The signs were clearly written on the wall. The current disillusion and sense of hopelessness afflicting Ghanaians is a cause for concern. I know many people will quickly remark that but it has always been this way so why grumble now. I reply that things cannot be allowed to go on as if nothing is at stake for our dear nation. Ghana cannot “presently” change yesterday or tomorrow, so it is of supreme importance that we as a nation dedicate all of our efforts to “right now.” It is the only time that matters, it is the only time there is. The only way to properly address Ghana's future is to be as present as possible “in the present.”
Although he is reputed to be a legal luminary having taught law at the University of Ghana for a quarter of a century, his legal team is yet to win any case of repute. One sometimes wonder what is really going on within the legal team of the ruling National Democratic Party (NDC). Fortunately for people who see things beyond the ordinary, may not be surprised when you take into account some of the utterances of some members of the NDC legal team such as Chris Ackumey, David Annang, Nana Ato Dadzie, Mahama Ayariga, Haruna Iddrissu to mention but just a few.
It can be recalled that in the first quarter of 2009 when John Mills assumed office, he assembled his team and forwarded the list of his nominees for vetting by Parliament. The signs were ominous as many of the nominees publicly and openly apologised for literally lying on a number of issues leading up to the 2008 elections. Nominees like Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, Ama Benyiwaa-Doe, Fiifi Kwetey, James Agyenim-Boateng, ASK Bagbin, Mahama Ayariga, Haruna Iddrisu, Sherry Ayitey and Betty Mould-Iddrissu all had question marks on their integrity. Of course people with questionable characters as these will always struggle to win public trust and confidence especially when they are in public office and entrusted with the public pulse. This inevitably deflects from the amount and quality of time available to dedicate to the public good. Our conduct in private matters when we hold public office. There is a thin line between our private lives and the public activities we engage in. This does not mean we should not establish a line what to consider as private from public. I vividly recount that at the vetting of Sherry Ayitey she had a legal counsel by her side indicating to her which questions she could answer and which she might decline. I personally found that situation quite bizarre as a public servant could be so much pressured into such a position. Actually what worried me most was her responses. It was very clear this nominee had done what students in Ghana call 'chew, pour, pass and forget'. In Ms Ayitey's attempt to show how well she was on top of current environmental issues confronting humanity, she replied to a question that we need to do more to curb 'Global Warming' as it has already led to disasters like 'Tsunami'. Indeed, Tsunami brings boiling water but it is due to global warming? Fortunately, MP for Takyiman North, Professor Christopher Ameyaw Akumfi was quick to point out to her that school children were listening to her and it was wrong to tell them such 'filla'. Melting Magma from the crust of the earth exposed by earthquake that occurs deep in the ocean causes the ocean water to boil. It is not caused by Global Warming. One may ask why raising this issue at the moment. The answer is not far fetched. If the one at the helm of affairs does not understand and appreciate the issues at stake, how can such a person lead in the formulation of ideas and policies to deal with them? Visionary leadership is obviously what a country like Ghana requires and for that to happen, we need leaders who can do things differently. For change to occur, you cannot continue doing things in the same manner. The same thing could be said of Betty Mould-Iddrissu. Atta Akyia specifically wanted to know how she was going to handle cases as Attorney-General and Minister of Justice when she had no prior criminal trial experience. True to his word, her tenure in that office was a disaster and people with the NDC demanded her removal. In fact, she never personally prosecuted a single case in court.
The man long considered a genius by the masses for his great contributions to the scientific world, Albert Einstein once observed that “insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” His own achievements included the theory of relativity, the founding of relativistic cosmology, the prediction of the deflection of light by gravity, the quantum theory of atomic motion in solids, the zero-point energy concept, and the quantum theory of a monatomic gas. Einstein further indicated the power of imagination compared to mere knowledge acquisition. Einstein said the imagination is more important than knowledge! Your imagination pre-plays your future. Einstein went on to say, “The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge, but imagination.” You see according to him “imagination is everything. It is the preview of life's coming attractions. Imagination is more important than knowledge.”
This brings me to the current raging debate sparked off by 'black sheep' turned 'white cow' gift Baba Jihad. Not only was his claim that President Mills obtained 1st Class Honours at his BA studies at University of Ghana has turned out to be a complete fabrication but his reasoning too is faulty. We can all now draw our own conclusions on the power of imagination of President Mills and his team. When he assumed office as President in 2009, many people complained about his lack to formulate any policy. His 'useful idiots' including Kwesi Pratt Jnr. rebutted that he had a four year mandate and we should give him time to assess him. Three years down the line with just one more year to say good bye to the Presidency, we still yet can not point to any consist single policy that can serve as his legacy. Can Ghana continue doing things 'business as usual' and expect to leapfrog to development? Are Professor Mills and his team exercising their “imagination muscles” daily, weekly, monthly and annually? Do we deserve as a nation Ghana to let something as powerful as our imagination lie dormant due to uninspiring leadership? We will all agree that Ghana deserves better leadership than what we are going through 'the motions' presently and we need people who can think big out of the box with the 'can do attitude' to lead us. Knowledge clearly is necessary in life but the power of imagination can never be replaced with mere acquisition of knowledge. The educational system in Ghana must take up the challenge of helping young people to stimulate their power of imagination by allowing the exercise of freewill and rewarding initiative rather than reproduction of knowledge. We must bear in mind that “the true sign of intelligence is not knowledge, but imagination.”
