What do you & I do to fix these negative tendencies in Ghana?

My friend Charles Sam wrote this and shared it with me via whats app, I thought is was great food for thought that I asked him permission to share it. Please read it not to just repeat the problem but to find out how you and I can be the solution to Ghana’s problem. All we need is a few good women and men who decide to do the right things and do things right, to start the transformation that will see Ghana as a true world class community where the people are happy and well to do. I have put what I will do in parenthesis & pink

In Ghana, we find these pathetic behaviours, acceptable….

Workers of Government Ministries, Departments and agencies, close work at 3pm on Fridays. (I will work till 5pm on Friday and ask all who work with me to do same and I will start a quite movement of those who will work to the right time on Friday – After all in Graphic, a public company we do not close early any day. We had a time and attendance system to check that at least in Accra – what about you?)
Government appointees demand to keep their official residence, after they leave office, as a gift from the state or buy the residence for close to nothing of its real value. (Live in your own house )

One walks into a government institution for business and one has to first dish out money to get any reasonable help. (Lets all refuse to pay money and report and escalate till you get results)
Only 3 people in the whole country are allowed to sign birth certificates. (Use technology to authenticate so that you can decentralize)
People apply and pay for passports and staff at passport office hide their passports until they are willing to pay extra money. (Set KPIs of how long it should take for people to get passports, reduce human interventions and reward for achieving the KPIs. Get an automated system to track)
Policemen do their jobs only for people who can afford to pay them something on the side. (Lets all refuse to pay and complain)
Some Judges, allegedly, must be influenced one way or the other to judge a case in favour of who approaches them with a higher offer. Nothing about the rule of law. ( We have evidence that some judges do the wrong and some do the right thing. I will use the legal system till I get justice. I know it is tough, but we should insist.)
Metropolitan staff go around extorting monies from home owners and business owners rather than enforce metropolitan laws and regulations. (Find out what is the right things and start early get your permits, complain and escalate use the media and challenge them when they come)
Pedestrian pavements are built for peddlers and tradesmen and pedestrians walk in the streets. (Lets keep on talking about it to Assembly members, MPs, write about it till some thing is done – It is tough, we have lost lives but still)
Vehicles smoke with reckless abandon while police officers controlling traffic hold their noses rather than arrest such drivers for obliviously dangerous emissions. (Ei how we will deal with this, they will be gone by the time you know it. Media help us)
Policemen and other enforcement agencies try to do their jobs only to be called by powers that be, to stop upholding their mandate. (Lets all support those who do right, like we did for the Eastern Region EOCO Boss and he has been reinstated, once we complain they will fix it)
Public and private transportation drivers hold licenses they do not merit. (Go through the right process for your license – I understand DVLA is transforming)
Most drivers do not know or understand road markings and signs. ( There are apps you can use to learn and improve your skills set)
Ministries, Departments and Agencies focus more on acquiring Toyota Land Cruisers for their heads rather than do their mandated jobs. (Hmmm, As you get your vehicle ensure you deliver, the more you are given the more that is expected of you)
Less than 50 ambulances in the whole country while government alone owns and operates over 300 Land Cruisers (This should change and we all should complain about it. One ambulance per constituency should come quick-quick)
Owners of Land Cruisers and other V8 engine luxury vehicles install Red and blue flashing lights on their vehicles to beat traffic while policemen wave them on. (Lets learn the law and prevent them from passing, lets report them to the police, share their pictures on social media to name and shame, you can post it on this page I created https://www.facebook.com/ArrestRecklessDrivers/ )
Thieves and conmen become pastors and “men of god” – (I will be wise and test every spirit)
Factories and warehouses are gradually giving way to church buildings and houses of con and extortion ( How do I help bring production into Ghana)
Honorary Doctorate certificates are awarded to clueless people who have made money, mostly, illegally. (Don’t write the Honorary Doctorate, I will learn from mine)
Clueless people make our laws. (hmmmmmm….)
Sitting and past members of Parliament rent their properties and demand two and three years rent in advance when their own law says no one must or can collect more than 6months of rent in advance. (hmmmm..)
Open drains are used as trash disposal outlets and metropolitan authorities don’t enforce any standards. (Lets start to teach our kids to do right and we should be police ourselves )
Government road contracts and other contracts are awarded to people who can pay the 30% kick-back upfront. (Our professionals should do their professional duty and live by our ethics )
Government renegotiates deals for more and extend years for repayment to give impression the amount is now lower. (Citizens should be citizens and complain when we see this)
Foreign investors who intend to invest massively in our country are made to either pay ridiculous bribes to senior officials before they are granted permits to operate in Ghana. (Lets insist on the right thing)
Politicians start purchasing homes and properties abroad soon after they assume office. Homes they hardly ever live in. (Lets investigate this & name and shame)
Most politicians go abroad for their medical care knowing full well we have hospitals and doctors in Ghana. ( If I had the opportunities, I will create a private high class wings of all the teaching hospitals where we will bring the high class doctors with the right equipment to treat these politicians for the same cost they will have paid if they went out. Use the profit to improve the main wings of the hospitals. These world-class experts will work with our staff and improve their capacity and also treat those in their main wings. Market this for medical tourism and also employ the retired but good medical personnel)
Policemen make their own uniforms and have to buy their ranks and we wonder how armed robbers come by police uniforms. (hmmm – what can I do about this? Let me think.. )
One reports a case to the police and it becomes a money-making opportunity for the policeman who the report is made to, or the case becomes a “foolish” case. (Insist on the right thing, complain, complain & complain)
Successive Presidents refuse to live in Government-assigned high security Presidential residences and rather opt to live in their own residences, causing extra cost to the State as well as massive inconveniences to residents of their neighbourhoods. (Hmmmm…)
Roads are constructed to last for months, not years because profits are shared long before contracts even start. (The Professionals do a good job, the GhIE should hold their members to account who supervise these poor jobs. No politician signs final certificates)
Road contracts are awarded without contracts to fix drains where drains already exist or build new drains. (Not only should we fix and build drains but we should also have ducts will prevent cutting of roads to install utilities )
Most government contracts are awarded to people who are party financiers with no experience or knowledge in the contracts they are awarded or sleeping with party financiers or Ministers ( Again lets insist on the professionals doing the right thing)
Motor cyclist don’t have any road rules that applies to them. (Did not know this)
Policemen become Calendars on Fridays and stop unsuspecting drivers to tell them it is Friday while hoping to get a few red or yellow cedi notes. (Lets refuse to pay)
Pastors and Bishops openly sexually abuse members of their congregation but never get arrested. ( As Archbishop Palmer Buckle said anyone abused should report to the police and lets all support victims)
Lecturers, HR managers, employers demand sex from female students or job applicants for grades or potential jobs. (As leaders protect people against sexual harassment )
Some female students offer themselves to lecturers for grades. (Reprimand the girls, but the teachers should be firm and report these girls and let them be punished)
Customs officials demand more cash from importers than what the State receives as duties. (Lets all be citizens and not spectators – lets do right)
Money is the law. (I refuse to operate within this paradigm)
Filth everywhere is the norm and metropolitan chief just does talk shops all over the place. (Lets start with paying attention to cleanliness & hold our leaders to account, tough though)
Some warped rule allows politicians to come to power and recieve ex-gratias every 4 years whether they exit or stay as members of parliament. (Hmmmm how do we change this?)
Duties on imported vehicles are not subject to actual prices of vehicles but on some stupid estimate by twisted people out there to take advantage of the poor. (Not necessarily the case, some time we also fake the invoices )
Government charges import duty on locally assembled vehicles. (Is is the taxes on the input parts – how is this possible)
Government needs approval from Presidents of other countries before upholding the law that affects non-Ghanaian nationals. (hmmm..)
Chiefs and corrupt government officials connive with mostly Chinese nationals to destroy our water bodies for the little they, alone, can get from these, mostly Chinese, people all in search of raw gold. (I need the support of all to help expose those behind this)
Chinese nationals wield, mostly unlicensed weapons, shoot and sometimes even kill police, army and other officials to protect their illegal activities and nothing is done about it. (We need to push the judiciary to prosecute those arrested & which Ghanaians are bringing them in)
Land is sold to multiple people, sometimes by the same stool, family or person. (Lands management should be digitised )
Cases in courts takes average 5-10years to be judged by judges who may be influenced by bribes (Lets all refuse to pay & insist on our rights)