We celebrated

The surprise come-up cele­brating 68th year since becoming independent, was the cool but nostalgic reference to our first President Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah at one-touch, it is said. Memories of him were all over the place in recalls—warm, regretful and or hmnnnn… sighs—if Kwame was here… Memories also brought back two disparate happenings during those days. I thought implicitly of if “SHOW BOY” [his other propaganda serenade], would have approved the scaled-down budget, ‘country broke’. We live in a different world of hardship today ordinarily and toughest peri­od from recent years. We wouldn’t have exceptional except that our lives are in veritable reality of dif­ficult economy. This has for long prompted empty questions “what we have done to where we are today, and bearing in grammatical brackets Kwame had been gone 59 years and more since 6 Mar 1957, having won Sovereignty.

The collective ashamed answer is we have messed up. Then relative to that, the CPP’s most favoured song at the same con­vivial occasion: “Nkrumah never dies”. I remember the venom in en suite sort of ‘the hell had bro­ken- fury’ of Orthodox religion which was politicised protest by DOMO, the domestic Opposi­tion. Without exaggeration, the sweep of the anger compared with latter-years Moslem world’s uprising in Europe over what was deemed disrespectful picture of Prophet Mohammed, exacerbated by the late Pope Benedict XVI’s quotation which he attribut­ed correctly to a 13th Century Byzantine ruler’s remarks about Islam. Moslems found it “ha­ram”—as halting sacrilege as local Orthodox Church co-joined with the Opposition here. Euro-Ju­deo Christianity, on their own presented that CPP’s unison to say Nkrumah had raised himself lt to ‘equal’ to the Omnipotent. The protest against “Nkrumah never dies” was internationalised, spearheaded by the West through their global Press, both growing close to deadly anti-Nkrumah. [We won independence March 6, 1957; and the first aborted coup attempt was ’58.

Though the resurgence was vin­dication posthumously, 59 years after the First Republic was oust­ed, it was one side of moderated celebration. The other is winded; but derived. The summary of the celebration to this point is that the ceremony was in two parts concretely—a visible and showy. Part two then: All of us have previously learned or were taught, growing up that the Old Man gave each of us “three score and ten” and if by reason…Therefore the minimised jollity with alert mind on our “strength”. Numerically, 68 are two years short, humanly stated. But there is hope our national collective endurance will take us there and beyond—insha Allah. That ‘strength’ is the econ­omy and how that facilitates the supply side of the ‘’if by reason of…’ Our endeavour in good faith—each to another instead of our current political bizarre dance in chaos, The outcomes are our wholly unnecessary quarrel s in counter wresting and wastage finding faults with everything.

One example will do: a new logic states that “what was bad yesterday, is equally bad today”. Wrong. There something happen­ing in this country decades ago. It happened between the same political parties, DOMO (NPP today) and the ruling CPP led by Prime Minister then, Dr Kwame Nkrumah. This was a year or two before his “Dawn” broadcast and the most memorable take-away: “Akee, Akee”—‘they say, they say’. He was despondent and said ‘’there is devil in this country, add­ing in Creole: “if country broke you de repair am?”. I should tran­sit it to square up with the illogic of ‘’what was wrong…cannot be right today.’’. The wrong refers to NPP in 2020, post-election’s triumph dismissal of workers which the NDC slammed. At that time, the NPP’s defence included pointers to former leader (PP) Prof K.A.Busia’s throwing out of ‘568’ defiance of a court order [E.K.Sallah vs the State] and declared “No Court” could force his government to work with persons it won’t have. It was as if this became the STANDARD.

(The background is–before him and after, up to 2020, Military Juntas and subsequent civilians have continued to wobble the administrative sector with that weapon. (I should remind that all workers in the state sector were made automatic CPP card bearers. It was one pivotal reason Busia touched the TUC and struck off the ‘check- off’ system. It proved fatal as cause in his overthrow 1972. (The TUC had been and remained most powerful even after the ousting of the First Republic, 1966. I believe that the Supreme Court (SC), peti­tioned, or on its own has a Review authority. I have not read or heard yet of the Court being asked to do that exercise with regard to the Busia ‘’Standard’’ derived from the “Sallah- case”; because it had heavy bearings—political and governance to date.

(A safe excuse is that the Courts had trekked between the Appeal and the SC as the highest, over periods, when the country was low to end it, the Executive, the politics of which party is in charge of the country, powerful). If we take these as remain leaves a vac­uum for any incumbent to tinkle with recruitment to State employ­ment. Any comment for poetic justice or sarcasm, hangs from the NLC through to the PP. The justness of it is debatable hinged on what diktats from a latter law in correcting the unplugged gap. I have read about intents to seize the SC for a ruling. I come back to state that even without that par­ticular law to interdict the validity of the original claim that ‘’what was bad yesterday cannot be right today is flawed. What was good previously, could be a dud today. I am not basking in one against another. Which to hope for is [i] holding any appointee as temporary staff [ref Presidential Staffers] or, their tenure is co-ter­minus with the tenancy of the appointing authority at the then time. Let it now be recognised that the Public Service Commis­sion which was solely responsible for appointments into the public employment, has existed on a limp by political executive decisions for decades.

There is a gigantic job to re-align and make it as authoritative and effective as used to be during a short period post-independence. It may remain as either a puppet or subservient to political power that may be. Reactions against them may not be as huge, hypo­critically since we all know about “crying wolf”. “Did we go, or did we come,” recall-quoting the late Kwame Kesse Adu of the Ashanti Pioneer Newspaper. I have already discussed the permissible “Cort­erie” allowable. And any [military or civilian] can, can using that apparatus act a “Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde” safest. [ii] agree a conven­tion that having been appointed through laid-down regulations, makes the employer immune. (It is common to find the psyche of appointees is responsible to the appointing Governor than the coun­try. The imperative is that we endeavour to correct the earlier “WRONG” as Nkru­mah’s “you no de repair am”.

And that is the “moot” to consider. You know the circus has also giv­en the impression that respective succeeding regimes “own” rather than “inherit” an apparatus which in broadcasting term called “con­tinuity.” Elsewhere, the system allows an incomer with a coterie of acknowledged Technocrats and in mostly, advisory slots–strategic positions to oversee policies-im­plementations. They leave with whom they arrived soon after a change. That provides stability and stifles the rushes of politi­cal tit-for-tats. It tallies with the convention from a consensus and incidentally, removes “jobs for the boys”, or the sordid “entitle­ment-mentality” which hound ev­ery new incumbent being assessed by pundits and the “Know-hows”.

Whether earlier than conven­tional first one hundred days, or not, the opinions score marks with some reservations about slow to blow out galamsey and divided on the workers’ lay-offs. I shall loan a favourite US President Trump’s and resonate “a good chap and will do a great job”. Pursuant to the theme: Review, Reflect and Reset, JDM was criticised for regular absences attending official functions during the preceding reign. The truthful reminders are that it was ex­plained official invitations arrived late or were despatched to the wrong address. The controversy drew bad feelings. It is satis­factory both former Presidents Kufuor and Akufo-Addo attended and mixed well, not as front-paged figuratively as Akufo-Addo was alleged to have declined an interview. I think the tenor of reportage suffered an apparent professional handicap, with the ‘’BIG THREE’’ being together. These THREE represent the epi­centre and epitomise all the best and the not-so decorous travails of this nation’s politics. In spite of all, we gathered to remember an unprecedented great historic achievement, pause to reflect and resolve to do better, thank­ing-saluting the past to move on, honourably accepting diversity of judgments that we make en route for “the good of Rome” as ought, according to our Dr Ephraim Amu’s exhotation in “hen ara asase ni”—‘this is our homeland.’

My opinion on that press slip is neither cavalierly nor presume to lecture anyone, is that it was however, a gem chance missed—quite an eloquent testimony of historical significance and sense of occasion, aware that only three of a procession of Leaders which we have had, had gone and shoved aside was political rivalry for country and the world et al. However, the inadvertent faux pas, a professional omission really, must have been related to homework and or quick sleuth hounding which the opportunity suddenly provided.

All in all, there was a three dimensional festivity—the cere­mony of remembrance salute, the spontaneous humming odes to the man whose steadfastness led the country into independence and the cheerful presence-participa­tion of the living THREE—past two joining the current. Before I wind up, a remarkable intrigue can be pointed from the ‘all went well.’ This 68th signalled times are not the same as even yesterday have changed. But we managed it satisfactorily; meaning, (a) we are not sunk yet and can float to swim with prudence; and (b) project rebuilding with a grave determi­nation to be good patriots and disciplined towards par excel­lence without being preached t o because we had stoically endured hardest labour, nothing compara­ble to Nkrumah’s : “countrymen, tighten your belts”.

By Prof Nana Essilfie-Conduah.