Left Alone In The Cold! | Features

On Thursday 5 Might 2022, the playwright Uncle Ebo Whyte shared his expertise as a younger Union chief of the primary firm he labored for within the Seventies after college.

The vociferous youth consistently complained about their boss and requested Ebo to inform the boss about their issues. Following their insistence, he lastly determined to ask the boss to a gathering throughout which the aggrieved staff have been to voice their issues. Having agreed along with his colleagues on this, he instructed the boss the Union needed to fulfill him. The boss readily agreed to fulfill the employees.

Shock

When the ground was opened for dialogue, to Uncle Ebo’s shock, not a single employee requested the boss a query or made a suggestion. Finally, to save lots of himself the embarrassment of getting introduced the boss to a questionless/suggestionless assembly, Uncle Ebo himself instructed the boss that, the employees stated they have been sad with him as a result of amongst others, he was too strict. One might hear a pin drop with absolutely the silence that adopted. With that, the assembly got here to an finish.

Clearly sad with Uncle Ebo for main what he thought of a close to mutiny towards him, the boss from then on for the following few weeks, zoomed his radar on Uncle Ebo from the beginning of labor to the top of the day searching for a fault to nail him on. Finally, not discovering any, the boss referred to as Ebo to his workplace. His easy recommendation was, “Watch out for the Ghanaian!” He’ll cheer you on with loud hosanna, however abandon you with “crucify him” and go away you within the chilly whenever you most want him.

Persevering with, he stated whereas individuals are superb at complaining about every thing behind the boss’ again, with regards to telling the boss what their grievances are, they backtrack. He suggested Uncle Ebo to be taught from the expertise he had simply had, being left within the chilly for an initiative he didn’t take, however goaded on to spearhead by his subordinates!

Sadly, this detrimental perspective of leaving people within the chilly whereas they lead a combat for the widespread good, seems pervasive in Ghana. Certainly, typically, as if the betrayal will not be unhealthy sufficient, folks go additional to make disparaging remarks like,” does he assume he’s the one one who sees issues are mistaken?”

“The Probe”

In the course of the Pleasure FM programme “The Probe” on Sunday night time 7 Might 2023, the panelists stated that Ghana’s place within the World Press Freedom rankings has been persistently dropping in the previous couple of years. That is the results of the harassment, beating up of journalists like Latif Idriss of Pleasure FM on March 27, 2018 and in some case homicide of journalists like Ahmed Suale in 2019.

In his contribution, journalist Erastus Asare Donkor spoke of the harrowing experiences he and his crew suffered whereas making a documentary on galamsey deep within the forest! In in search of redress, not even his subsequent illustration by lawyer/journalist Samson Lardy Ayenini has secured him justice but.

He acknowledged along with different panelists that, the results of the non-cooperation by the Police is that many journalists are starting to self-censor following direct threats to them and their households. His household was confined to a safe-house for a couple of month following threats. Journalists are self-censoring, due to the impression that, the GJA can not give them the help they want.

Shakespeare’s admonition that “discretion is the higher a part of valour” subsequently is useful, as a result of within the restrict, one is left within the chilly alone.

This contrasts sharply with my expertise in Nigeria within the late Nineteen Eighties and mid-Nineties.

Distinction

Prefer it occurs in Parliament the place there may be plenary for all 275 Ghanaian MPs, after which committee conferences for smaller subject-matter teams like Training, Well being, Defence and Safety and so on, at Command and Employees Schools, we even have a plenary for all college students, after which “syndicates” of small teams of about ten college students! Every syndicate has a Lt-Col Directing-Employees (Lecturer) as a facilitator.

Throughout one of many phrases, my syndicate invited me to the Officers Mess for “pepper-soup” on a Friday afternoon after an extended and tiring week! After the preliminary pleasantries, the chief began, “Oga (Sir), we actually admire you and like the best way you educate! However Oga, you’re very imply with marks!” Earlier than I might get well from the shock of the preliminary salvo, like a deliberate relay, every of the ten Majors instructed me how stingy they thought I used to be with marks, although they preferred my instructing! They have been subsequently pleading with me to calm down my stinginess.

For the 4 years I had taught in our Command and Employees School in Ghana, no Ghanaian scholar had ever instructed me I used to be stingy with marks even when they thought so!

Dialogue

In each the Ebo Whyte story and the panelists submission on the “The Probe,” talking reality to energy is seen as harmful; Followers typically desert their leaders after they sense hassle. The tales jogged my memory of the Twi saying “p3 as3m, suro as3m,” actually, “love hassle, concern hassle!” It describes the tendency on the a part of some individuals who courtroom/instigate hassle, after which run away when hassle comes, leaving the chief within the chilly! This has contributed to the delivery of the aphorism “NO ACTION, TALK ONLY” (NATO)

My expertise in Nigeria was the precise reverse, with all displaying a standard entrance with sincerity and dedication to confront authority, with none concern of repercussions!

Allow us to not be cowed into submission by heartless leaders who will do every thing to suppress journalists and others for exposing their involvement in galamsey and greed. Keep in mind, whereas for many of us, the one nation we have now is Ghana, a few of them could have second houses elsewhere to flee to in any case our water our bodies have turned to a sludge contaminated with mercury and cyanide from galamsey. After I flew just lately to Takoradi, I used to be unhappy to see from the air, the muddy River Pra push kilometers into the Atlantic!

Keep in mind President Ernest Bai Koroma’s recommendation in February 2023 on the Kofi Annan Worldwide Peacekeeping Coaching Centre, Teshie to followers, to be taught to talk reality to energy, as that’s the method to preserve management on monitor.

Management, lead!

Fellow Ghanaians, WAKE UP!

Brig Gen Dan Frimpong (Rtd)

Former CEO, African Peace Help Trainers Affiliation

Nairobi, Kenya

           
Council Chairman

Household Well being College School

 Accra

[email protected]