“Dear Mr. President,
As you read this open letter to all members of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and in particular, you, Your Excellency, am sure you have a fair idea of the situation on the ground. A mixture of happenings has really made your first year of governance, a difficult one.
I have been to my constituency (which is a safe one for the NDC) a number of times this year. The message is clear from the most ardent of your supports – The Ground Is Hard but There Is Hope.
First, across board, many of them acknowledge that the Single Spine pay policy, introduced by the then New Patriotic Party (NPP) headed by ex-President John Kufuor, is taking a heavy toll on the economy. That about 600,000 workers in the public sector ‘consumes’ more than 70% of government’s revenue. The other side of the coin is that an NPP person will retort – if you know you cannot handle it, why did you campaign to be elected President? I have confidence in your ability to lead the NDC government to solve the burden to Single Spine but you need some ‘financial oxygen’ to increase your revenue and reduce your expenditure.
By ‘financial oxygen’, I am referring to how a small team would be created so that as and when people leave the public sector (by retirement, resignations, etc) those being recruitment as those who are actually needed. The era of jobs for the boys and girls must stop.
Thirdly, the government must make a huge effort to popularize the availability of the Whistle Blower Act. Many junior and middle-level workers in the public sector will be willing to take advantage of the Act, knowing that he would be rewarded with a percentage of the amount that he is instrumentals in making the government save. In addition, such information’s are required by the Act, to be protected but I expect that given the quantum of fraud in the public sector, such persons who are likely to resign and start some business with the reward they would receive.
Across the country, MMCEs and DCEs should be innovative in terms of dealing with day to day problems in their various municipalities and districts. If in the aftermath of a heavy downpour, why can’t they take temporary measures of filling the newly-created pot-holes or man-holes to make the roads motorable again? Or is it because they travel in four-wheel drive vehicles that they do not feel the ‘bone cracking’ impact?
Fourthly, if within your four-year team, you will be facing such problems, I am sure you will like them to face you now, to enable you solve them in time for 2015, when many Ghanaians would be taking electoral decisions. Actions initiated by government in election years are influence them towards the elections.
Finally, please remember, the Battle for the Ghanaian Presidency is the Lord’s and God chooses Kings.
My Best Wishes
NDC MP”