The Waste of Money And Talent

In the years immediately after independence, Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah saw the need to send some brilliant students, overseas on scholarship to learn and train in both the East and West. These students were to return home on completion of their courses of study, and be managers of the various industries, hospitals and institutions of learning all over the Country.

On 24th August 2007, Linda Asante Agyei on Ghana Web, reproduced the full speech delivered by Osagyefo Dr. Nkrumah, when he laid the foundation stone for the construction of Ghana Atomic Reactor at Kwabenya on 25th November 1964, and this is what he said in part, “Already, the residential sites where the many Ghanaian scientists and engineers who will be engaged in this project would live, has been completed. These young men and women who have received their specialist training in the Soviet Union and elsewhere would provide the basis for our corps of skilled specialist in nuclear science. We are sending more Ghanaians abroad to acquire this specialist knowledge in training.” (Unquote) The question we as a nation have to ask is:

Are we making use of the opportunity created by the Osagyefo, or it is all a waste of money and talents simply because some opposed him on political ideology? The military coup of 1966 brought the transformation of Ghana to a halt and all the development aspirations envisioned for the people of Ghana never materialized under the leadership of the architect of independent Ghana. Most of these students sent overseas on scholarships never had the opportunity to return home to serve their Country. Because, everything that Kwame Nkrumah did, was considered Eastern oriented, and had to be replaced or abandoned completely. Most of these students have acquired expertise in all fields of endeavor and are equally qualified, if not more so, than most of the consultants that are hired by our Governments from the West and other countries for fees that are usually astronomical.

I am not in any way attempting to preach Nkrumaism, but even though as a human being he had faults, he knew even then, that the transfer of technology can never be handed to any nation free or on a silver platter. Therefore the idea for sending students on scholarships was for them to understudy their host countries and gradually transfer whatever they learn back home and eventually take over positions that were held by the whites in the various industries, hospitals and universities in post-independent Ghana. For those who opposed him, even if you did not like or understand the man, at least you have to give him credit for his vision and deeds. An Akan proverb says “Wo tan Okwaduo a na wayi namirika”, translated as “If you don’t like the deer, you have to admire his running skills”.

NOTE! Technology was never handed over to Japan, Taiwan, Singapore, Korea, India, Malaysia and even Viet Nam. They learnt from America and have overtaken them in certain technologies and industries such as radios, Television, electronics and now even in cars that create hundreds of thousands of jobs. Today, they are competing with America and because of their cheap labor, most American companies have outsourced their operations to those parts of the world and their economies are booming. They have created hope and opportunities for their people as a result of good judgments and reasoning powers.

This is what the visionary Kwame Nkrumah had in mind for Ghana, that we would one day competently manage our Country, and as much as possible produce most of our needs ourselves in self reliance. Ghana still imports everything you can think of and I am told we even import tomatoes when we are blessed with labor and land. Even with manual labor our people produce tomatoes in quantities on our farms. During the Ghana@50, our 20 million dollars celebrations, it was reported that tomatoes were being imported. Why can’t we use half of that to purchase tractors and lease it to the farmers to help them produce more? Why can’t we provide a loan of $10 million to some of our trained engineers and agriculturist in Ghana to become entrepreneurs to set up a tomato processing factory? Isn’t that the way Singapore and India started? Or is it because some hate Nkrumah so much they are not prepared to even continue where he left off?

There are too many Ghanaian experts around the world who are globally competitive. Some of them are those that were sent out on Government scholarships during the 60’s, most of whom have made attempts to return home to render services to their Country without success because of bureaucratic tendencies and barriers put in their way by those officials in executive position at home. These impediments also discourages and throws off any Western-cultured individual who might be interested to invest in our country.

There are a lot of people with accounts of what they went through looking for positions as consultants, lecturers, Deans of faculties of our Universities, and even those that have their own money to invest in Ghana. Even though our President and executive travel around the world looking for investors, our own Ghanaians in the Diaspora fly home with the hope of receiving red carpet treatment on their desire to invest in Ghana, only to fall into rigid arm-twisting. Almost everyone of those that narrate their story, had to abandon their idea of investing in Ghana, or looking for placements in the civil and public services in frustration. Consequently they return to the Western and organized world when they could no longer take the bureaucracy and abuses from the powers that be, as well as the lack of available reliable power and utility services, plus the lack of loans and financial assistance as available in the West.

WHY DO WE TREAT OUR OWN PEOPLE LIKE THAT? Some say it stems from envy, and some say those in Ghana are scared of those overseas coming home to compete with them for the few and scarce opportunities available to them. Some claim either for jokes or real, comments that purports to indicate that when we are in, we compete with them on the social privileges in town. (Guess What!) Their beautiful Women, Oh poor Souls! They have succeeded in this machinations and today as soon as any individual bids goodbye at any point of departure, it is for real goodbye for ever not to return to settle back home, not even for investment. Reasons for all these, are simple, and it is because there are no opportunities and hope for anybody in Ghana and that is why a recent survey indicate that, 70% of respondents indicate would leave Ghana per any chance, even if they do not know their final destination.

In his comments after reading my article “Stop Looting the National Economy part 2”, on Ghana web. July 9, 2007 , one Isaac Baidoo, wrote to me on the sad story of one Professor Kwame Gyekye who was frustrated by authorities of the University of Ghana , for the position as Dean of the School of Research and Graduate Studies, And this is what he had to say. I would treasure a read if you can use your good journalist talent to write an article on this topic “Of Waste and Talent”

A week later, I got a mail from one Dr. Kofi Amgboe Ekpaha- Mieazah narrating his frustrations and disgust with a note to the editors of Washington Post and the New York Times, for publication of an article on the topic” IS GHANA MOVING BACKWARD OR FORWARD”. This is all in connection with his application to the University of Ghana Medical School. Dr. Mieazah urged me to write about the way Ghanaian Expertise from the Diaspora are treated with contempt looking to serve their Country. To make a long story short, this is what Dr. Mieazah wrote in part, “Ghana University officials treat Ghanaians abroad like dirt, without respect. The University panel and their colleagues are afraid of competition and this continuous behavior will eventually drive the Country into abysmal misery. Hoping you will be able to publish these for the interest of future Ghanaians who wanted to return home for either a long term or a short term service for the Country, or even as investors. Ghana is my heritage, Ghana, “ega yensuazo”. Ghana needs more Clinical educators to meet the 21st century needs to improve the medical and graduate schools in order for our Country to compete with the outside world. Is Ghana working backwards or forwards?”

As I said earlier, most of these professionals and expertise were sent out on scholarships in the decade immediately after independence, on the Nation’s resource, with the hope that someday, they would return to serve their Country with the acquired technology and science to enable us do things ourselves, instead of relying on the foreign expertise all the time. This is exactly what Japan, Taiwan, Singapore, Korea, India, Malaysia and even Viet Nam have done and now competes favorably with the rest of the developed world in manufacturing products and Software sold throughout the world. There are hundreds of cases to recount. It is real, but beyond comprehension.

This is a typical example of the many changes that the newly formed Ghana National Party has as part of their Mission and Manifesto to effect under a new Political direction, under a new breed of politicians with selflessness and the right frame of mind about how Ghana can be competitive and self reliant. Fellow Ghanaians, let us trust ourselves that we can do it, and contribute towards the initiative brought about by a few, under a new political platform under GNP. This is a ground floor opportunity for all of us with no hidden agendas or desire for self gain. Don’t let anybody tell you - please VISIT OUR WEB SITE www.natlparty.com. Read our Manifesto and make your contributions if you so desire. Nobody was born to cook for somebody to enjoy. Let us do it together. To those Ghanaian executives, ask yourself if you love your country or you love yourself only. Why do we spend money training those behind us and when they complete their education and attain expertise, we don’t want to welcome them? Without competition in ideas, processes and methods, we can never aspire to be the best and to compete with the best. GNP believes we can be with the Best!

Let’s work together.