Opinions of Friday, 29 December 2017

Columnist: Nana Kwadwo Akwaa

My advice to Dr Osei Assibey on his advice to the President

President Akufo-Addo President Akufo-Addo

One of the basic steps to development is one's boldness to change a bad status quo. Without exploitation, one can never come out with innovation, and without a thirst for innovation, one can not advance in terms of socio-economic development. Maybe this is a reason why Africa's "reluctance to change" mindset is stuck at where it is or has a slow development, while the Whites with their lack of fear to attempt something new or change the status quo are constantly stretching the lead.

Every President should have a brain. I love this advice of yours especially where you clearly made known your lack of knowledge of whether the President had such a person or not, but I still found the attack you pushed at the Senior Minister very needless. I believe it should have completely been avoided. In fact, your point would have been perfect, more accommodating and very laudable if you had avoided that attack. It felt like you needed some attention from the Senior Minister. Please Doctor, avoid it next time.

A size of one's ministers will certainly depend on his/her work load and how fast he/she would want to get a work done. Aside that, another issue of concern with respect to a size of one's ministers would be its possibility of a negative effect on the economy of a country. As a result, I think Doctor should have searched for the economic indicators to check if the President's 110 ministers had any negative effect on the economy for his first year before this advice of his to the President for his second year.

For Doctor's point 4, I will refer him to my first paragraph.

For Doctor's point 5, I will refer him to my first and third paragraphs. Moreover, the economic indicators can still educate us if the President had brought about any wastage or economic wounds with respect to his zeal to get the country on a fast lane in terms of development.

Due to the fact that dumsor was a huge problem under His Excellency John Dramani Mahama but was not one under H.E John Agyekum Kufour suggests that Ghana Airways failing under some previous governments does not mean it will fail under all. I believe only time will tell if it will also be a failure under H.E Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo. Aside that, if my memory will serve me right, I think it is going to be a Public Private Project(PPP).

I think Doctor's number 7 is apt/on point, but can any government eschew corruption perception? To add to your advice, I will advise the government to strengthen the information departments in the various ministries and authorities so that any corruption perception or propaganda can quickly be cleared off, because from my observation, that was the greatest vacuum that made the recent ones superstars for some few days before they were perfectly rebutted.