Leadership in Africa: a time to rethink our politics and leadership?

US President Donald Trump referred to Haiti and African nations as "shithole countries" during a meeting with a bipartisan group of senators at the White House on 11th January 2018. According to NBCNews, the U.N. human rights office said the comments, if confirmed, were "shocking and shameful" and "racist," while Haiti's foreign minister summoned the U.S. Chargé d’Affaires Robin Diallo for clarification. The AU and other African leaders may have reacted to this in words, but many others were loudly silent. Yet others, I believe, may have said "thank you sir" with a smile. While the words of disapproval are symbolic, Leadership on the continent should have been awoken by this to say "thank you but fuck you", we are going to fix it beyond your shit so you pay more when you bring your shit down here. Do we have the men or not? Does the continent of King Endubis, Mansa Musa, Sundiata Keita, King Muhammad I Askia, Oba Oduduwa, Samouri Toure, Changamire Dombo, Shaka the Zulu, Haile Selassie, Kwame Nkrumah, Patrice Lumumba, Muamar AlQadafi, Nelson Mandela, Robert Mugabe, Desmond Tutu, etc not have the men to raise the nations above this shit? Can we not begin to paint more of the pictures that the world never wants to take from Africa?

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Historically, Africa has produced some of the world's youngest leaders as well as the oldest.

Since 1900, the?youngest?serving?state?leader has been 192-day-old Fuad II, King of Egypt, while the oldest has been 96-year-old Hastings Banda, President of Malawi. Paul Biya is the second-longest-ruling president in Africa, the?oldest head of state?in Africa, and the?longest-ruling?non-royal leader in the world. Currently, there is no African leader below age 40. In fact some African countries prohibit citizens below age 40 from contesting in the presidential elections (Chapter 8, Article 2 of 1992 Constitution of Ghana). The Prime Minister of Ethiopia Abiy Ahmed is the youngest president in Africa aged 45. Only 9 African heads of state are below the age of 60, which is the compulsory retirement age in most African countries.

In contrast to all of these, Africa has the youngest population in the world with 70% of sub-Saharan Africa under the age of 30 and 19 of the world's 20 youngest countries are in Africa

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Such a high number of young people is an opportunity for the continent’s growth – but only if these new generations are fully empowered to realise their best potential. It is especially important that young people are included in decision making and given appropriate opportunities for work and to innovate. Involving young people in politics and society is not merely a question of inclusion, but one that is vital for economic growth, innovation, peace and security. Many are those who have gone seeking greener pastures, many are still in transit on the high seas, or in desert and war-torn territories trying to get a better life.

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Having produced the youngest heads of state in history, it's worthy of note that most were not democratically elected leaders. Instructively, whereas King Fuad was a monarch, the other remarkably young African leaders of all time - like Valentine Strasser of Sierra Leone, Michel Micombero of Burundi, Samuel Doe of Liberia, Souley Abdoulaye of the Republic of Niger, Joseph Kabila of the DRC, David Dacko of the Central African Republic (CAR), Jean-Babtiste Bagaza of Burundi, Marien Ngouabi of the PRC, Yahya Jammeh of Gambia, and the likes of Thomas Sankara of Burkina Faso,?J. J. Rawlings of Ghana, Abiy Ahmed of Ethiopia - either have some military backgrounds or were actually military heads of state.

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Hopefully, other watchers and writers will throw light on the influence, the rise and fall, the achievements and failings of some of these leaders, both young and old, if not already known. Knowing about where the?footprints of these leaders have left or positioned their respective countries on the global map of development will help future debate on leadership in Africa. What possibly were the pitfalls of the youthfulness of these leaders or the type of governance (Monarchy, dictatorship, democracy, democratic dictatorship, autocratic or dictatorial democracy, kleptocracy, tyranny, etc.) and how that could be cured either by strong institutions, balanced and effective scrutiny from other arms of government, like the judiciary, legislature - parliament, advisory councils or even the media or public opinions, etc.

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In Ghana, we have had three (3) previous republican constitutions abolished or suspended, and the longevity of the 1992 (4th republican) constitution is seen as a testimonial of its efficacy and our resolve as a people to stay democratic. There have been calls for constitutional review as many have said the current constitution was crafted to suit a military dictator at the time. Of course knowing who JJ Rawlings was, it may be understandable to have a constitution which guarantees him some safeguards as a means of getting the country back on the map of democracies. However, if this constitution was made for Rawlings, will it be fair to conclude that members of the consultative assembly at the time were made up of largely sycophants, or were they actually preparing a document they know will suit them too if ever they came close to political power? Is it not unimaginable that as a people we have worked for so long with a document which gives so much power to the executive, making the other arms of government subservient or toothless, while citizens have no choice than to be spectators after electing "anyone" to "any office" until their vote is required again? With no counter balancing power, no cross scrutiny, no means of citizens to democratically oust any government/ leader before a full term, even if they were selling the nation to its worst enemy, this constitution appears suitable only for dictatorial democrats. With this, even if your president becomes insane after an election, he is likely to still rule full term. I have said before that, unchecked democratic power, corrupts democratically …

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The directive principles of state policy is clear in the 1992 constitution, but could this be a constitutional rhetoric for our leaders?. How does the constitution make is easy for a corrupt leader to either stay on or be removed democratically mid-term by citizens? How do voters in constituencies faced with say an Eric Amoateng case, or a Sarah Adwoa Safo situation, step in quickly to protect their interest? Or they have to shut up till the next general elections? We have had elected officials in court for a greater part of their tenure and the issues relate to their legitimacy in the offices they occupy - the Adamu Dramani Sakande and Rebecca Akweley Adotey cases come to mind. What about the conduct of elected officials and matters of integrity, conflict of interest, etc? Does a certain Eunice Jacqueline Buah or Col. Kwadzo Damoah (rtd,) come to mind on this, for their public office responsibilities to citizens - council of state membership and GRA leadership respectively at least? How efficient is our judiciary and other investigative bodies in dealing with such matters? Or is it only cases of high political interest like "willfully causing financial loss to the state" which deserve hearing in a fast-track court? Don't we need to fast-track every court a little, so we don't have cases which could be dealt with quickly actually being heard over generations of a people? Should the electorate (employers) not have other ways of ensuring the contract of employment is honoured to the letter? How will any employer deal with absentees, fraudulent or incompetent or non-performing employees? Will they possibly terminate the contracts? Is the treatment of say Osei-Kyei Mensah the only remedy open to voters midterm? Is the removal of a certain EC boss or auditor-general or 'the proceed on leave phenomenon" a rampant possibility for good reasons or for bad reasons, and about which citizens can only be spectators while the executive play?

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It has been said that Ghana has all the good laws but enforcement is either nil or bad, and we may need a law to ensure we enforce existing laws. It may be true that a revised constitution per se may not resolve all of our developmental problems but it would have reshaped the framework within which we attempt to solve our problems. Indeed, many are concerned about issues of remuneration and pension benefits for (the infamous) article 71 office holders, effective decentralisation and the right to vote for independent local government leaders, age and eligibility to run for office of president, etc. and these require urgent democratic attention before anyone begins to look for a 5th republican document. Apart from late President J.E.A. Mills, no other president in this republic has seen the need to "fix the constitution", simply because "it is not broken". If aspects of the constitution or the entirety of it was only accepted to appease, tolerate or manage, or rather yield to, the dictatorial tendencies of a certain J.J. Rawlings, then what have we been doing with it since J.J. stopped 'booming'? In deed we have been independent for some sixty-five (65) years but I believe we still have laws which mimic a colonial society.

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Must young Africans always only lead through guns and muscle or they could lead democratically with their vibrant brains? Must (young) African leaders not be made to consider time after leadership so they can put in their very best, as opposed to (the old) dying soon after leaving office because they came on in old age? In fact most African leaders know that they are alive only because of their access to the privileges of office and to the peoples resources rather than living in and benefiting from a system which guarantees the leaders and the masses equal opportunities and rights to life, good health care, education, etc? Apart from truth, probity, accountability, integrity and selflessness of the citizens from among which our leaders emerge, our greatest chance of improving leadership is in the rule of law. Sadly, we have only applied "the rule of law" in sloganeering but not in reality. If laws are working and rules are obeyed (or even disobeyed with consequences), the system will still function well to guarantee the people a good life. Because rules and laws do not apply equally, only bullies are able to put up a semblance of leadership. Must the African youth find meaning to their lives only on foreign lands after going on deadly voyages? Can't the mass of African children realise their potential/ dreams on the mainland?

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We have a very patriotic National Pledge and an inspiring National Anthem, the words of which, besides the euphoric mood it puts me into, still make me wonder why we are where we are as a people. But as I wonder, it makes me put a twist on the Youth Anthem for an explanation of exactly what has been going on …

?? Arise Ghana youth for your country, The nation demands your devotion, Let us all unite to uphold ["destroy"] her, And make her great ["poor"] and strong ["weak"]. We are all involved x 3, In building ["ripping"] our motherland ["country off"]. We are all involved x 3, In building ["wrecking"] our motherland ?? …

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But I will invite you now to read the lyrics of or sing along the song "Down in Babylon" by Culture (aka Joseph Hill) ??.

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In a cover mail to a newsletter, the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), stated/ remarked that "Power has consolidated at the extremes of the political spectrum. Authoritarian leaders have harnessed disinformation and exploited global catastrophes for their own personal gain. Elections have been sabotaged, wars launched and press freedom steadily eroded. Giant corporations increasingly operate beyond the realms of accountability, as wealth and influence accumulates in the hands of a powerful elite, secretly hoarded beyond reach. The growing abyss between the haves and the have-nots widens every day"

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The above submission was made in the context of global power, politics and wealth. But, in my view, this is very much a 3D summary on?many African countries and particularly my country Ghana. A country with rich mineral resources, producing oil and gas, the 2nd largest producer and exporter of cocoa beans, etc. Eaten up to the bone by corruption, we cannot account for the values of exports of any of our resources, we are unable to rake in domestic revenue from economic activity, we do not know the difference between values created in our formal economy and those created in the informal/ underground economy and how to bridge the gap. Safe for voter numbers and, now, national identification, we have never been able to account for the greatest of our resources - human capital. Even when we spend scanty state resources to sponsor the development of some (foreign scholarships) we still can't account for our human resources. How then are we going to be able to account for our mineral, oil and gas, forest, water, financial, land and other state resources. How does my senior brother who runs our mother's bakery ensure not to be surprised when our 3 neighbours declare that they buy a total of 60 loaves of bread each week from us yet we only know our total weekly production to be 20? Is this the case of leaking buckets, or hiring the poachers to protect the game?

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How did we get to the point where our reality is reported as our perception, our reported perception of what is glaring is questioned by the perpetrators of that harsh reality, thieves are more united than the good people of the land, the good people becoming the odd and endangered ones rather than the protected ones, good leaders unwilling to get close to managing state institutions, so rotten as to feel the stench is normal or good flavor, etc. How do we ensure that law-abiding citizens feel bold in the eyes of law enforcement rather than the impunity and boldness we see of "criminals and thugs"? How can it be that an officer of the law (either a police or immigration officer, customs or EPA inspector, etc) will ask "anything for your boys"?, or say to you … "if you don't do us 'show', we will arrest you o"! When will local governments begin to demand what is guaranteed them by the constitution, or begin to implement their own by-laws fully, be true governors of the territories they manage and not be deterred by political bigwigs? When will the people stop fighting with each other over things that the state has to provide and yet celebrate or be singing the praises of state actors and authorities who have deprived them of these facilities? No one wants to be the bad boy to that boss at the assembly, ministry or state enterprise who is not performing. How is it that for a country of 32 million people, with many who have in-depth knowledge about lots of things and well-travelled, yet nothing works for the greater good? Well, feel free to ask the rest of the questions that corruption and bad leadership has not helped in answering.

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The day intimidation of law abiding citizens will stop, and deviants begin to fear for the consequences of their actions, we will begin to make progress as a civilised people. Until that day when unlawful instructions from any superior officer (say a police inspector or a powerful politician) to seemingly vulnerable subordinates (like a police constable or a civil servant) leads ultimately to the resignation or dismissal of that superior rather than a transfer or demotion of the subordinate, we will appear uncivilised and everyone will know the leader in them at the levels they operate. The day any officer who is involved in approving or denying a wrongful permit is charged or rewarded for any cost that government (central or local) incurs as a result, everyone will recognise their authority and responsibility for our progress or otherwise. When everyone recognises their responsibility and the leadership role they play at whatever level they operate from in an institution and stop calling on the "authorities" to fix the very problems they have been tasked and paid to solve at and by the positions they occupy, we will begin to build a nation. When we begin to enforce all the good laws we have and begin to live a life of consequence such that we are aware that our actions and or inactions have consequences for us and for the people.

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Many have all seen overloaded vehicles, vehicles without registration plates, factories and vehicles smoking beyond acceptable EPA levels/ limits, buildings on/ in known water ways/ storm drains, government vehicles in very suspicious locations with goods, etc. These have gone unchecked on our roads, through the weighing bridges, barriers and checkpoints by the high-way authorities, the police and customs, in our work places visited periodically by officials from the local government offices, factories inspectorate, EPA, etc Is it only the non-duty-bound ordinary citizens who see these or those we pay to ensure these things are not ubiquitous see same? Or we say dealing with it is a shared responsibility.

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Many have also heard cases of contraband goods moving across wide areas, tax evasion, collusion by/ with tax officials to reduce taxes paid to state coffers, granting of wrongful tax rebates/ waivers and or permits for building or for driving, selling public lands and other properties, helping and benefiting from illegal water and power connections, abuse of public office/ power, causing undue delays in/ to any process leading to or creating possibilities for solicited and or unsolicited bribes, contracts for sale, undelivered and or shoddily delivered but fully paid contracts, inflated contract values and project invoices, questionable judgment debts and debtors for state, never ending investigations into crimes and fires, extortion by public service providers, ambulances carrying cement or other non-medical goods, travelers who are to be quarantined for covid-19 being let off, closed borders still having people crossing, jobs and contracts for only party faithfuls rather than qualified Ghanaians, censure of highway toll booths, public toilets, lorry stations and local government offices by party foot soldiers after elections, etc … Is it only gossips and the media that is interested in these matters or we have institutions with employees who are paid and tasked to ensure these rots don't get pervasively stinky? Or this is also a shared responsibility?

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If meritocracy reigns and people are rewarded for good work, for patriotism, for working in the best interests of the country in whatever role they play, there will be leadership everywhere and we will begin to move our nation and continent forward.

If individual responsibilities are asserted and specific officers are identified and punished, where found culpable, everyone will know their role as leaders no matter what level they operate from in an institution.

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For all of the foregoing, I cannot pretend that I am the only spectator/ observer or citizen who knows, Many are very much aware of the problems and the solutions but only a few see themselves as a part of the solution. Many are beneficiaries of the status quo, oblivious of the fact that the benefits so far are peanuts and we could all have enormous benefits from a much improved system where leadership is present everywhere and we all make our nation great and strong.

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Is there anything here that we do not know already? What have we not heard from Obama about strong institutions, as if he owes it to us? Is there anything that was not summed up in Trump's "shit-hole" categorisation of us and our nations? Is there anything we heard from Sir Sam Jonah that is strange, or which he and many other silent eminent citizens did not know long ago? How far off is the works of Anas Aremeyaw Anas from the corruption perception indices reported on periodically by the Afro-Barometer? Is there any that the U.S. state department has reported on about free-speech, etc which surprised any Ghanaian? Are things so good that we see no evil, hear no evil and so speak no evil? At this rate, our national stupidity is becoming a clear and present threat to our national security.

May I conclude by repeating a speech by Oliver Cromwell to the House of Commons on the Dissolution of the Long Parliament on the 20th April 1653, yes 1953 but which with or without paraphrasing is very much worthy of note for and by the kind of leadership we have had across all institutions on this continent.

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"It is high time for me to put an end to your sitting in this place, which you have dishonored by your contempt of all virtue, and defiled by your practice of every vice; ye are a factious crew, and enemies to all good government; ye are a pack of mercenary wretches, and would like Esau sell your country for a mess of pottage, and like Judas betray your God for a few pieces of money.

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Is there a single virtue now remaining amongst you? Is there one vice you do not possess? Ye have no more religion than my horse; gold is your God; which of you have not barter'd your conscience for bribes? Is there a man amongst you that has the least care for the good of the Commonwealth?

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Ye sordid prostitutes have you not defil'd this sacred place, and turn'd the Lord's temple into a den of thieves, by your immoral principles and wicked practices? Ye are grown intolerably odious to the whole nation; you were deputed here by the people to get grievances redress'd, are yourselves gone!

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So! Take away that shining bauble there, and lock up the doors. In the name of God, go!"

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I say, therefore go and sin no more.

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Thomas Kwashie Attopley (FCCA/ MBA)

[email protected]

+233 (0) 244 884 098 @thomasevic