Artisans and attitude! What is wrong with us?

My weekday Current Affairs education starts with Joy FM from 5.45 am to 7am during my morning walk.

At 7am, I switch over to Peace FM, and continue at night with both local and foreign news.

On Monday, July 17, 2023, the Kokrokoo programme chaired by ‘Chairman-General’ Kwami Sefa Kayi took a slightly different turn from the usual birthday greetings and music!  

This time, the presenters constituted themselves into a “panel” to discuss the topic “Artisans and attitude in Ghana.”

Started by Nana Yaa Konadu and Nana Yaw Kesse, they were joined by the Chairman-General, and later by Sports presenter Dan Kwaku Yeboah.

Lamentations

While there was lamentation about foreigners having taken over the skilled artisans industry in Ghana, virtually all the phone-ins concluded that it was the result of the negative attitude of Ghanaian artisans.

There was massive condemnation of the attitude of Ghanaian artisans.

So, how did we lose the excellent reputation of Ghanaian artisans who had the reputation of building the new planned-city of Abuja, Nigeria in the 1980s, together with Ghanaian engineers, architects and Building Technologists?

Many years ago, the construction of “Plaster-of-Paris” (POP) for ceilings was identified to be the forte of Togolese artisans.

They were therefore invited to Ghana for that purpose.

Over time, however, Ghanaian builders have crossed over to foreign artisans in all spheres of the construction industry!

Why?

Artisans

For any Ghanaian who has built in Ghana from the 1980s, the experiences are the same.

In a case cited, a mason estimated 300 bags of cement for a project.

A second opinion had 120 bags which successfully completed the project.

A story I found amazing was the case of a young contractor who duped an elderly client in a building project.

Knowing the client had reported him to the police, the young man armed himself with a gun and sat in his hall waiting to exchange fire with the police!

Electricians appear the worst as they use wrong wires, which sometimes lead to fire.

The question often asked is “what is wrong with us?”

The debate generated some interesting discussion when the Chairman-General asked why clients don’t simply go to the qualified Quantity Surveyors to give them various bills of quantities.

Then came the big question to him, “Where are they?”

It was then revealed that, like doctors and lawyers, architects, engineers, Quantity Surveyors etc and most in the building industry, are prohibited by Law from advertising.

It is thus difficult to identify them for their services.

February 28, 2018

In my article of February 28, 2018 titled “Values, Attitudes and Law enforcement,” I stated as follows:

“On a visit to Indonesia in 1968, Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew of Singapore was impressed with what he saw.

He complimented President Sukharno of Indonesia with the words, “you are blessed with a beautiful country!”

Sukharno’s answer was “yes, God has blessed us.

The problem is the people!”

Continuing I stated, “Certainly, Ghana needs visionary leaders who will lead by example to ensure a change in values and attitudes.

Most importantly, we must ensure the enforcement of our Laws!”

For many, once an advance payment is made, the artisan bolts away.

One of the stories from the phone-ins was about a dressmaker contracted to make a dress for a young lady’s wedding.

The dress was delivered two days after the wedding.

The most harrowing example given was that of a pregnant young lady who had been married for seven years without a child.  

Sadly, in labour at a hospital, as she tossed about in pain, the nurses continued playing with their mobile phones.

Eventually she fell off the bed in pain.

The baby was affected.

Four years on, the child cannot walk. 

Questions

Many phone-ins described the Ghanaian in scathing language!

Why are we so cruel to fellow Ghanaians?

Why do we enjoy like sadists inflicting pain on others who pay us for services we are supposed to have trained to give?

Why are we so money-loving and corrupt?

Is it the same country that tied Generals to the stakes and shot them in 1979 for taking bank-loans they were servicing?

Is this the same country which murdered judges including a lactating mother in 1982?

Is this the same Ghanaian which declared every successful businessman in 1979/1982 a thief and hounded them?

What happened to all the assets they confiscated?

What legacy did the perpetrators leave that has left a country without conscience in our dealings with fellow Ghanaians?

Listening to the programme saddened me.

Where has Shakespeare’s “milk of human mercy” gone in the Ghanaian?

Sadly, careless cavalier sadism appears to be the order of the day.

Otherwise, how can leaders sleep comfortably at night with all the poverty around us with children writing on their bellies because schools have no furniture?

Summary

Although the topic started with the dishonesty of Ghanaian artisans creating space for more trustworthy foreign artisans, the discussion soon went beyond artisans.

A company cited, employs Filipino drivers because previously employed Ghanaian drivers could not be trusted.

In the building industry, Togolese artisans are having a field day on account of their honesty.

Where did we go so wrong?

South African writer Alan Paton’s book title comes rushing into my mind, “Cry, the beloved country!”

As President Suhkarno told visiting Prime Minister Lee-Kuan-Yew of Singapore in 1965, “Yes, God has blessed us (indonesia) with a beautiful country!

The problem is the people!”

Shall we ever get it right in a miraculous recovery, “sankofa?”

Talking about our attitude, one of the panellists said rather sadly that, our recovery would have to start with our two-year-olds!

Leadership, lead!

Fellow Ghanaians, wake up!

The writer is former CEO, African Peace Support Trainers Association, Kenya & Council Chairman, Family Health University College, Ghana.

E-mail: dkfrimpong@yahoo.com