Radio Shepherd

If a servant, called by his master, fails to respond as a result of fear, he forfeits his title to the name of servant. Nor does he deserve the name if he is afraid of the master’s punishment.

Service of the public for service’s sake is like walking on the sword’s edge. If a servant is ready enough for praise, he may not flee in the face of blame. Mahatma Gandhi.

That is the way of the world and that is why our elders entreat us to always think about the good of others, so that others would also think good about us. For no matter how huge or successful a person is, one man’s palms cannot cover the eyes of God.

When the Black Stars list came out the first time, there were many who sneered at the coach, with others accusing him of rushing some of the under-20 World Cup conquerors instead of allowing them to grow. At the end, we did better than when we hosted the Africa Cup of Nations in 2008. And for the first time in 18 years, we played in the finals.

It is this first time which has aroused my mind. There were many within the National Democratic Congress (NDC) who started reminding all about the fact that what had eluded the country for years was about to happen under Prof. John Evans Atta Mills, and there must be a credit to the government.

It is to the eternal glory of the average Ghanaian that despite the fact that the NDC and the government were going to claim credit for the feat, nonetheless, we were all united in our prayers that the team must triumph. That is what nationalism is all about.

But then, it must also tell a story. Our politicians must be circumspect in their criticism of their opponents when it comes to accepting certain realities and the course of nature. When you want to be given credit for the good which happens under your administration, you must equally not run away from the failures.

Ever heard the story of Gen. Kutu Acheampong who, when praised for the success of ‘Operation Feed Yourself”, was happy, but when there was near drought and crop failure, he would have none of them and asked ‘Me ye Nyame?’ to wit, am I God?.

The Mills Administration deserves the fruits of whatever is happening and nothing must be taken away. The same way, where there are failures, there should be no buck-passing.

But beyond the sterling performance, those behind the programme to send supporters to Angola must be commended for ensuring that the different shades of political opinions were represented, with supporters from the major political parties. That is how nations are built and developed. It demonstrates an appreciation like Aggrey is reported to have noted, that it is when the black and white keys on the piano are played together that you get melodious tunes.

Lovers of football cut across all the political persuasions and it is good that when public resources were being applied, this time round we thought nationalistically.

Maybe therein lies the philosophy and principle of the Federation of International Football Associations (FIFA) that governments or for that matter politics must not be mixed up with football administration. Perhaps if we allow a little of the philosophy to intrude into appointments in our civil and public services, we would get the best of national development.

The fact is that, as the performance of the Black Stars has underlined, once any group of individuals sets out to represent the country, its failures and successes would be associated with the government of the day. Therefore, if our governments are genuinely interested in national achievements and successes, they must look for talent and competence rather than party loyalty.

This is important because the worth of the government is established in the concrete development achievements. It is that which outlines the government that is important and must be pursued.

The story is told of a Member of Parliament who campaigned on the promise of ensuring that certain main roads within his/her constituency were tarred. The MP belonged to the governing party and thus succeeded in getting the road project awarded on contract after a year in office.

The project was divided into two lots, one was won by a prominent member of the ruling party and the other lot went to a contractor known to belong to the opposition party. Months after the contracts had been awarded, the contractor from the opposition camp, knowing that any tardiness could result in the termination of the contract, quickly mobilised resources and executed the job.

By the time that he completed his portion, the other, knowing that he had roots in the party, had not even started with mobilisation. For two years, no progress was recorded. The MP was thus left with only one option, to get the contract terminated and awarded to the opposition man. The problem, however, was how to do that without attracting the ire of his party.

He passed the buck to the civil servants, who managed to get the job taken away and given to the opposition contractor. In three months, he completed the whole project, thus helping the MP fulfil an election pledge. He won in the subsequent general election, the constituents fully assured that he delivered as he promised.

Thus, in the end, it was the hard work of the opposition contractor, not the loyalty of his party man, which won him the re-election. That is why in all things, we must allow competence to overshadow partisan loyalty in the manner that we relate and deal with individuals as far as national issues are concerned.

Therefore, while Ghanaians will never forget about the delegation to Cote d’Ivoire during the maiden edition of the home-based players version of the Africa Cup of Nations (CHAN), the national character of the delegation to Angola helped to erase any bitterness.

The atmosphere, which greeted our performance at the CHAN, was not the same as that with the AFCON in Angola although in each case, Ghana placed second. The reception at the airport last Monday was a good measure that must tell a story, and if our political leaders are prepared to learn how to build a united, harmonious and peaceful Ghana, then Abidjan and Luanda must be there for us.

Ghana must bask in its deserved glory, the Black Stars played far better than Egypt, and in any of their matches, but the Confederation of African Football must rethink its position on Togo as the decision is disastrous, monstrous, insensitive and inhuman. Source: Daily Graphic – Daily Graphic