The president was conspicuous by his absence on farmers day
The first Friday of December was established by the government and people of Ghana as a national day to honour farmers and to highlight the importance of agriculture, which is the mainstay of the economy. As a national holiday, it took its place along Independence Day, March 6, and Republic Day, July 1. We the people expect the President to lead the nation to assert national fervour, patriotism and resolve on these commemorative days.
Advertisement
These days should not be mere holidays when we engage in frivolous activities to relieve boredom, but national days of reflection on our independence and what we have achieved. The role of farming as a major economic determinant should engage our attention on Farmers Day. Naturally, the President should provide the leadership to give meaning to the agreed activities on these major national holidays.
I never served as an ambassador in a country where the President or Head of State was away on a major national day. Such behaviour would
Contributors for the awards carefully selected and winners are warmly congratulated. Others are, thereby, encouraged to emulate the distinguished farmers and help to feed a hungry population and promote economic growth.
Surely the leader of the nation should be present at the awards presentation ceremony. I would maintain that nothing could justify his or her absence even if it is to collect largesse from The Chinese in distant African lands. As a matter of fact, the absence of the President encourages the belief that we cannot do it and that our only salvation is manna from outside Ghana. Farmers’ Day is a unique opportunity for the President to encourage us by concrete measures to grow what we eat and eat what we grow.
I do not blame the President for this serious lapse. I accuse his officials and advisers of dereliction of duty. There is a lot of suggestion about the President seeking advice from experts and the like outside the party caucus. In my view, the main problem facing national progress is not the exclusion of experts from other political parties, but failure of key officials and ministers to do their duty with confidence and resolve.
Only recently a prominent cleric advised in the Daily Graphic that the administration should include experts from other political parties in governance. True, we need all the talents. But what we need badly are experts in office who can observe, learn, think, advise and act. Even an expert or adviser who is not aware of the protocol and movement of Heads of State and government should take note of the news a few days ago that the Italian Prime Minister would visit Ghana in February, 2016. A little thought should suggest that Presidents and Prime Ministers do not “travel by heart”. Their travels are well-planned and designed to serve a defined purpose or purposes.
2016 is an election year and so the President’s movements will be subject to changes at short notice. In spite of this, his movement plans should be arranged now. His travels connected to his mandate as a President should precede party or other movements. Foreign commitments such as African Union and ECOWAS meetings should be captured in the planned movements. But ad hoc foreign visits should not take precedence over the agreed planned engagements.
Other Trending Stories
Those around the President should know that serious preparation should precede Presidential visits abroad. The President’s place of work is here in Ghana. And they should advise politely, but persistently that engagements are to be honoured, especially, those with the people who elected him as leader.
A great deal of the work involved in foreign meetings should be done by competent ambassadors, special envoys, ministers and officials. This is not difficult if there is a policy which is followed by these envoys or emissaries who should be properly instructed on specific missions. And such a policy or policies are formulated or designed by the President with the help of his ministers, advisers and experts.
I was sad to see my President giving so much credence to corruption in the country by trying to explain away a report by a private organisation about the prevalence of the cancer in Ghana. Surely an official of the Ministry of Information should correct any unfounded views.
Surely the role of the President in such matters is to meet with the key operators and after thorough discussion supported by memoranda, facts and figures, decide on measures to curb the menace and ultimately remove it. The President can best deal with the many unnecessary problems in the country by dealing with them in Ghana with the help of chosen Ghanaians. That is why he should give priority to engagements in Ghana, especially, the “quiet” ones with his aides, advisers and experts.