Some mild drumbeats for now ...

11.13.07

Okay, we’ll make this very quick. This one is burning in me, so the fire must come out. You know, when we decide to address problems in this dear African context of ours, we have to do so as comprehensively as possible. No myopia. I could go on and on about the condition of our roads, but I’mma let that slide for now. I was just thinking of crime that’s become rampant in many neighborhoods in Ogyakrom. Driving in certain places, given the condition of the roads, you have no choice but to slow down to avoid killing your shocks, and that’s where some of the armed crooks hide out or set roadblocks and attack innocent folks. This is where these folks grab phones and hurt people in the process. So … there’s your link between our bad roads and crime.

While I’m on bad roads, let’s talk about non-working traffic lights. I’ve said it before, and will repeat it – why on earth don’t we have solar powered traffic lights? I really am not too worried about the energy source so long as the thing works! On a trip from Ashaley-Botwe to Accra High Street, I tell you, only about 5% of the traffic lights along the road work. I’ve never seen the Tetteh-Quarshie-Secaps traffic light working before. The fixture is there to remind us of our poor management. This is an intersection with tons of people crossing, so unless some generous driver stops and manages to flag others to slow down and also stop, pedestrians will have to negotiate their way through and take risks to cross the street. I bet there’ve been countless accidents here. So … why on God’s good earth can’t we fix some of these things? Hmm.

If you haven’t been down in Ogyakrom for a while, they (whoever ‘they’ refers to) are finally fixing the stretch between T-Q and Adenta. Apparently they’ve done a pretty good job on the Aburi road, and now it’s very user-friendly. Since I can’t avoid this road condition talk, I might as well finish what I’ve started … these same non-working lights mean that some boys-boys walking around stop to manage traffic at our intersections. We may drive by and not tip them for their services, as they harass drivers. At the same time, we can’t do without them sometimes. Try the Asylum-down Trust Towers junction, or the main Holy Spirit Cathedral intersection, or the East Legon underpass from the Spintex Rd. These boys-boys provide a service they have no business providing, but they’re being entrepreneurs – capitalizing on an unmet need. We may chase them away, but given the reality that we don’t know how to be patient and take turns in passing through intersections, we’ll be needing them around for a while.

Seriously … you can have an impasse at a crossroad for about 30mins, just because nobody wants the other person to move. That brings me to something else – why on earth do we build traffic systems that rely on proper and good human judgment in order to function properly. Case in point – roundabouts. We keep building them, etc, even though we live in a country and continent where the indiscipline on our roads is massive, and so a trip around Obetsebi-Lamptey Circle is like negotiating your way through a war zone. Why do we build systems that will rely on benevolence and good judgment when we seem to have none? I’d say scrap those and let’s have monitored intersections. Well, if the lights won’t work, then what’s the point? Oh well, … … plus ça change … you know the rest … …

Let’s talk about something more pleasant. Food. Ooh, you know I don’t mess around with that. If there’s anything I love to do, and do well, it’s enjoying a good meal. It’s refreshing to see that now we have places ranging from chop bars (yours truly likes those too!) to good restaurants. I can find Ghanaian dishes around more easily, and don’t have to stress anymore over the fact that our dining options are mainly foreign. Buka is one of my favorite spots. Be sure to check it out – next to the old American Consulate building. Their food is excellent! Jollof with onions (I’m a huge onion fan) tossed in a vinaigrette, and juicy and well-cooked chicken, palava sauce, banku and okro, atieke, etc etc, some good Nigerian dishes, and of course the dessert – cut-up sugar cane with a slice of lemon. Oooh, child! Making myself hungry, I tell you! the banku and tilapia, omotuo and waakye joints, the Asenka Locals and other places are feeding the likes of moi and making good money too. It’s about time! Tempted to talk about service quality …

We still have a looong way to go oh – you ask for one dish, and when it comes you notice the meat or fish came from some other dish. Kontonmire with bright reddish fish that just swam its way out of some gravy. … if you’re not an ‘ampo kyékyé’ person like me, then those are major issues that zap the appetite right out of your mouth. Talking about service quality …. That’s what my research is all about. SQ in the public sector. Everyone who hears of it thinks I’m crazy, and this will be the toughest project I ever undertake. Probably true. I’m really interested in finding out how we think of and define SQ, and what’s the most important aspect of that contact between the client and the service provider. I argue that the interpersonal interaction matters more, and many folks base their evaluation of SQ on the interaction, not just the other things – the environment, facilities etc …

Okay, sorry for this rather dry piece. I’ll find some more juicy stories for you some other time. Let’s just say I’m having a few ‘Ghana moments’ – blackout in dis brain of mine. Oh, before I go .. I picked up a book today – Elizabeth Ohene’s collection of writings – Stand Up & Be Counted. Very impressive. Wow! Phenomenal woman. I like her strength. If you can get your hands on a copy, do get it – especially if you didn’t live through the regimes of the late 70s, JJ’s era etc as an adult. Great insight into what happened then – the executions, murder of press freedom etc etc… fascinating. Look for it.

Oh … and I must say that I’m very impressed with the number of infomercials/edumercials on t.v. these days. There are public education infomercials on road safety, drug trafficking, electricity conservation etc etc. that’s what I call conscientizing the nation one mind at a time. That’s a good thing. We must ‘watch these things.’

Aight, lemme get off. Starving ridee, so the ‘apor’ has all evaporated. Will continue later on sometime.