Ghana's tradition and new developments
February 10, 2021 By Abiodun Giwa
President Nana Akufo-Addo of Ghana
A political analyst in a media interview stated that "appointees who served under the first term of Akufo- Addo's administration and are more than 60 years, should not be reappointed due to reasons which are in the best interest of the New Patriotic Party. The journey ahead requires strong, action-oriented, energetic, grassroot focused and youthful patriots to help execute government’s plans, projects, initiatives and decisions at the various governmental institutions, organizations and agencies," Ghanaweb published in a report.
The advocacy for a strong, action-oriented, energetic, grassroot focused, and youthful patriots, to help execute catches attention. It is a new development in Ghana that age discrimination would be entertained compared to historical precedence in the country that describes the country as a pot with many holes that all the people in the country are expected to lift and cover the holes with their palms to avoid the life in the pot from escaping.
The report from Ghana is a reminder of new developments in Human Resources Management in the United States, where age discrimination has for a long time been a taboo and illegal. No person can be discriminated against in employment in the U.S. based on age. it is called the Merit System in personnel management, enabling the individuals best qualified for jobs based on their knowledge, skills, abilities and other and other Characteristics , KSAOCs.
If a political analyst is floating an idea not short of discrimination in employment based on age, what would such an analyst say about President Nana Akufo-Addo himself who is already over his 70th birthday and he is leading the country. Appointments into government offices are parts of employment into government agencies and organizations.
Equally, all citizens are expected to benefit from such appointments irrespective of age because Ghana belongs to all Ghanaians, irrespective of age and sex. All Ghanaians pay tax irrespective of age and sex. Ghana belongs to the youth as well as the aged. Wisdom and experience reside with the aged and their contributions to the well being of the country cannot be discountenanced.
Seeking to entrench age discrimination in government appointments in Ghana is not the only problem in Dr. Collins Yaw Duah's advise to the country's president. He also said that the advise is in the interest of the party, the New Patriotic Party. "It's my plea that appointment should not be given to people above 60 years, only if we want to serve the good purpose of our party and the country. Young people with technical know-how must be given the opportunity to serve the Party and mother Ghana." Shouldn't the country comes first ahead of the party?
Shouldn't the statement be in the interest of Ghana and the party? Shouldn't the country's interest be first and every other thing second? Have politicians not learned a lesson in putting party first ahead of the country? Has Ghanaians forgotten the reason Jerry Rawlings cleared some office holders to teach Ghanaians patriotism that does not harbor discrimination, corruption, and bigotry?
Rawlings has placed Ghana on a path for the country to compete with developed countries of the world, and nothing must be seen done to thwart his good works. If Ghana has no law regulating against discrimination in employment, it is not too late to embrace putting one in place for the sake of all Ghanaians and the country.
All Ghanaians must oppose discrimination in employment that is based on age and sex.
All hands must support Ghana's development as contained in the country's history to ensure the life does not escape. What Ghanaians don't know is that people who are not Ghanaians but who have read that part of Ghana's history have learned a wisdom that has become a philosophy in support of laws against age or sex discrimination in employment.
America too did not embrace the merit system until 1883. According to Joans E. Pynes in Human Resource Management for Public and Nonprofit Organizations, the Pendleton Act was passed ni that year setting up an independent bipartisan civil service commission, to make objective merit based selections for federal jobs, and ended an era of politically influencing selections for federal jobs not based on merit.
The advocacy for a strong, action-oriented, energetic, grassroot focused, and youthful patriots, to help execute catches attention. It is a new development in Ghana that age discrimination would be entertained compared to historical precedence in the country that describes the country as a pot with many holes that all the people in the country are expected to lift and cover the holes with their palms to avoid the life in the pot from escaping.
The report from Ghana is a reminder of new developments in Human Resources Management in the United States, where age discrimination has for a long time been a taboo and illegal. No person can be discriminated against in employment in the U.S. based on age. it is called the Merit System in personnel management, enabling the individuals best qualified for jobs based on their knowledge, skills, abilities and other and other Characteristics , KSAOCs.
If a political analyst is floating an idea not short of discrimination in employment based on age, what would such an analyst say about President Nana Akufo-Addo himself who is already over his 70th birthday and he is leading the country. Appointments into government offices are parts of employment into government agencies and organizations.
Equally, all citizens are expected to benefit from such appointments irrespective of age because Ghana belongs to all Ghanaians, irrespective of age and sex. All Ghanaians pay tax irrespective of age and sex. Ghana belongs to the youth as well as the aged. Wisdom and experience reside with the aged and their contributions to the well being of the country cannot be discountenanced.
Seeking to entrench age discrimination in government appointments in Ghana is not the only problem in Dr. Collins Yaw Duah's advise to the country's president. He also said that the advise is in the interest of the party, the New Patriotic Party. "It's my plea that appointment should not be given to people above 60 years, only if we want to serve the good purpose of our party and the country. Young people with technical know-how must be given the opportunity to serve the Party and mother Ghana." Shouldn't the country comes first ahead of the party?
Shouldn't the statement be in the interest of Ghana and the party? Shouldn't the country's interest be first and every other thing second? Have politicians not learned a lesson in putting party first ahead of the country? Has Ghanaians forgotten the reason Jerry Rawlings cleared some office holders to teach Ghanaians patriotism that does not harbor discrimination, corruption, and bigotry?
Rawlings has placed Ghana on a path for the country to compete with developed countries of the world, and nothing must be seen done to thwart his good works. If Ghana has no law regulating against discrimination in employment, it is not too late to embrace putting one in place for the sake of all Ghanaians and the country.
All Ghanaians must oppose discrimination in employment that is based on age and sex.
All hands must support Ghana's development as contained in the country's history to ensure the life does not escape. What Ghanaians don't know is that people who are not Ghanaians but who have read that part of Ghana's history have learned a wisdom that has become a philosophy in support of laws against age or sex discrimination in employment.
America too did not embrace the merit system until 1883. According to Joans E. Pynes in Human Resource Management for Public and Nonprofit Organizations, the Pendleton Act was passed ni that year setting up an independent bipartisan civil service commission, to make objective merit based selections for federal jobs, and ended an era of politically influencing selections for federal jobs not based on merit.
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