The wind of change is blowing
This morning I heard something on the way to drop my son off, something that made me so happy, that I risked my life and that of my son's by taking my hands off the wheel and clapping.
Well I did not really risk my life by disobeying traffic rules. I was in traffic at a stop sign. I did however clap.
I was listening to CITI FM (97.3 in Accra). The presenter, Bernard Avle, who I believe deserves an award if he has not already gotten one, was interviewing a lawyer by the name of Kweku Paintsil. This lawyer had taken the words of his excellency President Akufo Addo to heart and had decided to be a citizen by taking on the powerful and highly corrupt Ministry of Roads and Highways for the shoddy job done by a road contractor. The sum involved was a whopping GHS 2.9 million (US$ 660,0000.00).
Now as deep thinking cynic, I will not be quick to say the Ministry is at fault, or that the intentions of this lawyer are entirely selfless. In fact he is not the first private citizen to take on the Government. I did not clap because his action. It was something he said that brought joy to my heart. For the first time I could feel the anger of a tax payer, I could sense his frustration in his outburst, I could tell that he had had enough. His cup was overflowing.
Lately I have been taking Uber, having left my vehicle for my wife to use. Each time I strike a conversation with the drivers, trying to gauge their minds on government of the day, as well as the alternatives available. Though they may not be a representative sample of all Ghanaians, 100% of them are tired of simply voting for a party because of its name. They are all aware that we are not progressing because of the corruption of the two major parties, the NDC and the NPP. The selfish ministers and political appointees who use their positions to loot the state of its precious little resources have long enjoyed a certain status of untouchable. However all of that is changing.
Kudos to Lawyer Kweku Paintsil. Keep the passion of citizenship burning. I will join with you in the quest to fix our broken country.
And they say "Kweku foɔ ha adwɛnɛ" - Kweku's are troublesome.
Well I did not really risk my life by disobeying traffic rules. I was in traffic at a stop sign. I did however clap.
I was listening to CITI FM (97.3 in Accra). The presenter, Bernard Avle, who I believe deserves an award if he has not already gotten one, was interviewing a lawyer by the name of Kweku Paintsil. This lawyer had taken the words of his excellency President Akufo Addo to heart and had decided to be a citizen by taking on the powerful and highly corrupt Ministry of Roads and Highways for the shoddy job done by a road contractor. The sum involved was a whopping GHS 2.9 million (US$ 660,0000.00).
Now as deep thinking cynic, I will not be quick to say the Ministry is at fault, or that the intentions of this lawyer are entirely selfless. In fact he is not the first private citizen to take on the Government. I did not clap because his action. It was something he said that brought joy to my heart. For the first time I could feel the anger of a tax payer, I could sense his frustration in his outburst, I could tell that he had had enough. His cup was overflowing.
Lately I have been taking Uber, having left my vehicle for my wife to use. Each time I strike a conversation with the drivers, trying to gauge their minds on government of the day, as well as the alternatives available. Though they may not be a representative sample of all Ghanaians, 100% of them are tired of simply voting for a party because of its name. They are all aware that we are not progressing because of the corruption of the two major parties, the NDC and the NPP. The selfish ministers and political appointees who use their positions to loot the state of its precious little resources have long enjoyed a certain status of untouchable. However all of that is changing.
Kudos to Lawyer Kweku Paintsil. Keep the passion of citizenship burning. I will join with you in the quest to fix our broken country.
And they say "Kweku foɔ ha adwɛnɛ" - Kweku's are troublesome.
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