In a time where Ghana's COVID-  19  case count stands at 13, 000 plus with 85 death, and with the stress and strain on our weak health system in Ghana, every citizen know that we have a public health emergency that has necessitated Executive Instrument ( E.I 64) and E.I 134 which gives the president an executive power to put retriction on movement, social gatherings, and strict adherence to other health protocols in order to contain, prevent and reduce economic loss to the country. COVID-19 has taken toll on lives of almost every country in the world and Ghana has not been exempted from this tax. From 12th of March, 2020 when Ghana recorded it's first case, millions of cedis have been squeezed out of the consolidated fund in order to help fight the disease. Religious bodies and the private sector across the country and all citizens have played their supportive roles in terms of donating money, refraining from religious activities until recently when ban on religious gatherings were eased with strict 29 protocols, of which not following them makes religious bodies liable for fines and or possible prosecution. Not wearing a mask to cover the mouth and the nose attracts a fine of not less than 12,000 Ghana cedis and not more than 60, 000 and or jail term of 4 - 10 years  for every Ghanaian after the president's last address. The security services have been ordered by virtue of E.I 134 to arrest and process citizens who violates this order for court, for the law to take its course in order to serve as deterrent to others who flouts the provision of E.I 134. In the course of the week, the security services across the country have started enforcing the law, some have even gone beyond the remit of the law to prescribe communal labour for citizens who do not wear masks or donot wear it to cover their mouth and nose. Many churches and mosques have been closed for over 3 months, religious gatherings have been stopped in order not to breach social distancing protocols, churches that intends to open must fumigate the premise with certificate, buy gun thermometers, get Veronica buckets, get soap and water for Handwashing, make sure that at least a distance of one metre is observed, no shaking of hands, no touching, and wearing of mask is compulsory, offering bowls must be placed outside, no hugging, service must not exceed an hour and so on. These protocols have been duly followed because we are all law abiding citizens whose duty it is to obey the voice of our first gentlemen the president in line with the constitutional provision of our country. 

      The infection rate is increasing on daily basis and death is also increasing as well, this is indeed a fierce battle and anyone whose action or inaction undermines any of the COVID-19 Prevention and containment  protocols should be an enemy of the law. I have observed with grave concern how reckless and careless the governing New Patriotic Party ( NPP) have violated and breached E.I 64, E.I 134 during their primaries yesterday across the nation with video and picture evidence which is disgusting and unacceptable in the middle of the fight against COVID-19, even the Hon.Information Minister, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah whom I have  admired for his expert skills in communication in this COVID and also a Frontline minister violated social distancing protocol and touching and he is seen holding hands with people. I expected our law makers to have known better and if nothing at all, place primium on the lives of Ghanaians first before power. This posture and an attitude is counter productive and dangerous one for Ghana. Many have had their own self doubts about the disease wether or not it is real, am not part of the doubters but this posture is giving credence to their doubts. I saw a lot of people over 100, few we're in mask and not even wearing it well, security men who were seen punishing  ordinary citizens were onlookers without any action. Action they say speaks louder than words. This trajectory is slippery and dangerous for Ghana in the fight of the COVID. Our health systems are already over stretched and many  health workers across the nation are getting infected with COVID-19, others have died, families have also lost their loved ones, even one death is too many and we can not be playing with COVID-19 gleaning from the death toll in other countries. May it not be said that we started well but lost the fight, the battle is not yet over, this is not the time for feasting, we must value  the lives of Ghanaians first.

This certainly can not be the examples we expect from the governing party and its Honourble leaders, we have one Ghana and we must do all that we can to protect it. Looking at the science of the COVID-19, it spreads with the movement of people, the more people move, the more the spread.  By scientific projections, we should expect surge and more infection in the next two weeks, we must be ready for more because of the gross disregard for the COVID-19 protocols. Mr. President, the battle is not an easy one and we all appreciate, you have done your best and still doing your best, if this battle can be won, the cooperation of your team is not negotiable, I personally have being a an ardent advocate and an educator of people to understand the Dynamics of the COVID-19, follow strictly the protocols.  As much as I commend you for the bold decisions you have made under the COVID regime, I also blame you for the way the parliamentary primaries were conducted across the country in breach of your executive instrument with respect to the COVID-19.

RECOMENDATION:

• Order the security to arrest and prosecute all your party members who beached the E.I 134 to serve as a deterrent and to rule out selective justice.

• Publicly condemn the posture of your party faithfuls who breached this provision above and to reinforce your commitment to the rule of and the fight against the COVID-19.

Action and not words is key to the winning of the COVID-19 battle.

Rev. Jefferson Agbotro Kwasi

Founder & General Overseer,

Watchers' Chapel International ( WCI)

MSC Organizational Development

(  Leadership & Management  Consultant)

    Rev.Jefferson Agbotro Kwasi has observed a worrisome trend in the politics of Ghana in recent times and has asked the question wether becoming a member of Parliament is really a " CALL TO SERVICE " or " LUCRATIVE BUSINESS VENTURE" in the fourth Republican parliament? In coming Members of parliament must invest huge sums of money in their campaign in order to be elected as candidate for their respective parties, just to be an aspirant. Delegates who are expected to appreciate leasdership better and to objectively and fairly vote based on the capacity of the candidates do not do anything different from what the general population does during national elections. From the primaries levels, these aspirants still have to spend collosal amount in their campaigns, dashing monies to citizens in exchange of vote. Most spend millions to even billions in their attempt to becoming members of parliament. The question that any logician and even a junior high school graduate would ask is this: How is the MP going to pay back all these huges sums of monies spent, where will the money  come from, who sponsored the MP and so on?

These are the questions lingering in my mind that I seek for answers and clarity on?

    Are we suprised how corruption has surge in recent times? All the contracts would go to these sponsors of campaigns and when they do shoddy work on national projects, the Member of parliament who is supposed to facilitate development and who also plays supervisory roles on constituency projects loses the moral right and the conscience to question wrongs. This has become a common phenomenon in Ghana. Many in coming MPs lack the capacity to lead even themselves yet they are able to win power on the tickets of political parties and end up disappointing their entire constituents and under development is inevitable. These candidates buy themselves into power with the motive of enriching themselves and not for service. The philosophy of entering parliament as a short circuit of becoming rich over night is not  uncommon in contemporary times. This is what is accounting for the underdevelopment in Ghana. People who do not have the capacity of making meaningful contributions to the floor of parliament. There are MPs in Ghana who have won election for about four terms who have never made any comment and any contributions to the debate and discussion in the house of parliament yet they keep on winning. Am tempted to believe that they are there to do business as usual and delay or retard the development of their constituents. 

  Way Forward? Citizens need to wise up and rise to challenge this anomaly and sickness in our society. We the citizens have to be up and doing and demand policies and hold duty bearers accountable of their promises made. If you are in to serve , we will know, if you are in for business, time and posterity shall reveal you out.

Rev.Jefferson Kwasi Agbotro

MSC OD

       Oberving the management of COVID-19 strategies across the nation as an Organizational Development Consultant, it emerges that communication across health care facilities in Ghana in this pandemic times has not being managed effectively from the professional point of view. For change to be sustainable, the leader must quickly scan his/ her environment to know who are the key stakeholders and come out with effective plan on how not to leave employees or surbodinates behind in crisis management. Leaders must be able to assess their organizational culture, design a plan with the involvement of his/ her team, give prompt and timely feedback. Without feedback, you can win the battle and yet lose the heart and the commitment of your team members. In crisis time like the covid-19, I expect every health facility across the country to employ what is called " process fairness": where people are selected based on an agreed criteria by management through an expert sub committee, this process must be made known to all your team in order to gain their support. The 21st century worker does not just want to be told, he / she wants to be involved or if you like engaged in making an input. When this happens, the entire team rally their support for the crisis management team. Members selected to manage crisis are supposed to possess certain qualities for results and keeping relationship intact in the crisis period.

For subordinates or employees to have confidence and trust in leadership and management committees in crisis management, the following criterias should be certified:

✓ Information giving by crisis management team( leaders) should be factual, devoid of ambiguity.

✓Trustworthy and truthful

✓Open / transparent communication, no hidden of information from any team member or employees. This is key in winning the pandemic and winning your people along. It is probably to win the covid-19 battle and lose the trust of your team, caution is key. Disabuse the minds of your critics by making processes open, example: Selection of Frontline health workers should never and ever be a secret, there should be an open communication on that in order not to foster grounds for conflict.

✓ Compassionate: Leaders should be able to appreciate the fears, uncertainties and concerns of team members and employees, listen to your team, address their issues genuinely without being judgemental, let them know that you feel their pain and guess what, you will win their heart and minds. This is where many leaders fail: Leaders must be careful of their choice of words in order not to cause more pain to members.

✓ Competent, Courageous, Considerate: Know your men and who to deploy in times of crisis, select people based on their strength and competent skills. How will your team react when you choose an incompetent member onto your team? Not paying attention to these spotlights will bring automatic disaster to your organization. 

✓ Public engagement: Any health facility that is not engaging the public by way of giving them timely and regular updates on COVID-19 and it's related management plans, will lose the public trust. If you do not inform, others will misinform.

✓ Post COVID-19 Analysis: Your COVID-19 management Team should be documenting all their meetings with minutes and matters arising. Every intervention, milestone reached, success chalked, input, output, outcome and impact should be documented for useful lessons to be learned from them and for sustainability purposes. 

     COVID-19 is the acid test for effective and efficient leadership for all health care managers globally, Ghana in focus. Your leadership acumen and prowess as a health care manager will be tested by COVID. You have the opportunity to demonstrate good leadership through the application of tested principles and best oractices, you are either winning the trust of your team or losing it, do not take feedback lightly, appoint your team with a lot of caution, give the team terms of reference and assess them based on key performance indicators. Leadership is not cheap, you have a greater price to pain in order to win the support and the cooperation of your team, becareful not to neglect your team. Always remember, that no matter how well you perform, you will always have a critic. Thank God for the lives of those who criticize you, you need them to succeed in your leadership journey. Always remain resilient and fortify yourself with knowledge and skills, demonstrate your excellence and competence to all especially your critics. The best way to answer your critics is to succeed.

You have three Ps in leadership and always remember them: Price, Power and Privilege. Your wisdom is measured by how and when you use any of the 3 Ps.

Time with your Leadership Consultant

Rev.Jefferson Agbotro Kwasi

MSC OD

www.jakconsultant.com

www.fohaghana.org

www.founder.fohaghana.org

 A 3 days workshop for civil societies in Ghana is underway in Accra at Addo - Do hotel, North Kaneshie, Ghana. The workshop aims at building the capacity of civil society organizations in Ghana in POLICY & POLICY ADVOCACY.  The workshop started yesterday 4th March and is expected to end on 6th March, 2020. The objectives of the workshop is to build the skills of participants in 

¶ Policy and advocacy skills

¶ Develope policies

¶ Write policy briefs

¶ Write research documents

¶ How policy works

¶ Core components of policies

¶ Importance of policy Advocacy  and many more.

Policy is supposed to be solution - driven with sustainability in mind. Policy Advocacy is aimed at 

√ Behaviour change

√ Institutional change

√ State of life change

The workshop was organized by the Ghana Coalition of NGOs in Health and being facilitated by Dr. Patricia Akweongo, HPPM, School of Public Health, University of Ghana, Legon. The workshop brought together 33 civil society organizational leaders across the 16 regions of Ghana. 

Source: Eye witness & participant

Jefferson Agbotro Kwasi

MSC OD

www.fohaghana.org

www.founder.fohaghana.org

www.jakconsultant.com

   A philantropist who does not want to be known  has renovated all the pot holes and the rough roads within the Bono regional hospital. Those who used to plough the roads within the facility could testify that up till latter part of last year 2019, the bad nature of the roads made driving and passage of pesdestrians unbearable  until the timely intervention of a good Samaritan who has helped to add to the worthiness of the road and the aesthetic beauty of the facility. The Medical Director of the facility, Dr. Dr. E.K Amponsah on behalf of the hospital management is expressing his profound gratitude to this individual and calling on all individuals, corporate institutions and well wishers of the facility to come to its aid in anyway that they can in terms of donation in kind or cash to augment central government support. With the support of all, the Bono regional hospital will be an enviable one within the Northern corridors of Ghana.

Rev.Jefferson Agbotro

MSC OD

www.fohaghana.org

www.founder.fohaghana.org

The Woes  of the  Self- acclaimed defence lawyer, 
Iddrisu Yahaya.

A man parading himself as a lawyer was on Wednesday, February 5, 2020 arrested on the orders of Justice Alexander Graham inside the Techiman Circuit Court in the Bono East Region.

Iddrisu Yahaya was representing some four accused persons involved in a case of robbery, kidnapping and murder when he asked to be arrested.

He had collected a sum of GH¢25,000 from the four accused to represent them in court.

The case has been under investigation by the police in Techiman. The Self- made lawyer was asked which law  school he completed and when he was called into the BAR and there wahala started.

But luck eluded him as he was arrested in court.

Journalists were asked to take a photograph of him.