By: Alexander Nyarko Yeboah
One of Ghana’s foremost corporate executives has observed the lack of ability of Ghanaian leaders to understand the relationships among global trend of events as a major reason why the nation is facing challenges.
Dr. Ishmael Evans Yamson insists that leaders must understand that the trends that occur around us are not isolated events that single-handedly affect national development and that there are other factors that come to play to make a nation fail.
Dr. Yamson made this observation during a public lecture organized by the Central University (CU) at the Christ Temple auditorium of the International Central Gospel Church (ICGC) Accra.
Dr. Yamson, who has been Chairman of MTN Ghana, Ghacem Ghana Ltd., Mantrac Ghana Ltd. and Ishmael Yamson & Associates, retorts that, “The government has explained the economic hardship Ghana is going through solely by the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the Covid-19 pandemic.”
He therefore insists that, “Whilst there is no doubt that the Covid-19 and the invasion of Ukraine has caused extreme destruction of global economies, it’s also because of the failure of Ghanaian leadership to understand that, the global trends which are dramatically changing the world,” cannot be seen in isolation and that there are other factors that work together to make a nation fail or succeed, he informed.
Dr. Yamson observed that no regime has been able to put Ghana on the path of sustained economic transformation with most regimes characterized by “greed, corruption, destruction of country’s infrastructure, and the complete failure of leadership to understand the changes that were taking place.”
Dr. Yamson observed that Ghana also destroyed the governance values of transparency, accountability, and probity which have altogether destroyed the fortunes of the nation.
The renowned corporate executive hinted that the success of the Asian Tigers was because they were led by leaders with clear vison and purpose, good governance and respect for law and order.
He hinted that successive governments have failed to create prosperity for Ghana with the Ghana Beyond Aid policy seen as a departure from the old ways. “Unfortunately, that too has become a mirage and a mere slogan. Today, Ghana’s economy is again in tatters as never before with perceptions of greed and corruption” making Ghana dependent on donor nations, he stressed.
Dr. Yamson insisted that all this has happened to Ghana because the nation has failed to identify, normalize, and promote the right kind of leadership who would commit to good governance.
He indicated that the many years of political instability, and the associated breakdown of good governance, loss of key democratic principles, the disregard for the rule of law, and the destruction of cultural values, and corruption has succeeded in destroying any effort to develop the nation.
He observed that, for Ghana to develop, we “must change the way we work, the way we communicate, the way we teach and learn, the way we practice medicine, among others.
Dr. Yamson therefore asked for a change in our governance architecture, observing executive appropriate resilience policies. He urged Ghanaians to stop appointing leaders through nepotic and tribalistic considerations and develop quality human resource which is necessary for national development.
“Ghana needs leadership with purpose, not leadership by slogans, micro economic stability, a commitment to good governance, eliminate greed and corruption, promote honesty and transparency…corruption leads to a bankrupt country for personal gain. Corrupt leaders would resist change and mix all the opportunities that come with it.”
The lecture on the theme, “Leadership for the future: Reflections from a fifty-year career to corporate Africa,” is the fourth in the series of lectures organized by the Central University to help address many pertinent issues confronting the Ghanaian.
The next lecture would be on the theme, “New Paradigm for Public Sector Compensation – A Restatement,” to be granted by Professor Ebow Bondzi-Simpson, Former Rector of GIMPA.
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