EMAIL TO A FRIEND IN GHANA!

Dear Nick,

Before I outline my idea to you when we meet face to face, read what follows, and ponder this astonishing fact: Not too long ago, a list of Africa's top 100 companies was published.

Incredibly, not a single private Ghanaian enterprise was featured on that list. The reasons why, are not too hard to fathom. They include:

(1) Lack of adherence to corporate good governance principles in the Ghanaian business world - which is even more corrupt than the world of Ghanaian politics. And that is saying something, Nick!

(2) Another reason why there are precious few ethically-run and world-class privately-owned businesses in Corporate Ghana, is that the vast majority of Ghanaians lack personal integrity.

Have you noticed how even so many narratives in adverts on television, imply lying or cheating, on the part of the people featured in those adverts? We have become a nation full of liars it would appear - and the biggest liars invariably think they are the cleverest people on the surface of the planet Earth: and under the African sun. Hmm Ghana - eyeasem oo!

The plain truth, Nick, is that it is well-nigh impossible to grow an enterprise whose owners and managers lack integrity, and turn it into a world-class entity, alas.

(3) And, contrary to what most Ghanaians think, we have actually ended up becoming a poorly-educated people, unfortunately.

I have so often been appalled by the fact that amongst the millions of supposedly educated Ghanaians, many of whom can neither write nor speak English sufficiently well to compete, in an age of globalisation, with native speakers of English, are individuals with doctorate degrees. Imagine that!

What hope is there for such a society in today's global village, I ask, Nick?

(4) And, above all, the nature of our society is not conducive to the emergence of individuals with cutting-edge ideas.

Our nation of copycats, despises and shuns creative-types, who invariably, by definition, are a different independent-minded breed, who march to tunes different from what the average tone-deaf Ghanaian hears and dances to.

We are a nation full of moral cowards, in which communities and families demand that older people are never contradicted - because it is disrespectful!

In addition, our society suppresses the creativity, as well as dulls the imagination, of millions of Ghanaian children - by efficiently removing any vestiges of lateral thinking kids here may have been gifted with at birth: and is written into their DNA.

Thus, in our homeland Ghana today, a bright and curious child, incredibly, often gains a reputation for being "disrespectful" or, to use that dreadful Ghanaian English phrase, is "too known".

So ours is a society full of third-rate individuals who in addition to being adherents of the Cult-of-the-mediocre, also believe that children should be seen, but most certainly not heard!

Finally, inherited privilege, as you well know, is the greatest enemy of meritocracy. Yet, we tolerate
the situation in which some of those in privileged positions in our society, as a result of a mere accident of birth, think they are above the law; are sovereigns (how absurd!); and must not be criticised.

Not having the mentality of serfs written into my DNA, I absolutely refuse to remain silent, when the overweening ambition of such hypocrites and tribal- supremacists poses a danger to the cohesion pf Nkrumah's Ghana.

So there you are, old chap - not a very pretty picture, I am afraid. Anyhow, I do look forward to our meeting, Nick. See you anon!

Best wishes,

Kofi.