1, ;. ~ ---- ~~MUG The Legon Obsei'vefi -- Fortnightly Organ of t be Lqoa Sodtly OD NatlOllaJ AfIaln Vol. II No. 16 4-17 August 1967 Price 12!-np FOREIGN AID BUDGET PREVIEW (Next Issue- The Budget) MODEL V 202EG ELECTRIC/GAS REFRIGERATOR Obtainable from BUSt & STEPHENSON (GHANA) LTD. ACCRA . KUMASI . TAKORADI . TAMALE 4 August 1967 THE LEGON OBSERVER III THIS ISSUE JUDICIAL SERVICE EDITORIAL . . ' 2 A Preview of the Budget L~.N.A. COMMUNICATION U,:c.:c.;ntraliza tion and Local Government- ~ Vacancies For Part II Political Correspondent District Magistrates rHE: ECONOMY Fl)lIll(Jutions of Economlc Policy ill: Grade I I orelgn Aid G. ~ portufc Agarna J<:OULATION 7 c.ducationai Administratioo in Ghana Vacancies exist in the Judicial Service for I Atkorn Mensab District Magistrates Grade I. "DM(),\I~TRATION 10 2. QUALIFICATIONS:- Applicants I he lluii7ation of Executive Talents in a must be Ghanaian• • eDIolled aD the Roll of lJevdopmg Gbana Lawyers in Gbana. and be of at least 3 ..... wame Adjei years standing as legal practitioners . 3. SALARY:-The salary scale. which is OIlWRVER NOTEBOOK 12 pensionable. is NC4.000.00 x NC200.00- BI)rdl.:f (,uards NC6.000.00 (£2.000 x £100 - £3.000). t{/,nli, '". "illegal!". "lIlega!!". "megal!" Candidates with (al a University Degree plus A\. l I iocration Committee 3 years' professional experience or (b) 5 years' professional experience without a rOM II, TO\RY 14 University Degree will be entitled to com- 11111:'111 '-.{:rv.ln~ or Masters? mence at NC4.000. Ata f wamina 4. DUTIES:-These include the trial of [[ ffER 16 cases both criminal aDd civil. conducting I h f). v,liuJtion and Economic Re,Qvery (2) preliminary enquiries in more serious crimi- ntnpllJ.1 and the Judicial Service nal cases, acting as Coroners and ex-officio l.ltaa:liJn Doctors Overseas Commissioners for Affidavits and as Nota- )ll)ka. f'ret:dnm ami Justice ries Public. and also being responsible for ( h 11<1 lid th\,.· r-.;igerian Crisis (he preparation of lists of Ju rors. ~ lPllu.;r r~kc!ronia; lndustry? 5. METHOD OF APPLICATION:- M I fERS \RL~ING 18 ForIll.& are obtainable from the Judicial 'h Miner h industry in Ghana Secretary. Judicial Service. Law Courts J I ('U,t IOt" Bu ilding. PO. Box 119. Accra. These should be completed and returned not later than nOOK IlliVLE'" 21 tbe 18th August. 1967. Candidates in any l hi f1',sber~ of the Public Services should apply tbrough Revll:w by K r\ B Joncs-Quartey their Heads of Departments. Only copies of supporting documents may be forwarded. Persons under any form of bond are Dot llU II liTE 24 tribute Albert John Luthuh: 1898-1967 eligible. 10 1 A Pcasah 2 THE LEGON OBSERVER 4 Augu.t 1911 Editorial question of zoning most of our foreign missioDi so as not only to weed out inefficiency in the foreign service but also conserve foreign exchan~ A PREVIEW OF mE BUDGET It could be expected tbat with devaluation THE SEC 0 N D Budget of tbe N .L.C. is due to we can now ha.ve a balanced budget; . however, be read to-day, the 4th of August. This year's WIth our tradluon of havIDg deficIt budgeting Budget may not have many surprises for Ghana- (we had an apparent deficit last year the fuD ians, if only because serious economic changes- nature of which we are yet to know), it may be devaluation of the cedi and an increase in the difficult to have a balanced budget. We can put up producer price of cocoa-have recently heen with a reasonably small deficit, if tbis can induce introduced. These changes are so far-reaching employment. in their implications for the living standards of Ghanaians that no one sensibly expects the In terms of overall economic policy we have Government to impose further hardships. As to reorganize our agriculture, for agricultural Brigadier Afrifa has put it, it is the last serious reorganization is crucial to the growth of our economic measure needed for rehabilitating and economy. The commodities we can sell abroad reactivating our economy. In this Budget, therefore, are likely to be agricultural in the forseeable future Ghanaians-businessmen and workers-are look- The development of import substitutes-which ing forward to what economic palliatives the we have been talking about-and an increase Government can offer. in incomes, is dependent on an efficient agri- cultural industry. Indeed, an agricultural revo· More specifically, there are a whole lot of lution is crucial to the success of our efforts problems the Budget will have to face up to. within the next few years and beyond. All eco- With devaluation, the Government has to embark no.mists-Arthur Lewis especially-who have bad on an intensive export drive. It must not, however, anything to do with our economy have emphasised be assumed, as the Government has far been this point. The right emphasis is yet to be put taking for granted, that this export drive must be on agriculture. left to individuals. The state must give positive inducements to farmers and businessmen, and The Budget must reflect our determination where necessary take direct action. Unless this and wi ll to solve not only immediate problem> is done, the export advantage of devaluation may but also more general and long-term ones. remain only theoretical. --------------------------- Another problem the Budget may have to face is expenditure on education. So far education has been receiving tbe lion's share of the national income. This may be admirable or not, depending TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN on one's social and political philosophy. The question to consider in this respect is whether we The public is infonned that as from \ would like to see all educated to a mediocre level Thursday, the 6th of Jnly, 1967, Mr. J. K. (in which case we have to continue spending a lot Donkor, fanner book-keeper of the Legon more still on education), or we would like to Observer at the Liberty Press, has ceased to educate a few people really well. Perhaps, this may be a question for a future civilian government work for the Legon Observer. to answer; however. a debate can be started now. AU our customers are advised not to make any payment whatsoever to Mr. Donkor. Where great care has to be exercised, however, Any customer who makes any payment to is that part of the Budget relating to Recurrent Mr. Donkor in settlement of acconots with Expenctiture. This expenditure shows whether any the Legon Observer does so at his own risk. government is prepared to Utighten its belt", too. In this respect the expenditure on Foreign Missions Payments in cheques or Money and Postal has to be radically examined. A lot of money Orders should be crossed and endoJSed aod has been spent, and is still being spent, on our made direct to the Legon Observer, foreign missions. One wonders whether we still P.O. Box 1957, Accra. need most of these foreign missions. For a country like Ghana we have to think up seriously the 4 AugUlit 1%7 TIffi LEGON OBSERVER L.S.N.A. Communication local authorities is by ensuring that as far as possible local authorities have uindependent" DECENTRALIZATION AND LOCAL sources of income, and that at all cost the central GOVERNMENT-PART n government is deprived of the opportunities of using its control over local government finance By to reduce local authorities to puppets, mario- Our Political Correspondent nettes dangling in tbe air and dancing according I N THE first part of this communication (L.O. to tbe tunes dictated by the central government. Vol.II, No.l1) we concentrated almost wholly The usual sources of income for local authorities on regional devolution which, together with should be entrencbed in "the Constitution: rates, lOCAl government, forms tbe subject matter of both general and special ; property taxes ; licences ; tbe communication. In this, the second part, and fees. The levels of these fixed annually should we turn our attention to local government. not be subject to approval by the central govern- It bas been argued in the first part of the commu- ment. It is sufficient that they should be approved nication that local government should be made by the Regional Development Councils. There Teal and effective. By this is meant that the struc- is no earthly reason why tbe Navrongo or Bawku ture, ru nctions and powers of local authorities or Banda local council should send its proposals that the Constitutional Commission will recom- for taxation all the way to Accra for a group mend should be such as to give tbe authoriti .. of civil servants and the Minister in charge of a reasonable chance of sUIVivaJ, not forgetting? local government for approval-in accordance of course, that these will have to go witb otber with criteria that are not at all clear! There is non-constitutional factors. Ethnic, historical and everything to be said for such approval being geographical factors must be given full rein in given by a regional council consisting of repre- uett:trnining the units of local government so that sentatives from all parts of tbe region, sitting these latter can have real roots in their SUITOUD- at Bolgatanga and acting, no doubt, with the ~ings The units should then be endowed witb advice of experienced administratots in the sufficient powers and financial resources which region itself, It may be added, indeed, that there ·.vtl1 enable them to take meaningful policy deci- is no good reason why the whole estimate of a siems and carry them out. In other words their local authority sbould not be treated in this way. V('o'\'f'f'.,. financial and otherwise. should be such In addition to these sources of income, local tI,,[ [hey sbould be capable, without calling in authorities sbould also be financed by subventions 1 be .·~lr of outside bodies too often, of providing from tbe Regional Development Councils as :1Usf,lctory services in their localities. already indicated in the first part of this commu- nication. Umitlng the Control of the Central over tbe Local Government Clrcnmscrlblng Political Blackmail tIlroogh fo enable local government to take roots in Financial Grants I he cuuntry it is particularly important to ward It would be a good idea if the central govern- j-) exct's!:'ivt:' central control over local authorities. ment were deprived altogetber of the power to The Const.itution can belp in this in at least two give subventions to local authorities. Experience Jlfft:'unt wnys. Fin~t, the powers, functions and proves that this power can be easily manipulated structure of local authorities should, as far as in such a way as not only to undermine the in- p08sihle. c\'Cn at the risk of some amount of rigidi- dependence of local authorities but also to win t~. ~ entrenched in the Constitution. This is to elections. Areas that elect candidates supporting ensure that local authorities do not become the the government are given liberal grants and deve- iSc;uc, ,1nd wtll therefore not be at the mercy, of lopment projects. those that elect opposing the central gowrnment. To permit this is to make candidates are penalized by baving their sbare non me of local government from the very cut down or off completely. If democracy is to oegmning. Indeed, as already argued in the first survive in the country the power of the government part of lhi.;;, !'omm\lOicatioD. the type of central to do this must be watched closely. Unfortunately, control ewer 10l.:al government that is unavoidable it does not appear that the central can be prevented <:..hould be .,;;ted not in the national government altogether from making grants to local authorities. tmt jn the Regional Development Councils or To prevent it from doing too much harm Committees. Without this the latter themselves with this power, therefore, it is suggested thaL w11l be emptied of all meaning. the amount of grants given must bear 8 fixed The second way in which the Constitution proportion to the amount given to the Regional can help ward off excessive central control over Councils. This means that the proportion in 4 THE LEGON OBSERVER 4 August I!IIII which the amount is divided between local autho- disciplinary matters local government employees rities in the various Regions must be the same as eould appeal to the L.G.S.C. Perhaps it migbt the proportion in which grants to the Regional even be suggested that for the very top echelonl Councils are distributed among them. If it is remembered that it has been argued in the first of the local government service appointmenll part of this communication that "the Regional might be made by the L.G.S.C. itself. Clerks of Councils should, as of right, be entitled to a Councils, engineers and treasurers, for exampl~ fixed percentage of the national budget and could be appointed by the L.G.S.C. In making each Regional Council should be entitled to a such appointments no doubt representatives of fixed proportion of the sum available", it will then be realized that the ability of the government the particular local authority to which the appoint- to do mischief with its power to make financial ments are being made will sit with the L.G.S,C grants to local authorities is, to a large extent, We are confident that these suggestions will help circumscribed. lift the image of the local government service and Local Government Service Commission thus attract some of the best brains of the country into the service. One very important reason why local government has so far failed lamentably in the country is that To sum up, it is necessary to stress that the it has not been endowed with a strong, efficient, independent and uncorrupt local government institutions here suggested can never by themselve5 service. Conditions of service have been appalling; ensure a successful, democratic local government salaries have been inadequate; prospects of pro- set-up. Only the determination of the citizeos motion have been restricted; and security of can make these institutions-or any set of insti· service has been practically ni l. Few people, tutions, for that matter-work. If the citizen, if any, have thought of making a life-career will be indifferent to the performance of local of local government service. As for University authorities, if councillors will be corrupt and graduates it has probably never entered the accept dictation from outside, whether from minds of any of them to enter local government "the party" or a boss or the central government, service in the same way that they enter central if the citizens will not insist on local authorities government service. Now, until such time that doing the right trungs then local government wiU local government can attract people of the same fail. Yet if local government fails, local democracy calibre as those who enter the administrative fails; and if local democracy fa ils national demo- service of the civil service and until such time that cracy cannot survive: after all charity does begin people can think of local government service as at home. We cannot afford to let local govern· a life-career local government will always be ment fail. weak and its officers have to accept dictation from whoever is the supervising authority. It is with a view to tackling this problem that we think SUBSCRIPTION RATES-THE LEGON ODSERVEB it would be useful if the Constitution set up a local government service under a Local Govern- Surface ment Service Commission (L.G.S.c.) 6 month" 1 year 6 mODttu I Yell The L.G.S.C. should be similar in composition and independence to the Civil Service Commi- Currency NC NC NC NC ssion and its position should be entrenched in the Constitution. Its functions should also be GIan& 2.)0 4.50 similar to those of the Civil Service Commission. Africa 2.80 5.50 ).80 7,00 It will set standards of appointment, qualifications, -- - ----- ---- --- conditions of service etc. It is not being suggested U.K. :uo 6.40 12.00 that the service should be unified; it should continue to be decentralized in the sense that ~ -'-.00- - ~1--8'-40-- ~ appointments and promotions should be left ----- --- ---- U .S. 3.00 6.00 8.40 16.90 to each local authority. The suggestions made _._- ---- ---- ---- - here however do mean that a local authority Can4da 3.00 6.00 8.40 16.00 cannot appoint anyone to a post for which he has not been certified by the L.G.S.c. nor pay Minimum Subscription: 6 Montru him more or less than the scale laid down for that Subseription enquiries should be addressed to, '{be particular post. It would be of great help if in Editor, The Legon Observer, P.O. Box 11, Legan. 4 August 1967 TIffi LEGON OBSERVER The Economy of resources secured from aid but also of the domestic resources of the receiving country. j The economic basis of aid is that it increases FOUNDATIONS OF ECONOMIC POllCY ill resources available to the receiving country to FOREIGN AID meet its basic requirements, especially, of deve- By lopment. Resources acquired through aid fi lls G. Kportufe Agama the gap between domestic needs and available T HIS W bE K is budget week. The second budget domestic resources. This role of aid implies that or the National Liberation Council is expected domestic resources are utilized with the maximum to continue the policy of the first in laying toe efficiency, or that the availability of aid promotes foundations for the subsequent expansion of tbe efficient utilization of resources. Few would the economy at a sustainable pace. It is likely dispute the view that this should be the rationale that in this, as in the first budget, ftlbstantial aid for programmes of economic aid. "ill be sou&ht from abroad . Indeed, one of tbe Substitute main elements of economic policy since February, But the experience of planners of aid in recent 1966, has been resort to foreign aid. All indicat ions years has led many observers to doubt the con- lead to the belief tbat this will continue in the fore- tribution of aid to efficient use of domestic resources seeable future. It is appropriate, therefore, to by receiving countries. In fact, if one examines discuss certain issues related to our dependeDc~ the allocation of resources in a country receiving on foreign aid for our economic reform and aid, one is likely to find that the availability of development. In this article we provide a basis aid often tends to increase misuse of domestic for thi$ discussion. resources. Foreign aid is almost invariably used • Objectives as a substitute for domestic effort. It provides J The first issue concerns the objectives of foreign a convenient excuse or oppnrtunity for unwilling- aiu. A country receives foreign aid to satisfy ness by governments to adopt necessary but :,omc need, and this may be social, political or unpopular measures to promote efficient use l,.COflOmlc; but the demand for fo reign aid seems of their domestic resources. The experience of to aTl~. . e from the desjre to promote economic foreign aid reveals that most recipient governments deveiopmenL. On the other band, a country have shown a marked tendency to avoid such p.I't'Lug dId normally seems to achjeve a set of action 00 tbe domestic front as may be necessary ,1 'f'rent objecllVes. Th ree of these may be iden· for the sound state of their economies but which tftle 1 tirst the desire to win the political sympathy, IDay damage their political fortunes. If It()! lovalty of the recipient country in the This ~ndency to avoid finding domestic solutions ~iJ1J wu"-thi::. is straight baitmg; secondly, to domestic problems by relying on foreign aid lli promotion of mutual economic interests of is further strengthened by the conditions which nul h donor and recipient countries; and thirdly, recipient countries must fulfil not only to qualify rr~' ~j(}n of humanitarian feelings by the donor for aid but also to dispose of the resources they O;Jnlry. Both donor and recipien t countries acquire through aid. Foreign a id may be sli.vided 11 ve h'arn -d much from each others' disappoint- into three main forms; namely. loans secured '1 'nh witil aid based on the crude motive of OliEiae the DormafC'aPital markets, ~ant~largely \\.-Innlug the "cold war"; and although thls motive by governments, and t~chnical assistance in the has not complc-ldy disappeared, one cao safely form of personnel and equipments. As the sub- say thaI it has become refined and incorporated stantial proportion of world aid flows from the tnto tilt' second motive of promoting mutual rich to the poor countries, the conditions that srlf tr.lcrest. II is this motive which has become govern aid programmes reflect substantially the pu:!iClminant in recent programmes of foreign interests of the rich donor countries. aid I-or, the tlllrd motive is limited only to cases! The conditions actually imposed vary from one olllutwnal dlsa"tcr and emergency in the recipien~ donor country to another, but a common element cnunlflcs_ in these conditions is the requirement of tying the II i" thcn:fure important that countries receiving redpleot country's use of resources acquired aid acquaint 1hl mselves fully with the nature through aid to the economy of the donor country. 01 Inh;Ic:..b that they want to promote and bow This requirement is expressed by the typical it relates to the interests which countries giving demand that, where financial aid is involved, Rid deSire to promote. More often than not this the recipient countries should spend a given pro- acquaintance has been conspicuously lacking, portion, usually a high proportion, of their aid and tius has led to considerable misuse not only on resources of the donor country. In principle, 6 THE LEGON OBSERVER . 4 August 1967 this demand seems to satisfy ~he principle of coun!ries rather than to cope witb fundamental promoting the mJtual interests of the donor problems on the home front; and as these condi. and the receiver, but, in practice, there have been tions are likely to reflect the interests of the donor cases in which this proviso has meant only the countries, these interests become dominant io promotion of specific interests of the donor the policies of recipients of aid. One such interest country, for example, promotion of exports and/or of donors served by tbese conditions is tbat it emp10yment to the obvious detriment of efficient enables the donor countries to overhaul their use of resources not only in the receiving country domestic policies, especially fiscal and trade but in the donor country as well. For tbe condition policies to promote the importation of goods introduces a rigidity into international economic and services, particularly manufactures from the relations and thereby prevents the world commu- countries receiving aid. Aid is substituted for nity from reaping the benefits of international trade. competition in trade. ' Role of Civil Service Ail Cover In the receiving country, aid is substituted Another typical condition related to tbe one for radical reforms. One particular area where above which has become fashionable is tbat tbe this tendency is clearly felt is in tbe machinery donor country provides aid to cover "foreign of government. In a country like Ghana, the exchange costs" of a project while the receiving role of the Civil Service in the economy is crucial, country finances tbe costs of the project incurred but it appears the organizational structure and in local currency. More often than not tbe dist inc- orientation of its personnel are perhaps more tion between "foreign exchange cost" and "local suited to the government of Edwardian England currency cost" is a rule of thumb; an arbitrary than to the government of any country in Africa distinction which, on close examination turns today. Curiously, civil servants of poor countries out to have little justification in economics or seem to have vested interests in programmes commonsense. For in economies which depend of economic aid, especially those undertaken heavily on imported goods, expenditures in local with international organizations. These organi- currency result in significant demand for foreign zations open to them vast opportunities for excbange to finance the importation of goods, influence and power in their countries far in for example, materials for housing, cars, office excess of what they deserve to wield. This is dange· equipment and furniture provided for foreign rous for political ' reasons, for it develops tbe incli· personnel, and goods consumed by persons nation among civil servants to camouflage impor· employed locally. Furthermore, where aid is tant political issues as technical issues and therefore provided in tbe form of imported plant, machinery to reserve decisions on them to be taken by and equipment, the receiving country usually self-styled experts. And these decisions get im· finds itself committed to undertake expenditure plemented by fits and starts. This may be because in foreign exchange for their operation and subse- civil servants, especially those in this country. quent replacement. Finally, as much aid at present lack the capacity to execute decisions. or becaust is provided on a count~y-to-country basis, diffi- tbey are unwilling to disturb tbe social framework rences in conditions make it difficult for, or by implementing decisions, or simply because provide little inducement, to receiving countries they are in the words of the novelist "not concerned to coordinate the use of resources acquired by with the very poor". aid in their economic plans. Indeed, some aid At root, the necessary reorganization can be programmes, however temporarily useful they undertaken only by the government and not by are to the receiving country, can have permanent tbe civil service itself. One hopes that the Public adverse effects on the development of its own Services Structure and Salaries Commission will resources, if corrective measures are not enforced. endear itself to this task aDd tackle it witb utmost The United States food aid programme comes ruthlessness. That way, we will be compelled to readily to mind. For example, in Ghana, at present, examine our domestic resources and the uses the availability of maize imported under US we can make of them before resorting to foreign Public Law 480 is causing a great deal of disquiet assistance, as Mr. E. N . Omaboe was reported among farmers who fiDd · it difficult to dispose to have said, "to plug boles in our economy". J of their rich harvest of corn at reasonable prices. In his latest book, Development Planning, Sir DependeDt Policies W. A. Lewis observes that "self-respecting countries I The main effect of resort to aid, therefore, do not shape their policies in order to please ~ is that the policies of countries receiving aid foreigners". We in Ghana may do well to ponder tend to be formulated. perhaps unconsciously. over this observation in our gallop into tbe newly- to suit the conditions imposed by the donor found "expertocracy". (Concluded) 4 August 1961 THE LEGON OBSERVER Education voted for education are proper1y trained in mana- gement and administration. The educational business involves the management of human EDUCATIONAL ADMINISTRATION and material resources. namely, the students. IN GHANA the teachers, the employees, plant and equipment, By money and the environment. This calls for the I. Ackom Mensah inculcation of the ability (a) to plan and set forth P £ r: E N T L Y I N the local papers we read of objectives, map out goals and design appropriate J desperate appeal by the Ministry of Education strategies; (b) to organise resources; (c) to moti- tur ideas and suggestions from the public to help vate or actuate operators and (d) to generally con- com hat school riots which have become rampant. trol or co-ordinate the whole operation and Onc gets the feeling that there is something processes wi thi nit. lundamentally wrong with the administration of uur educational set-up. Limited Facilities for Training in Educational Sr.cing that we don' t hear of riots, demonstra- Administration tions and strikes in tbe elementary schools, could As a nation we have seen fit to make special It he that the cause of the deplorable occurrences provision in our higher education structure for 1$ traceable to the absence of teacher training both Business and Public Administrat ion. We :ltld adequate preparation for our secondary are yet to appreciate the need fo r a dynamic chaol teachers? programme to cater for Educational Administra- When the Auditor-General tells us in his famous tion . We appear satisfied with the costly and frus- anTlual report thal the financial administration 1r tration-fraught on-the-job trial-and-error approach our institutions is in a deplorable state, and to t raining in educational administration. J.!(H~:; on to reveal that cash deficiences. embez- lkmrJ)t defalcations have become a common Our training scheme may be briefly stated as and in Schools and Training follows: The top executive in the Ministry of I aiUle S~condary dot.:'i> it not imply tbat there is something Education is not there by choice, t raining or in-Coll .... ge,>, wrong with educational administration terest but by the natural civil servants quest for h,\ Il :-tHy Ghana Surely given efficient and effective promotion and advancement. If our man comes In I) to the Ministry of Education via the Education IlJOlIrll ,tratton \disadel should not lose as much 73 400 U. Berekum Training College Officer's door, then he may claim some experience ~ ~19, II \buri (Method ist) T raining College lZl l , in educational administration. But this experience may lack the supporting base of formal training (" 14 anu '-chimol. Primary School lZ12, 4" thc year ended 31 December, 1964. in the principles of administration. The idea ~.t) In of further academic training for the Ministry man Th troublt I', that the majority of our educational mchttling heads of institutions is often frowned upon on the stock excuse tba t t 1111 Hat 11" he "cannot be spare", and few headmasters are I 'I, Pi opt:r training in the principles and practice administration and the art of encouraged by the Ministry to work for higher I the t:ll:ncc of does not lie so degrees. It is unfortunate to have a top admi-ln 1!Jt"C/lI nt rhe fault then much r 'u qualified Bursars. riots and nistrator on the educational scene with no training lil It) of The may be only symptoms of or relevant experience in education. It is equally mh~ lemcnts regrettable to have a "headquarters boy" directing Itj u malady operations, whose personal experience of day-to- I be Problem of Educational Administration day school administration may be outmoded. (J,lI' hope that the Educational Review Co- In the United States of America, the practice n\!! f h I" 'I~ n due attentton to the problems is followed whereby various experts in education ln I\;r nt ill the ~ontrol. direction and the admi- are appointed on contract basis for limited periods IlI..,lr t: 'n )1 this country's education. to handle schedules requiring professional com- \\ hd I\l:r 'We tile it or not. education, and for petence. These experts bring both first class know- th II math.'r puhlic education. is a large scale ledge and practical experience to bear in the hu ;0(""" c-ntcrpri\c (mmus the profit motive). execution of their assignments. They then return it I 1T1 pell,i\c buslOCSS particularly with the to the field. Unfortunately in Ghana educational atioplwn \..)1 • free education poltc)' covenng the control and direction is looked upon as the sacro- primary ~I.;hoo l through university. Prudence sanct preserve of the career civil servant. To quote I..hcti.li\.:~ that \ve take immediate and long range from a recent article in the Daily Graphic: steps to ensure that those whose responsi bility "When it comes to tbe content of educati on it is to handle and manage th~ vast sums of money or the pedagogics, we find that the Minislr) 8 TIlE LEGON OBSERVER of Education, like'some other Ministries, has of abysmal ignorance of ordinary commercia] not deployed its manpower well for it. Indeed practice and usage, . Plant maintenanGe, student being part of the Civil Service we find that feeding, campus planning and development, campus the schedules are not held by expertise or discipline and arbitration, campus developmenl aptitude or even by merit but by rigid seniority. and administration, these are some of the headache. This is the surest way to mediocrity which he inherits without formal preparation for in turn breeds the pench~nt for routine scientific processes of decision-making. Problems redtape and' bullying of those who serve of accounting and financial management in time under". make him rely too heavily on his ill-equipped It is but fair to concede that we have had able Bursar who soon finds it convenient not only educational administrators but these have been to bamboozle tbe head with his little learning few and far between compared with the large but also to misappropriate funds to the head', battalion of mediocrities. chagrin. It is but an open secret that no formal training Faced witb the manifold problems of admi· is given to the teacher in the elementary school nistration our budding scholar of yesterday structure to prepare him for the assumption of becomes incapable of producing any creative higher responsibility. Any teacher who can work in the academic field. Wbat energy has "close the attendance register", keep the Log he left after attending to tbe manifold chores Book, has enough seniority to his credit and is by his trial-and-error methods, even to chronicle less throublesome, is ready to be promoted his experiences and the cballenges of his office a head teacher whenever a vacancy occurs for the guidance of future generations of head- somewhere. The transfer of the old Government masters and principals ? He is a harassed person. schools and certain denominational schools to Instead of job satisfaction and fulfilment our local autborities under the old regime simply youngman reaps disillusionment, disappointmenl added tbe job of educational management to tbe and maybe bigh blood pressure. Tbe pub"c already crowded schedule of the ill-equipped outside his school or college gets to know of clerk Qf council. Lacking the expertise, time and him only when his frustration and confusioa interest, tbe Clerks of Council accorded the leads or contributes to a strike or demonstration school management job only casual attention. by his workmen or his students. Furthermore, faced witb inadequate financial resources tbe Councils have not appointed qualified educationists as School Managers. . Ministry's Circulars as Formal Training? To be a Secondary Scbool Headmaster or And as if to add insult to injury he finds himself Training College Principal, no special or formal pestered with a spate of directives and commanding preparation is required. With a university degree circulars, orders and petty queries from the (never mind the field of concentration or area of Ministry of Education-circulars and letters often specialisation), tbree to five years teaching bebind issued and "signed for" by allegedly "directed" him and some connection, a youngman qualifies to petty officials witb little practical and/or theor .. be literally catapulted into the headmaster's tical knowledge of how to band Ie educational chair as soon as a vacancy occurs somewhere. problems. For appointment to a training coUege headship, some years of expereience as a Senior Tutor or H is claimed that at the secondary school a first degree with limited experience is all that and ' training college levels, the heads of these is required. Formal training in administration institutions are supposed to exercise effective is not considered necessary. Somehow we believe control over their operations with the Ministry tbat the special knowledge and the resultant of Education merely playing the role of aD wisdom for handling complex educational problems overseer. Going by my experience as a Governor will fall like manna from nowhere into the lap of of a training college for some years now I can a Headmaster or Principal, once he is appointed say that the Ministry unfortunately t~nds to cont~ol to the post. And so overnight we transform a rather than oversee the activities and poliCIes teacher into the boss of an institution responsible of our secondary schools and colleges. They ar. for its budget (although he has no idea of estimates left with no initiative and opportunity to jUdi- preparation and budgetary control); and labour ciously experiment. An analysis of a crosS sect- problems (when .he .has never heard of, let alone ion of Ministry circulars and so-called "guideliD~" seen or read, the Labour Ordinance or the Industrial to secondary scbools and training colleges Will Relations Act). He has to undertake or direct confirm this feeling. The Ministry should seriouslY the procurement of goods and services in spite consider creating the conditions that will enable 4 August i%7 THE LEGON OBSERVER the heads of institutions to exercise effective Structure, Performance Measurement and Eva- control over their operations. luation of both Teachers and Students, Student University Administration Guidance and Counselling service, special problems The questlOn of formal training and preparation of the Residential Institut ion etc. affects our university administrators as well. On the business side subjects to be covered Form~l tra ining. it is submitted, will increase the will include: rtkctlVencss as well as the output of our university Organisation Theory. Elements of Accounting and ldministrators. With inadequate orientation in Management Control, Financial Management, al..adcmic matters the accounting or administrative Personnel Management including Labour and officer uO\ntlingiy imports dysfuncLions into the Industrial Relations, Procurement, Office Manage~ work o f !he University through his systems and ment and Record-keeping and the organisation, procedures. His adherence to a policy of admi- management and control of such auxilia ry enter- III ... tratlVC! (.;onvenience in time leads to over- prises as: ceilj rallsation \\ hich is not only dysfunctional but wa.,teful. A number of the financial and (a) The Booksbop I~dmilllstrative difficulties facing one or two of (b) Dining Halls and Student Canteens Olir nnivcrsily institut ions have derived in part (c) Student Residence fonl the apparent unwillingness on the part (d) Sports Activities, and () lhc lOp administrator(s) to decentrali se the irILU'> of powcr and responsibili ty. This short- (e) Student Organs and other Campus vmln~ m~ •. be traced to the absence of proper Publications. I Inll' i"or these administrato rs . Scientific decision-making via the Case Method will have a major place in the curriculum. N.d for Training for Educational Administration I I c'ddr.nl that there is need for some formal Conclusion I !'il IIlHlf' lo r managers and administrators of It is conceivable tbat the Educational Review dlr c luI.. tionall"ntcrprisc, Committee will recommend worthwhi le changes In lilt hort term crash programmes involving in our educational set-up. In the final analys is wcl!~pl:Jlln d seminars and workshops and short it will be our administrators who wi ll have the hOlilo be organised and jmplemented job of implementing the recommendations. These tlh th n '1'1;'[;111011 of the Ministry of Education, people handle large sums of the tax-payers' money \( 1( I or \dmmistration and an rn stitute every year in the execution of their duties. Any l lW:ltlC>n. The Headmasters' Conference, amount invested in their formal training at the PrlllCtP II • ( llnfercncc and the various Teachers highest level will be money well spent. hould lend their unstioted support Lastly I would suggest that consideration be proerclmfllCS. given by the authorities of the School of Admi- II; hU\.ln I,) thl crash programmes we need nistration to mounting a special programme to j II k IOllsly :tb\.)ut a permanent answer. train Bursars for the Secondary Schools and I II thl . \, II l·tlon [ 1\;:c1 convinced that properly Training Colleges. Tf the School has seen fit to ! cJ pn" sSlullal traini ng at University provide facilities for an Elementary Local Govern- !.ldll.llC lelll for would-be educational ment Programme one can see no good reason 1JII1I II Ir:llll\"~ IS the answer. Such training should for refusing to help the country with the production 1.. • I bllih tht a(·(1(/emir as \ve ll as the business of properly trained Bursars. This assumes that ,I pI.: t 1) 1 cdllc:J.tJon:.t1 admi nistration. It should the necessary encouragement, financial and other- h~ 1I1.1"t~ d tn.IIHJlnp. and of longer duration than wise, will be forthcoming from Government at the" 1'1 1'[. 'rl\,l III ! ducat ion Programme. T envisage the instance of tbe l inistry of Education. ,\ 1\ l \Cli ~, l\t.:r ~ Programme catering solely 1111 I ~hll 'Ilnll'll \dmmlstration a.t all levels and 11)11111 \.'PI Llh:J by the Institute of Education IUd tht SChll(li 01 '\Jministration. ARE YOU fb~ Scope of the Programme On tilt .Jlllllenit. side the Programme will IIILhIJt: prc.,cn[ Diploma in Education courses on our \upplentented b)- seminars on topics such as Studt'lIts, Role III In"titutional Policy, Faculty- SUBSCRIPTION LIST? Administration RelationshIps. Campus Planmng and Development, Faculty Reward Systems and 10 THE LEGON OBSERVER 4 August 1967 Administration whose sense of (practical) reality is often ques- tionable. In fact, most of our troubles loday can be traced back to the existence of tbis com. THE UTILIZATION OF EXECUTIVE bination. TALENTS IN A DEVELOPING GHANA Is tbe Problem Eradicated? By Ghana does not have active political partie. KlVame Adjei today, so one cannot state that party favourili .. I N DEY E L O:e 1 N G countries, manpower defi- are at tbe helm of national affairs. On the olher ciencies often present more serious problems hand, one cannot also dismiss the fact that Ih, than capital needs, and the way executive talents NLC. usually gives appointments to persoDl are utilized by a nation reflects its economjc, either known to the members or recommended political and social development. Manpower by persons known to the Council. problems exist in this country, but this article As far as advisers are concerned, it is difficult will dwell only on problems connected with tbe for any Ghanaian to admit of any major cbang". utilizat ion of executive, administrative or mana- In fact, most of Nkrumah's advisers are shll gerial calibre, particularly in the public sector. advising the N.L.C. today. Some of them ar< civil servants who manage to keep their jobs Sbortage of Experienced Executives under any government; but the question to be Tbere seems to be a shortage of ski lled or raised is that have such people matured in ex· experienced personnel in the country. This apparent perience since February 24, 1966? shortage may be attributed partly to tbe fact The Selected Few tbat most Ghanaians were brought up in non- In any modern society or organization onl) industrial environments. In addition, Ghanaian a minority in the population will be called upon students do not often have the opportunity of to formulate, administer and execute national gaining practical experience while in school. policies, and there are various means whereb) Full-time residence requirements and the auto- the administrators and executives are chosen matic availability of scholarships to our university Some eager beavers manage to catch the eye students do not encourage the need for these of an influential boss ; others get to be known students to seek part-time employment. The by being just plai'l good "organizational men." "paternalistic tendencies" of the colonial Govern- A few get to the top through sheer perseverance ment, coupled with the socialistic policies of and hard work. There are those who manage post-independence government of the c.P.P. to get to the top quickly because they have been restricted Ghanaian private enterprises. The result trained in a specialized subject , profession or was that the lack of family-owned business, at occupation where competition is non-existent least on any respectable scale, denied Ghanaian Then there are those whose vessels came ashor( youths the opportunity to "walk through daddy's through the sweet breeze of "Africanisation)' company" in their adolescent years. Again, it policies. will be realized that our educational system It is clear, therefore, that there has come into generally tended to produce too many classical existence a few people in the country who can scholars. . appropriately be called the "industrializing elite" All these point to the fact that most Ghanaian All one has to do is to look at the composition students have no business or organization orien- of pu bLic Boards, Commissions and Committees tation by the time they graduate.lt is not, therefore, and they are seen around. suprising that a large majority of universi ty Overutilization and UnderutilizatioD of Talents graduates do not know even how to write a cheque. A look at the appointment book of any of these gentlemen wi ll amaze anybody as to how they Problem of Poor Administration manage to cope with their numerous dutie~. Two main factors have evolved as a matter The plain fact of the matter is that most of them of historical accidents. In almost all developing do not-and in fact simply cannot-have the countries, paper qualification often becomes tbe time to perform these duties efficiently. An over- passport for obtaining top jobs. Secondly, political worked executive is sometimes as good as staying patJ:onage often put party favourites in charge away from his desk. He can be edgy, itchy, irritable of public offices. A combination of these two and disorganize the morale of his staff. He oneo factors usually result in having a country run attends meeti ngs late, and occasionally may not by "quack admi nistrators and policy-makers", show up at all. Oftentimes he may be physically who are advised by "academic theoreticians" present at a meeting but mentally absent. Most "paper philosophers", and "pseudo-intellectuals", of them attend meetings without lOoking at the 4 August 1967 THE LEGON OBSERVER II agf'ilda-even though the items might have been Chancellor, or Principal Secretary or Ma- ,jrcu larized days or weeks earU~r. A look at the naging Director in the same office for minute.:; of public corporations, institutions and 25 or more years before he reaches retire- Boards will amaze anybody as to the high rate ment age? uf absenteeism among this overburdened group 3) Young men in top positions a lso st ifle nf executives. There are instances of Board the promotion opportunities of their sub- member::, who have not attended a single meeting ordinates-a situation that can create ·r almost two years. serious problems in morale, discipline On the other hand, there is a large majcrity and turnover. of civil servants (incl uding Principal Assistant 4) A young and inexperienced executive SL;cretarics and Senior Assistant Secretaries) Secon- often gets lost in the compan y of his d:ny s(.;hool and Teacher Training college teachers, counterparts from other countries-an in- university lecturers, officials in public corporations feriority complex problem which might and managers of private corporations whose affect his effectiveness adversely. t;llcnt'S can be ll tilized to help develop Ghana. 5) An inexperienced executive might either withdraw himself from the public scene or, MisallocatioD of Talents in order to cover up his deficiencies, become \nnlho tunnel of waste in the utilization bossy, arrogant and authoritarian-a typi- f manpower is not only putting unqualified cal characteristic of empty barrels. people into top posts but also giving people assign- 6) Another means of making up for his hlcnt unrdatcd to their fields of study. The r deficiencies is for the inexperienced executive Ivd ~cr icc is ruJl of numerous examples. We to surround himself with experts, advisers, ha\, financial experts acting as administrative "nil consultants and what DotS. It is true tha t cr::; ,n non-llnancial capacitie~, while histo- developing countries need the assistance nail ,Jcl\lse the government on finance and trade of foreign advisers; but it should also (l,(tcrs Mathemalicians, engineers, chemists etc. be pointed out that not all experts are Iia bf"cn maLic Government Agents, whilst EXPERTS. ph ,iCldll were sent abroad as ambassadors. ~It Iht:, hnppt:ned when the Government was Some Suggested Solutions (Recommendations) I 19 f'lf .. commodity called "foreign exchange" I) We should try and broaden the base for r ruit 'iwJl from other countries. appointment to public offices. There are Yooth and Experience a lot of hidden talents roaming about l 'Plitl Ghanaian executive, like his in the country to be tapped. All it needs III mo<.;t newly-independent nations. is is a boss with a keen sense to discern and I)' yoU"!! .llld int:xperienced as compared also the willingness to gi\'e a chance to • I C mnh:rpart in an older country. The people. It is not easy to discover talents, n "csearch showed an average age of but at the same time if you do not try I.. h .OJ In c cutives to be 41. Similar studies somebody, you will not discover what the person can do. I' 2) In this connection I will recommend a national talent scouting system. President Some Implications Kennedy for example was noted for his A. l It. ul! of our historica l development, ability to scoul for qualified persons to cellli cs in developing countr ies have fill his cabinet and other official posts. h younger anu less experienced than 3) Management training should be given Ih If l untcrparts in older countries. priority in our national development pro- 1 h \11 I.hing that makes the situation grammes. Subordinates should be trained 11 m(lfC sertou~ IS that the already and gi\cn a chance on the job by "trial jobs" y,)lln ~ ilnJ m~'(penenced executive is oflen or watching superiors at meetings, con- "Jlhllcd \\!th too many jobs and appoinl- ferences and making decisions. ]n other l1('nh words, WI,; should insjst on "doing". ',-ner.ttl) happens that persons wbo [t should be remembered that mistakes g t In1(" top pvsitions too early later become made at a jUnior officer level is likely to I-,e ppr d. ,tal..: and lethed this "order" by letter and by se- Didn't he get there because he was acceptable to the uring Ihe cvo~ra{i on of the Police whom they instruc- rebel Northern troops since be was neither the ne.n t~ t .. l'1:'IJC no dance permits for ·that night). senior officer after General Ironsi nor the third? To We tTl 1 and decided to send a small delegation com- say that the dispute is an internal one does not rule ! .; m~ lbc: S Li the broth. country and in so doing produce geological ma~ Princess Electronic Services Ltd., ADis Moubarak t~ which show the occurrences of rock formation Takoradi. Managing Director th and mineral deposits on the surface. Mineral plOl dl pecting on the other hand. which involves pittin! 20 trenching and drilling. following geophysical and Classified Small re & geocbemical surveys, are generally expensive aJ1I ,·0 Advertisements with tbe limited resources tbat it often bas. tbe w~ Geological Survey does not normally carry ou sucb investigations unless it is Government's in ATIENTION EVERYBODY tention to exploi t a particular deposit after it h" ~ been prospected. The department is. however. pel· ed All Commercial Houses and Traders feelly capable of carrying out prospecting and Na AU Schools, Colleges, Universities and other mineral evaluation, given the resources. has EducatioRal Institutions "r) All Bodies wishing to make;' announcements The Achievements 01 the Geological Survey 101 \ sitllation". What arc the (acts? T hc number made as a resu lt of Ihese representations. F~ of Ghanaian geologisls in 1962 just before instance. the depar tment now bas 15 carav"" the present Di reclor took over was 5. The which arc used, instead of tents, by field get) present number of Ghanaian geologists in the de- logists who are compelled to work long period! partment is 14, and the number of geologists who in the busb. With the exception of Acera, g.,. bave left the department since 1962 is 4. including logists can easily find accommodation in Goven> Mr. Quashie himself. I t is absurd for anyone to ment rest houses and bungalows wherever IIgraceful poverty in an obscure corner of Eng- "native" hospital in its own generation and the land, the victim of caUous rule-books and White- next. and built roads and railways that were haH "calm and orderliness"! He was in other ways better than most in black: Africa; it was not just a tragic figure, especially in the ways of two that he pursued African education with passionate di>astrous marriages which his own complex per- 7ell.l brought elective representation here for the sonality and difficult nature did not help to fir" tune. in 1925/26 (though Clillord had anti- sweeten. The first was with a 17-year-old child. Cipated him years before in Nigeria: 1920), and the second to a stage actress and woman of the that be promoted "Africanization", even if in the world. Both extr<:mes lived up to their fatalistic primitive form which it was bound to take in potentialities, with the husband the common de- th".e day; .it was also that be had achieved nominator and common precipitant to disaster. , II thi., in defiance of chronic Colonial Office And how satisfying it was that the "discoverer" c )J1~rvatism of the pernicious kind. and in face of Aggrey and therefofe-