National Orientation: The Disciplined Lot

Tokyo, Japan: There is no doubt the reconfiguration of the Information Ministry to encompass the concept of National Orientation as espoused by President Kufuor poses immense challenges not only to the sector minister, but more importantly the entire Ghanaian nation.

This view is premised on the various facets that the concept engenders, especially due to the campaign for greater discipline unveiled by the Vice President and also the fact that Accra and for that matter Ghana remains unfortunately unclean in most respects. But if cleanliness is to become the hallmark of our collective aspirations, then it behoves all Ghanaians to redefine and reconceptualize the whole idea of personal and community hygiene that will in turn feed into a sustainable attitudinal revolution necessary for reifying this laudable aspiration. It is for this reason that a comparative analysis of the Japanese unrelenting zeal to uphold discipline becomes worthy of consideration to help draw lessons that are applicable to our local circumstances.

Without doubt, Japan in general and Tokyo in particular is arguably the cleanest capital city on the globe. With some 12million people residing and working in this metropolis, it stands to reason that the city authorities would be confronted with a quest to find innovative ways to address the issue of waste and its disposal. However, due to what is clearly a commitment by its people to keep the city clean at all times, the work of the city authorities has been made easier and manifestly so at any given time of day or night. The evidence is astonishingly great, prompting this writer examines a few.

Regarding the issue of personal hygiene, there is no building in Tokyo that does not have an abundance of restrooms and other toilet facilities designed for both the physically challenged and the rest of the populace. That these things have been rigorously enforced means that neither humans nor animals are ?privileged? enough to enjoy any ?free for all? business at any part of the city. One can walk into any building to attend to physiological needs and be sure to find clean, well kept and healthy environment due to the Japanese penchant for cleanliness. This is partly due to the use of electronic toilets and other urinals in Japanese buildings. The marvel of this technology is not the fact that these gadgets are electronic but that their design was highly influenced by suggestions made by- get this- women whose use of the normal water closets revealed a problem that could cause disease. For these observant women, the design of seats and the inability to clean them in time for reuse by others was the surest way to transmit disease and infections. Based upon these concerns expressed, some smart chap designed a water closet that leaves no stain in the toilet bowl, heats the seat to a level that makes the survival of bacteria impossible and at the same time sprays and rinses affected areas to ensure a ?no transmission? possibility through pressure of continued usage. The added bonus is the lovely perfumes that refresh any restroom after its use. The novelty has indeed caught on so much so that almost every house and building in Japan is switching to this innovation. Today, the company Toto is a household name in Japan for this innovation and is receiving orders for this amazing piece of household equipment from the farthest reaches of the globe.

If this technology is to be adopted in Accra for example, two definite prerequisites would have to be in place: water and electricity! In other words, Japan?s system for restroom care is excellent precisely because there are (i) no power cuts and (ii) there is no ?Adenta Syndrome? type of water shortages as we are constantly experiencing in Accra. Some might argue that being the second largest global economy and a giant in the use of peaceful nuclear power at that, Japan can afford these measures but the question remains that if the attitudinal inclinations of the Japanese people is one of ?this is for government? then I humbly submit that they would be caught in the lurch that many a developing state finds itself.

The resolve of the Japanese orientation is more visible in public places outside the premises of cozy washrooms. Readers should fancy a densely populated city where smokers would stop at designated places to enjoy a taste of whatever brand of cigarette they prefer. Under no circumstances would people in Tokyo smoke (i) while walking through pedestrian areas, (ii) while on a bus, taxi or any form of public transport and (iii) while in a restaurant where the no smoking sign is clearly displayed. When compared to our penchant for doing that which we know the law abhors, it stands to reason that the Japanese fervor and devotion to uphold societal rules is indeed the bedrock upon which their capital city has become the envy of all. No Japanese, irrespective of his/her stature would sit in the places reserved for older people even when none is on a bus or train. Never for any reason would pedestrians cross the streets outside the zebra markings nor taxi drivers cross the pedestrian section when people are on it. This symbiotic and integral relationship between all users of very busy roads here is a marvel, for one only needs to be at circle for a cursory glance at what lawlessness on our roads means, no wonder Prime Minister Koizumi marveled when passing through the place and although he did move in a convoy at ?diplomatic immunity speeds?, what was going on in front of the obviously overcrowded transport yards must have been a novelty to him.

Like Ghana, there are indeed homeless people in Tokyo as in most parts of the world. The distinguishing factors however is that although these people can be found at some of the pristine places in Tokyo, they would neither beg (because well to do people are more inclined to provide some of their needs) nor litter the place since it is ?un-Japanese? to do so irrespective of one?s economic position. They would take their mats and other disposables off the national park at dusk and throw every piece of garbage in trash cans provided at the site, trash cans that nobody would steal at night either to convert into water receptacles or use for welding over aged private and public transport parts. Interestingly, the police in Japan is virtually a holiday entity for the people love to respect the law in ways that make this writer wonder why we are the way we are. We do have a very long way to go for one is inclined to ask why we obey these rules when we leave the shores of Ghana and return to flout them simply because we are in Accra. Is it because we know somebody that knows somebody capable of skewing the law to uphold our despicable acts? Or perhaps together with our law enforcement agents, we are caught up in one orgy of bribery and corruption, thus paving the way for the law to be nothing but a respecter of Cedis and titles. 12million people in an expanding capital city of breath-taking construction edifices and still no dust, no dirt, no garbage and no stench must be a wake up call for those within whose remit lies the materialization of the national orientation mantra. What we can do is to give them a push by being resolute in our resolve to make Accra a stench-free capital that truly reflects the legendary hospitality of the Ghanaian. Who will take the first step?