For the past two weeks I have been writing about New Year resolutions and I am just about to wrap up on this topic.

I started off with an introduction of what New Year resolutions are, the benefits and success rates and a summary of some notable resolutions people make all over the world. Last week I focused on resolutions that I think every citizen of Ghana should have in addition to their own personal ones.

As I wrap up, I will like to take a look at resolutions that I think our government should make. As a citizen of Ghana what would you expect to see your government do this year? By government we mean all government institutions and agencies who are responsible for the administration of the resources of this country. This includes the Presidency, Ministers, Directors of Government institutions and agencies, assembly members, Members of Parliament etc.

For now I have outlined only five resolutions in no particular order and I believe they will reflect on some of things you have been thinking about. If you have a totally different view I would encourage to write to me suggesting which resolutions you think the government should have for 2015.

Leading by example: Leadership is influence and our leaders influence us in more ways than we know. This is why all leaders are expected to lead above reproach. However, in Africa people in Government are revered and many are not held accountable for their behavior. Leaders are not appointed or elected into office for fun. They are expected to lead the path of “righteousness” which includes leading with integrity, honesty, working excellently and being held accountable for their actions and inactions.  In 2015 every person in Government must resolve to influence people positively.

Getting rid of Corruption: One of the most important social issues confronting government is how to deal with corruption. Stopping corruption may be difficult, but not impossible and if people know that they will be sanctioned for being corrupt they will definitely behave better. The battle against corruption must be won by actions and we cannot pay lip service to the promises that have been made. Government must fight it with tooth and nail until they win the war. Dealing with corruption will save the country a lot of money which can be used to improve lives.

Lowering the cost of living: Living in Ghana has become very expensive and everything you enjoy comes at a high cost. Without a good job it is difficult for many people to make ends meet so governments have a big responsibility to reduce the cost of living by putting in measures that will get people to live comfortably.  Steps must be taken to create jobs for people especially young graduates who are coming out of school. I am not sure Ghanaians are interested in the technicalities involved in managing an economy. The average “Joe” just needs to be comfortable.

Dealing with the Drug problem - Ghana is seen as a major transit point for drugs and any government in power has to deal with this issue. Anytime there is an arrest of a drug trafficker, countless allegations are made from all political corners each blaming one another for not doing enough to stop the menace. Drug trafficking has become a canker in the country and this has to be dealt with. The recent drug arrest in the UK shows how concerned people are about the issue. One of the major hurdles we need to cross is how the drugs get into the country. There seems to be a major emphasis on drugs being “exported” illegally but not much is heard about how the same drugs are “imported”.

Listening to other opinions – Our Governments are forced to listen to citizens every day through the hundreds of media outlets in the country and in 2015 they must listen more. The great thing about this country is that no matter how strongly we feel about an issue we always find a good way of dispelling the negativity.

There is definitely a better way of dealing with issues so perhaps the government needs to find a way of listening to the “think tanks”, advocacy groups, pressure groups and members of the public through the various channels. Generally there is freedom of speech and many people are able to express themselves freely in the media space either through traditional media or social media without the fear of being brutalized. If this tolerance is converted into the assessment of what these stakeholder feedback is on a monthly or quarterly basis, then surely government will know what is on the minds of people and this may help them determine what to improve.

As I wrap up on this topic I encourage everyone to work hard to ensure their resolutions are achieved and this can only be done if we develop them further into smart goals. As we go about our daily activities, let’s all be mindful of the commitments we have made because the day of accountability will soon come and we all need to smile when the year 2015 ends.