One of the alchemy of ingredients that constitute great leadership is courage, great leaders are said to demonstrate boldness. Leadership takes courage, and it’s about making bold and often unpopular decisions. Aristotle called courage the first virtue, because it makes all of the other virtues possible. Other important virtues like creativity wither in the absence of courage.
His Excellency President John Dramani Mahama has exhibited a lot of courage; and I don’t think I’m wrong when I say that he is phenomenon. He has proven that he is a descendant of the great Gonja warrior and the founder of the Gonja Kingdom, Sumaila Ndewura Jakpa.
Nobody ever thought that a president in this country could sanction the demolishing of Sodom and Gomorrah to prevent thousands of inhabitants there from being washed away in the event of heavy rains because of it’s political cost, but he did. As I write, doctors are on strike making freakish demands, but again, the young man from Bole did not mince words about it. Please hear him:
“Any agreement that are reached in respect of allowances or conditions of services would have to be appropriately captured in the budget.
And I want to say for emphasis: I will not authorise any expenditure on wages and compensation not provided for in the budget.
Fiscal discipline requires that not a single pesewa is spent on remuneration outside what has been budgeted for and this goes for both Article 71 Office holders and those on the Single Spine. It goes for the president as well as the lowest public sector employee. I am determined to hold the line no matter the political cost.”
Folks, you will recall that in my last article I told the story of my younger brother who is now a pastor, and the fact that when he was a baby would cry all-night requesting for fufu at midnight just to punish our mum. His pesky nature continued even when he was about 4 years and could talk well. Members of the family decided to ignore him anytime he cried. One night, he decided to do his usual thing, and when no-one complained, he asked amidst crying, “Haven’t you heard me crying?”
The striking doctors are behaving like my younger brother when he was 4 years old, they seem to be asking, “haven’t you seen that we are on strike?” Kikikikiki, JM, please I want you to do me a favour, make na activate the “dead goat syndrome” small to discourage other labour unions who are warming up on the touchline waiting for the outcome of the doctors’ issue.
If care is not taken the Single Spine Salary Structure could be thrown out of gear. It is a fact that workers are far better off under the Single Spine than they were previously. And I believe President Mahama has the workers of Ghana at heart, and much more would be done on their remunerations when the economy could sustain it. Someone was telling me few days ago that prior to the Single Spine, his children’s school fees were always in arrears, but now, he is able to pay on time without any problem courtesy the Single Spine.
Mr. President, don’t worry about political cost; there are many great citizens of this nation who admire your bravery. All the things you are doing are in the interest of Mother Ghana, and trust me, there are many floating voters out there who will vote for you for your fantastic stance because in the end the benefits of your decisions would be seen and felt.
Thought provoking