Lockout ministers who attend functions late, Mr Prez

A time-conscious population cannot be taken for granted if a country seeks to sustain and enhance accelerated growth. In many advanced societies, time is of essence and the citizenry value it in all that they do.

Time management, as defined by Wikipedia, is the act or process of planning and exercising conscious control over the amount of time spent on specific activities, especially to increase effectiveness, efficiency or productivity.

As time itself cannot be managed because it is fixed, no nation can do well if it continuously fails to plan and exercise effective control over its use.

It is in this vein that the Daily Graphic continues to support the President’s call for a time-conscious society which is well primed for action at any given time.

It is our considered opinion that time has not been taken seriously in our daily endeavours. No wonder in this country we do have ‘Ghana Time’, as against ‘Greenwich Mean Time (GMT)’.

It is very stressful getting to functions on time, only for them to start so late because high-profile personalities arrive late, for no apparent reason, and seek refuge in this so-called ‘Ghana Time’.

The issue of working with time is a daunting task for majority of Ghanaians, but more worrying is its abuse, particularly by the political class and traditional authorities.

If the nation is to overcome the difficulties with the management of time, then it is imperative for our leaders, including our President, to lead in this crusade.

There is a lot to be gained for the country if the citizenry shun this ‘Ghana Time’ and stick to exercising conscious control over the amount of time spent on specific activities for increased productivity.

As we attain 60 years, the call by our President for time conciousness is most timely and cannot be further delayed.

In his maiden State of the Nation Address to Parliament on Tuesday, the President outlined a number of measures aimed at re-positioning the economy on the path of positive growth and progress.

We need to support his call, particularly for punctuality, proper sanitation and care for the environment, if we are to enjoy the benefits thereof.

For the second day running, the Daily Graphic wishes to press home the demand for an aggressive campaign for a time-conscious populace.

Thankfully, the President has indicated his resolve to make a personal example in his timeous attendance at functions and this should be a call on all to emulate and practise time management  as a daily routine.

But the Daily Graphic expects the President to set the example by locking out his ministers and other public functionaries who attend state functions late.