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‘Ghanaman Time’ impeding development, leaders must set good example
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Georgina Asare Fiagbenu
Lateness for work and other important activities appears to have garnered a place in the scheme of things for majority of Ghanaians.
The canker has sunk so deep in the Ghanaian DNA that it has been christened the ‘Ghanaman Time’, a parlance partially accepted among a certain class of people.
Upshots of this are the precious hours wasted at public events due to the late arrival of guests at events, especially the political elites whose absence means everyone must be held for hours.
But a Global Communication Expert, Mr Ben Dotsei Malor believes the lateness scourge was beginning to have a negative impact on various sectors of the country and largely, impeding development and calling for a change in attitude.
Mr Malor believes that one of Ghana’s major problems as far as development was concerned was her disrespect to time and unpunctuality.
Speaking at the latest online ‘Time Keeping Dialogue’ series on Sunday hosted by Head, Corporate Communications at MTN, Mrs Georgina Asare Fiagbenu, as part of efforts to address the challenge, Mr Malor called on leaders to set good examples by attending events on time.
The virtual conversation was under the theme, ‘Ghanaman Time’ to Greenwich Mean Time – Lessons from the Diaspora.”
Mr Malor, Chief Editor of Dailies at the United Nations (UN) News and Media Division of the UN Department of Global Communications, said the canker was impeding development and Ghanaian leaders must be concerned.
“We have normalised the abnormal, accepted the unacceptable, tolerated the intolerable, defended the indefensible, and condoned what should be condemned. This is impeding our development,” he stated.
He said, it was regrettable that leaders attend events late and expect their subordinates to be on time.
The change, he said, must start with leadership so that they would be able to punish people for their lateness.
Mr Dotsei Malor proposed that, financial consequences must be attached to lateness to put people on their toes.
“When one loses a portion of his or her salary due to lateness, it would stop them from making excuses not to be at work early,” he stated.
Mr Malor acknowledged that the issue was not unique to Ghanaians, citing Ecuador, where in 2003 the government declared a state of emergency to address chronic lateness estimated to cost the country $2.5 billion annually.
However, the former BBC Editor said the issue was more damaging in Ghana compared to other countries.
Mr. Dotsei Malor asserted that the disrespect for time, where a programme scheduled for 10am-12pm eventually begins at 11:30am, was largely why most Ghanaians were poor and the economy, in a bad state.
“Being time-conscious means increased productivity, and productivity means efficiency. A lack of this results in inefficiency, lack of success, and other problems,” he stated.
According to Mr. Dotsei Malor, acknowledging the impact of time wasting was a step in eradicating the ‘Ghanaman time” that has persisted for years.
On her part, Kirstie Angsmann, a member of the Migrants Council and Women’s Commission in Freiburg, Germany, added that in Germany, the system is structured that excuses like ‘my car broke down’ or ‘I was stuck in traffic’ were not tolerated.
Mrs. Kirstie Angsmann, a Ghanaian woman married to a German, noted that Ghanaians needed to take every bit of their time seriously, just as it is done in Germany.
Mrs Georgina Asare Fiagbenu in her closing remarks, said more of such conversations would be held to address the challenge and ensure productivity across all sectors of the economy.
By Michael D. Abayateye
General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Justin Kodua Frimpong, has filed his nomination to contest the position of General Secretary again as the party begins its rebuilding efforts ahead of the 2028 general elections.
He was accompanied by party stalwarts and supporters who were in high spirits, expressing confidence that he is the right person to hold the position.
Speaking after filing his nomination, Mr Kodua Frimpong assured the rank and file of the party that he would not disappoint them.
“I can assure you that the faith the rank and file of the party have had in me, I will never disappoint them,” he said.
He also pledged to run a clean campaign devoid of personal attacks.
“I can assure you that our internal campaign will be devoid of personal attacks,” he told his fellow contestants and the rank and file of the party as he seeks to retain his position.
His tenure has seen the party through the 2024 general elections, where the NPP lost power to the National Democratic Congress (NDC) after eight years in government.
The party is currently in a rebuilding phase, with internal elections scheduled to elect new national executives to lead its reorganization towards the 2028 polls.
The General Secretary position is considered one of the most influential in the party’s administrative structure, responsible for the day-to-day running of the party secretariat and implementation of party decisions.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
The University of Ghana Medical Centre (UGMC) has disputed claims made on social media by comedian Michael Blackson concerning the treatment given to his late mother, saying a review found that the allegations did not accurately reflect what happened during her stay at the hospital.
In a statement issued in Accra on August 5, 2026, the management of UGMC expressed condolences to Mr. Blackson and his family over the death of his 83-year-old mother, who died at the facility on July 16, 2026.
The hospital said it had taken the concerns raised by Mr. Blackson seriously and conducted a thorough review in line with its clinical and administrative procedures.
According to the statement, the facts presented by Mr. Blackson on social media contained “numerous inaccuracies” and did not accurately reflect the medical care provided to his mother.
UGMC explained that she was referred to the facility from another hospital and received treatment there from May 27 to July 16, 2026, a period of about eight weeks.
The hospital stated that it would not release details of her diagnosis, treatment, medical records or other aspects of her care because it had a duty to protect patient confidentiality, even after death.
It said the decision was intended to respect the dignity of the deceased and the privacy of her family.
UGMC further stated that all clinical decisions at the facility are made by qualified healthcare professionals based on medical judgment, established standards of care and the best interests of the patient.
The statement added that such decisions are made in consultation with authorised family representatives where necessary and that billing and financial procedures are governed by institutional policies and are separate from clinical decision-making.
The hospital noted that it values feedback from patients and their families and considers both positive and negative comments important for improving the quality of care.
Mr. Blackson had earlier used social media to criticise the care his mother received at UGMC, prompting the hospital’s response.
By: Jacob Aggrey
