As a matter of fact I don’t normally react to politicians inebriations and vague rhetoric, however, I could not remit my fury in condemnation of the content of a news item, captioned: ‘stop blaming President Mahama for everything’ (see: starfmonline.com -Saturday 11 June 2016 ).

The bizarre and lousy analysis was attributed to Presidential staffer Kojo Adu Asare during a discussion on the ongoing floods in the Accra metropolis on Peace FM’s Kokrokoo political show on Friday 10 June 2016.

“Presidential staffer Kojo Adu Asare has urged some Ghanaians who blame President Mahama for every misfortune that hits the country to stop since it doesn’t
speak well of us as a people.”

My response:
What is Adu Asare’s understanding of misfortune?

Well, I do not want to believe that Adu Asare was referring to the floods in the Accra metropolis as a misfortune.

Absolutely not. That cannot be classified as ill-luck, for the flooding in the Accra metropolis is a progeny of the dereliction of duty on the part of the leadership.

Yes, the leaders’ are obliged to put expedient measures in place at all times as part of their role in the social contract.

So if the people who have been entrusted with our taxes persistently fail to put advantageous policies in place, the citizenry have no option than to voice out their frustrations.

And do you refer to that as unnecessary moaning, Adu Asare?

That cannot be fair on aggrieved tax payers Adu Asare, if you do think that way. .

“The former Adenta MP said Ghanaians must also check their attitudes that have contributed largely to the misfortunes that have hit the country.”

My response:
Again, the flooding in the Accra metropolis is a manmade rather than a misfortune Adu Asare.

Having said that, I am with you on the disgusting attitudes of some Ghanaians when it comes to sanitation.

How on earth can a sane creature incessantly dump household rubbish on the streets and into the drainage system without ruminating over the consequences?

In any case, Ghanaians are not different from other human beings elsewhere, for we all have foibles as imperfect creatures.

Nevertheless, what makes the people elsewhere more responsible than a Ghanaian is the rigidity of the state institutions, laws and regulations.

In the United Kingdom for instance, laws and regulations are strictly enforced, and as such the vast majority of the citizens prefer the observance to the stringent fines and the harsh punishment.

I, for instance, hate the idea of recycling household waste. However, I have sufficiently inured to the tedious task of separating bottles and plastic materials, food and other wastes so as to avoid the sanctions from my Local Authority. So I have a demanding task of separating my waste into three different waste bins every week. It is indeed a herculean task.

In a way, if such a policy was to be introduced in Ghana, I bet a lot of people might ignore such a demanding task.

And more importantly, most incompliant offenders might go unpunished as the enforcement of the laws and regulations is non-existent in Ghana.

In as much as the followers have a duty of obligation, it is up to the leadership to bring sanity into the system by strictly enforcing all laws and regulations without fear or favour.

Let us therefore remind Adu Asare that a leader provides a new direction and inspires the followers to abandon their old ways of doing things.

In practice, genuine leadership must give people a long-term vision that “absorbs” their lives with meaning; it must point them in a new direction and show how their every action is an indispensable part of a positive change ahead, for it is not enough for our leaders to teach us to be productive or efficient; they need to inspire us to change or improve the world in a productive and meaningful way.

Apparently, a true leader wants nothing more than to make people independent, as leaders in their own rights. Instead of trying to inebriate us with his or her rhetoric, a true leader reflects our own light back to us.

More specifically, a true leader should be judged by his/her extraordinary qualities, not -- ego, impertinent boldness, and self-interest. A true leader sees his/her work as altruistic service toward accomplishing a goal.

As the sages say, “Leadership is not power and dominance; it is service to mankind.”

K. Badu, UK.