A government that says it wants to cut unnecessary public expenditure must never use public funds for a venture as daft as "branding Ghana". Ghana's already good image globally, will only be further enhanced, if our government does good deeds in the real world - such as the president and his spouse publicly publishing their assets before and after our head of state's tenure.
Have nations like Angola and Nigeria not spent zillions of dollars fostering a good image overseas for themselves in so-called "branding" schemes? Was their collective-folly not terribly exposed when the Nigerian would-be Christmas day airline-bomber was thwarted last December, and Cabindan rebels decided to make a complete nonsense of the Angolan government's massive efforts at boosting their country's overseas image, by shooting at and killing three individuals on the Togolese team's buses, shortly after they exited a Cabinda border post to enter Angola proper, just before the start of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) tournament this month?
If our political class is tolerant and honest on a permanent basis, that will do wonders for our country's image overseas. Did the world not sing our praises to the rafters when the ruling party lost the December elections and handed over power to the then opposition party? Instead of building expensive presidential palace complexes to "dignify" our nation and its presidency (in a cash-strapped nation in which millions go to bed on empty stomachs because they are too poor to have three square meals, what sort of dignity is that?), our nation's image overseas will be boosted when instead of such profligacy, our politicians act to ensure that the living standards of Ghanaians go up: to such an extent that their quality of life is improved to the same level as that of the citizens of nations in Scandinavia. Surely, that is how to sensibly boost Ghana's image abroad without paying the earth for it?
"Branding Ghana" is simply throwing good money down the financial equivalent of a black-hole. It is a pretty daft idea - and not worthy of a regime whose leader never ceases to remind all that he is interested in the well-being of ordinary people. Branding Ghana is a wheeze thought up by clever self-seekers in the NDC regime. Period. President Mills must close down the office in the Osu Castle that was set up to brand Ghana - for, it is his regime's good work in the real world that will enhance our nation's image overseas: not endless clever marketing strategy sessions by world-class prattlers, and expensive advertising campaigns Ghana that can hardly afford! A word to the wise...
Tel (powered by Tigo - the one mobile phone network in Ghana that actually works!): + 233 900 27 745 3109 & the not-so-hot and clueless Vodafone wireless smartphone: + 233 (21) 976238.
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