As a typical Ghanaian, I would have been ordinarily touched and moved by Former President Rawlings’ ranting posture about the effects of the devastating floods and fire outbreak.
But I was not- and that’s not because I don’t have feelings or a conscience but because those rhetoric are as worthless as a leaking barrel of water.
When it comes to the matter of strong institutions and strong men, I think the perfect David and Goliath Biblical story would fit into it.
And I think the gigantic posture of Mr. Rawlings (The Strong Man) would perfectly fit a Goliath character, while (Institutions) would be the David character.
The strong Philistine Goliath who had scared many nations and kings and beasts, could not surmount the biggest test of his life when he faced a diminutive creature, just as the recurring flooding remains a blot on the record of virtually every leader in this country.
Goliath was complacent and confident because he only relied on his physical strength just as Mr. Rawlings wants to use his strength by getting a bulldozer to wreck havoc on homes and structures in unauthorized areas, which he and many others believe may be one of the critical reasons for the marauding floods.
And gauging the thunderous tone in his baritone voice, Goliath was all over the place bragging, screaming and scaring people with his physical appearance. Ironically, this appears to be the trait we have often seen in our highly revered and popular former President, Jerry John Rawlings when he speaks.
And this trait visibly depicted itself in his leadership style when he had the privilege of being a President of Ghana. The use of strategies or institutions to solve situations were minimal, because in most of his historic decisions that remain indelible on our country; he did it using force and strength.
That’s just by the way.
But as we remember; the miniature-looking David who stands for (an institution or institutions) in this article only approached Goliath with a well thought through strategy revealed to him by a supernatural power.
He used five smallish harmless looking stones and a sling; and then he strategically focused on the forehead of the gigantic Goliath whose forehead was the only unshielded part of his skin. And he killed him.
As simple as his victory may appear; it wasn’t achieved on a silver platter.
Strategic planning backed by unwavering commitment are the hallmarks of strong institutions and that’s exactly what we need to deal holistically with issues of perennial flooding and its attendant needless loss of lives and property.
It is not through the use of strong men or bulldozers. Bulldozers as suggested by Mr. Rawlings, have only become a painful but an inevitable option because the latter option of strong institutions have woefully and sadly failed.
So when I heard Mr. Rawlings’ vengeful comments; the first thought that came to mind was the popular phrase by US President Barack Obama to the effect that “You need strong institutions and not strong men to make the necessary change.
And that was the motivation to write this piece at dawn although my eyes were heavy with sleep. The idea can suddenly vanish like a dream the next morning so when it calls you must answer immediately.
That statement by Barack Obama; was one of the most important and memorable legacies he left us when he visited this country.
Yes; Mr. Rawlings has the right to be exasperated just like most of us; but he must spare us the rhetoric and his usual populist talk because he has had the best chance and the power to cause a drastic change but I doubt he did anything significant to cause that change.
And if indeed he seriously needs a bulldozer to cause a demolition which he clearly knows would be an illegality for him as a person to do; I bet you that for his likeable nature, people can even donate to him for that purpose to carry out that threat if only he was not joking.
And now to the facts; the reasons why a bulldozer would have been of no use are that, if institutions like the Town and Country Department and others had been strong and responsible enough not to issue out building permits on the basis of political affiliations, nepotism and favoritism, those buildings would not have sprang up in the so-called those unauthorized places.
And of course; if the person who also paid a bribe to build on that waterway had done what is right; there would have been no need for a bulldozer later in future to destroy his edifice.
But the truth be told; many of us as citizens cannot and do not always know which areas are waterlogged and unsafe for buildings and which are not. So the responsibility largely falls on the laps of that expert who works at that Municipal, district and Metropolitan Assembly to effectively carry out his or her mandate.
And in any case, are we by this waterways argument suggesting that nobody can build in such areas? In my layman view, I think that if the right expert advice and the needed supervision is given, people can build very solid structures in such vicinities that can stand the test of time.
All that city authorities would need to do, is to have very robust and quality drainage systems in such areas and we clearly wouldn’t see floods at the slightest rain.
Sometimes I ask myself what would be Ghana’s story if we were used to natural disasters such as typhoons, hurricanes or even earthquakes and the likes. What we have mostly experienced even in the last few days, are in my view light rains that have been exaggerated because they rather lasted for longer hours.
The effects were not from the rains – they came from the failures of city authorities and the staggering indiscipline on the part of irresponsible residents in our communities. A friend says we should call what has happened a national indiscipline rather than a natural disaster because it is not.
So what if the bye-laws on littering were fully implemented by those state institutions that should be strong enough?
What if our institutions could not be coerced into doing the wrong things just to save incumbent parties from losing elections?
What if the institutions were strong enough to punish it’s employees who take bribes and turn a blind eye to construction without proper permit?.
These very teething questions that beckon for positive answers, are certainly what we need to fix in our institutions to deal with the mess; and then bulldozers would be of no use.
Indiscipline is global and not racial
Indiscipline is not a Ghanaian, illiterate or an African trait- it’s a human weakness and one may even says it’s innate. The only reason why you may find less of indiscipline in developed countries is simply because the strong systems or institutions deter people enough.
Have you asked why the Ghanaian in Ghana will shamefully and gleefully litter in Accra but would most likely not do same in New York or Zurich?
Do you know that a Ghanaian driver who will easily jump the traffic light when no one is watching can’t do same in London because even in the absence of police officers in the street, a technology has made it possible to fish you out wherever you are.
And you will be amazed that even expatriates who will dare not do any of these in their home countries will strangely do them in Ghana because they know the system is weak and porous.
So you see why indiscipline has nothing to do with race, color or mindset.
We in Ghana also need such robust systems instead of complaining about irresponsible citizens because if all human beings were rational there would be no need for courts or laws to punish. I think it’s merely an excuse by those paid with tax payer’s money to be lazy in thinking critically outside the box to solve our problems by simply blaming it on the citizenry. That in my singular view is betrayal.
If state institutions which are funded with tax payers’ sweat cannot function as they should and enforce the laws to deal fairly and accordingly with irresponsible citizens, then they might as well not exist.
Maybe that way, we can all be responsible for ourselves as in the saying, each one for himself God for us all.
And like one of my role models, Manasseh Azure Awuni says; journalists too must take sides against the ills of society and not feign neutrality.
We are all involved and so we must speak our minds in the face of political tags and name-callings which is the new form the culture of silence has taken.
The Writer, Ebenezer Afanyi Dadzie is a journalist/ enadadzie@gmail.com
