The continuum standard in governance is something we should uphold in our dear country if we sincerely seek development.
The next political administration when President John Mahama exits should advance development to higher levels from where its predecessors reached; spanning the intangible such as governance quality to the tangible such as infrastructure.
Some observers have argued that the standards set by President Mahama’s predecessor are yet to be met by him. Without seeking to engage in a debate on the subject, all we can state is that perhaps with the few years he has left to complete his tenure, he could do something wonderful. We are watching how the sole sourced infected ‘Big Push’ agenda will pan out in the coming months.
Indeed, during vote-seeking campaigns by political parties, each puts across what they intend to do when the pendulum of power swings to their side.
When the drone medical delivery technology was introduced to Ghana, one of the first worldwide, it sounded like a fairytale to the uninitiated. In fact, cynics regarded it as a political gimmick until they started to witness it in action.
In terms of impact, the Zipline drone system has been a wonderful stride. The data point at 8.4 million delivery of medical products including blood, vaccines and essential medicines. Operating from six distribution centres, the service covered over 400 healthcare facilities having saved over 9,000 lives through rapid access to blood, in remote areas of the country. It has suffered orchestrated neglect, as have projects initiated by others, by those at the helm.
Over three hundred Mercedes Benz buses were imported to constitute the cornerstone for the One Constituency One Ambulance initiative. These were delivered as promised, their improvement of quality healthcare delivery verifiable.
Enter a new political administration and the rickshaws imported for the Free Primary Healthcare project of President John Dramani Mahama have made it possible for the people to compare what they saw yesterday – the Mercedes ambulances and the rickshaw-like vehicles.
Ghanaians, full of a high sense of humour, described the vehicles as ‘abobulance’, a coinage which meant that they regard the vehicles as ambulances.
The drone delivered medical supplies now on ice and the many of the Mercedes Benz ambulances no longer in their prime, we have been blessed with ‘abobulances’, according to Ghanaians, who regard them as objects of derision as they compare them with the previous standards set.
The one step forward, two steps backwards occasioned by regime changes, appears to be what is playing out in terms of development.
The President lost his cool with his compatriots for not posing questions but seeking to deride the new vehicles. They are not ambulances but vehicles for conveying medical personnel to points of service, he said.
An innovation anyway but below the set standard by his predecessor, which accounted for the medical drone concept and modern ambulances. President Mahama should be patient with us when we complain about quality of policies. In other to engage in productive discourses, we must compare what was achieved yesterday and what has been delivered today. For now, only time will tell whether the bar of yesterday will be met by those at the helm today.