The former Executive Vice President (EVP) of Unilever Ghana and Nigeria, Yaw Nsarkoh has expressed concerns about the leadership structure in Ghana, particularly the disconnect between the elite and local government.
Mr Nsarkoh raised questions about the state of the country’s leadership, particularly after 30 years of constitutional rule. He thus, questioned whether Ghana is at the level of development it aspires to be and whether the country’s leadership is capable of achieving its goals.
“It is not only about the leaders. We talk a lot about the leaders and when you talk leaders, I assume you are talking about the people who are standing for President, Vice President. So, that is all our democracy has become about.
Yaw Nsarkoh
Mr. Nsarkoh’s statement, “The final mile, as we like to say, the last mile of delivery, the capillary of government is in local government,” underscored the importance of local government delivery in achieving the goals of a government.
According to Mr, Nsarkoh, local governments are the last line of defence in the delivery of public services and are often more reflective of local needs and interests.
He further recounted that local government are closer to the citizens than higher layers of government and can be more responsive and innovative in their approach to service delivery.
“If I come into the studio now and go round and I ask the people who are there to tell me who their district assembly member is and when was the last time you spoke to him/her or you attended a district assembly meeting, I suspect that the room will go quiet. There is a reason why the room will go quiet, the bourgeois, the elite have disengaged local government.”
Yaw Nsarkoh
More so, Mr. Nsarkoh argued that the proximity of local governments to the people and their ability to be more responsive and innovative make them the ‘capillary of government’ that is essential for effective public service delivery.
Mr. Nsarkoh pointed out that the leadership structure in Ghana has weak fundamentals, which he believes hinders the country’s ability to reach its developmental goals.
He also expressed concerns about the over-monetization of politics, which he believes threatens the sovereignty of the nation and could lead to a ‘narco-state’.
Mr. Nsarkoh advocated for a mindset revolution in Ghana, emphasizing the need for individual and collective change to foster progress in all spheres of life.
He believes that this change in mindset is necessary to liberate Ghanaians from the feelings of inferiority ingrained during colonialism and to break free from the remnants of colonial influence on the collective mindset.
Weak Fundamentals Hinder Ghana’s Developmental Goals
Moreover, Yaw Nsarkoh underscored several weak fundamentals that he believes hinder Ghana’s ability to reach its developmental goals.
Mr. Nsarkoh pointed out that the focus on the President and Vice President has led to a disconnect between the elite and local government. This is crucial for the delivery of services and development at the grassroots level. He suggested that without functioning local government, a country cannot deliver prosperity and development
Again, Mr. Nsarkoh argued that the local government is the first point of development, and if the electorates are unable to hold local authorities at that level accountable for their actions, such phenomenon is replicated at the apex level.
Also, Mr. Nsarkoh spoke about the absence of security for those who strive for meritocracy in the public sector. He proposed changes to the public sector board appointment process to strengthen state competence and the effectiveness of State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs).
In addition, Mr. Nsarkoh expressed concerns about the high rise of food inflation according to him, and further described it as an ‘explosive disaster’.
He also expressed concern about the large number of people living in mass misery and the potential for social instability. He warned of the risk of the bottom of society dropping out if the current economic and social conditions are not addressed.
Finally, Mr. Nsarkoh mentioned the endangerment of the ecological system due to the activities of illegal mining, which he referred to as ‘galamsey’.
These weak fundamentals, according to Mr. Nsarkoh, has contributed to a cycle of economic and social challenges that make it difficult for Ghana to achieve its developmental goals.
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