technology. Can somebody tell me who own the few industries doing well in Africa? Why are more schools being established to pursue ...
read full comment
We are not smart enough to manage our own affairs. That is an undeniable fact and there is no simple answer to give that will satisfy you. Let me use you as an example. Imagine being given the chance to lead. Trust me, you w ...
read full comment
THEES ARE THE WORDS OF BOTHA WHEN HE SAID THEY CANNOT TAKE CARE OF THEMSELVES HOW CAN THEY TAKE CARE OF US
I find your analysis interesting though for me its way too simplistic. Since you have studied how to manage complex organizations and concur that leadership is complex, i believe you know that complexity is not a uni-faceted ...
read full comment