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Taking a cue from a country where modesty and simplicity are its hallmark in governance
Modesty, is a God-given principle that helps a person or an institution to keep safely on the convenient path as the person or the body makes strides in the presence of the Almighty God. Modesty in actual sense, thought and behaviour, will help prepare mankind to make a sacred temple covenant. Similarly, simplicity in its true meaning, connotes uncomplicated, simple and elaborate method that can be understood, apply or done easily for the purposes of progress and development.
Being modest and simple begin with how one sees himself or herself and the place in the world. By being aware of your own strengths and weaknesses, you can avoid pitfalls of arrogance and start life more modestly. Just try to see yourself the way others see you by asking your closest friends how to perceive you. In effect, modesty and virtue, are qualities that are universally recognised as essential for the proper development and success of individuals and nations. It is important to impact in the youth these values so that they grow up into responsible and productive members of their communities and the nation in general.
POSITIVE ATTRIBUTES OF MODESTY AND SIMPLICITY
Some of the attributes of modesty include simplicity in the way of doing things, living within ones means not spending more than what comes in, be content with what you have and thinking about the long- term rather the short-term. It is said that a person is modest when he or she is considerate and does not boast or brag, so it is to developing nations across the world. The watchword is “Cutting your coat according to your cloth”.
I have decided to take my readers to the realms of theory just to prepare their minds to appreciate the importance of modesty and simplicity in our everyday lives and how they reflect on governance in countries that are well developed so that those of us in the developing world can learn and apply them for our own good and progress.
VIDEO ON SWEDEN AND THEIR WAY OF LIFE
Just recently, a cousin of mine domiciled in the United States of America who has been feeding me with educative materials including video clips across the world to educate, inform and entertain me of happenings across the globe, sent me one of his interesting videos about Sweden which since time immemorial, has adopted modesty and simplicity as their way of life which are working perfectly for them as a nation.
The video is about how this Scandinavian nation with thousands of coastal inland and inland lakes, with vast boreal forest and glaciated mountains, are running their august parliament as well as effective governance in a more matured, modest and simple way that have inured to their progress and advancement. Even though this country with a total population of a little over 10.35 million as of 2020 is fairly rich and industrious, it has been able to put in place certain mechanisms to cut down cost of public spending in order to rake in more funds to meet its developmental goals and that is working perfectly and effectively for them.
SHORT HISTORY ABOUT SWEDEN
To get a true picture of Sweden since I have never been to that country in my lifetime, I have done a little research about that country just to educate and carry my readers some of whom are just like me along to have a feel of that country. As I stated earlier, Sweden is a Scandinavian nation with its eastern capital located in Stockholm which is built on 14 islands. It has more than 50 bridges as well as medieval old town, Gamla Stan, royal palaces and museums. Although the country is relatively wealthy, 16.2 per cent of its people are at risk of falling into the poverty bracket. Even though English is one of the most commonly spoken languages in the world, it will be of interest to know that while about 80 per cent of the people understand English perfectly, they hardly speak the language, except their mother tongue, Swedes.
The vast majority of enterprises are privately owned. We are told that the country’s economic success is due to stable economic and political institutions which allow the people to focus on producing wealth. Swedish society is based on equality and individualism and the people are proud of their nation and its accomplishments which they termed Lagom, which means “Not too much, not too little…just right” a word often used and heard in Sweden. The country has a profound respect for integrity.
MODESTY AND SIMPLICITY IN SWEDISH PARLIAMENT
Having given the geographical location of Sweden, I will now go back to the video clip to show how modest and simple their parliament is being run to cut cost. The five minutes’ video titled, “The country where Members of Parliament don’t get free coffee, talks about drastic reduction of the way of life of the MPs as far as their living conditions are concerned. It talks about the whole parliament having three cars which are used for official work. Besides, MPs are expected to use public transportation during sitting hours. We are being told in that video that until 1957, the MPs were not being paid for their jobs and could not raise their own salaries. Apartments are provided to MPs from outside Stockholm which is one room apartment. Visitors are not allowed to stay overnight and if any of the MPs wants to bring a visitor to his or her apartment to stay overnight, the MP must pay for it. Any trip abroad by MPs must cost a maximum of 85 per cent of his or her salary. If an MP rents a car, he or she must choose the shortest possible route. Swedish MPs have no secretaries or assistants and they have to plan their own schedules.
THE JUDICIARY AND POLITICIANS IN SWEDEN
Parliamentarians who have missed more than 60 per cent of their voting occasions must repay from their salaries. There are no lifetime pensions for former MPs. In the case of judiciary, the criminal justice system is well organised and judges have no right to official cars. There is no immunity from criminal prosecution of politicians. Regional politicians do not receive salaries because their work is considered public good as such is unpaid. Public Service in Sweden is neither prestigious nor lucrative. The video ended by explaining that all these rules and many others, are designed to make Sweden a functioning democracy.
AFRICANS MUST LEARN FROM SWEDISH EXPERIENCE
Seriously, what we need to ask ourselves as Africans is that, is it not relevant to adopt some of these rules in our institutions of governance to cut down wastage, cost and conserve foreign exchange and other meagre resources to advance economic progress on our continent? If a nation like Sweden which is fairly rich in resources and capital, is operating modestly and simple, why can’t we in Africa learn from their experience? Africa is suffering because our leaders are selfish in character and do not think about the interests of their peoples. The limited resources at their disposal are being plundered to satisfy their personal interests and that of their closest associates while their citizens continue to live in abject poverty and misery.
OUR OFFICE HOLDERS MUST SHOW LEADERSHIP BY EXAMPLE
Over here in Ghana, as we continue to battle with the current economic crises which have brought untold hardships to the people, there are quite a number of institutions of governance which are feeding fat on the people. Our institutions of governance are not being considerate with the citizens and continue to impose all kinds of taxes and levies to worsen the plight of Ghanaians while those in positions of authority continue to enjoy.
The Swedish example must inspire us including other African countries to adopt measures to cut down cost and protect the public purse.
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By Charles Neequaye
One of the issues we have been grappling with as a nation is corruption, and it has had such a devastating effect on our national development. I have been convinced that until morality becomes the foundation upon which our governance system is built, we can never go forward as a nation.
Our traditional practices, which have shaped our cultural beliefs, have always espoused values that have kept us along the straight and the narrow and have preserved our societies since ancient times.
These are values that frown on negative habits like stealing, cheating, greediness, selfishness, etc. Our grandparents have told us stories of societies where stealing was regarded as so shameful that offenders, when caught, have on a number of instances committed suicide.
In fact, my mother told me of a story where a man who was living in the same village as her mother (my grandmother), after having been caught stealing a neighbour’s cockerel, out of shame committed suicide on a mango tree. Those were the days that shameful acts were an abomination.
Tegare worship, a traditional spiritual worship during which the spirit possesses the Tegare Priest and begins to reveal secrets, was one of the means by which the society upheld African values in the days of my grandmother and the early childhood days of my mother.
Those were the days when the fear of being killed by Tegare prevented people from engaging in anti-social vices. These days, people sleeping with other people’s wives are not uncommon.
These wrongful behaviour was not countenanced at all by Tegare. One was likely going to lose his life on days that Tegare operates, and so unhealthy habits like coveting your neighbour’s wife was a taboo.
Stealing of other people’s farm produce, for instance, could mean certain death or incapacitation of the whole or part of the body in the full glare of everybody. People realised that there were consequences for wrongdoing, and this went a long way to motivate the society to adhere to right values.
Imagine a President being sworn into office and whoever administers the oath says, “Please say this after me: I, Mr. …., do solemnly swear by God, the spirits of my ancestors and the spirits ruling in Ghana, that should I engage in corrupt acts, may I and my family become crippled, may madness become entrenched in my family, may incurable sicknesses and diseases be my portion and that of my family, both immediate and extended.”
Can you imagine a situation where a few weeks afterwards the President goes to engage in corrupt acts and we hear of his sudden demise or incapacitation and confessing that he engaged in corrupt acts before passing or before the incapacitation—and the effect it will have on his successor? I believe we have to critically examine this option to curb corruption.
My grandmother gave me an eyewitness account of one such encounter where a woman died instantly after the Tegare Priest had revealed a wrong attitude she had displayed during the performance on one of the days scheduled for Tegare spirit manifestation.
According to her story, the Priest, after he had been possessed by the spirit, declared that for what the woman had done, he would not forgive her and that he would kill. Instantly, according to my grandmother, the lady fell down suddenly and she died—just like what happened to Ananias and his wife Sapphira in Acts Chapter 5.
NB: ‘CHANGE KOTOKA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT TO KOFI BAAKO
By Laud Kissi-Mensah
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BY ROBERT EKOW GRIMMOND-THOMPSON
