In a country where red lights mean little, and public officials show up late to functions with impunity, one thing is clear: Ghana is battling a deep-rooted culture of indiscipline—led by those at the very top. Ministers, chiefs, and high-ranking public servants arrive late to events they are invited to headline, while citizens are expected to wait and applaud their delayed entrances. This is not only disrespectful—it is a dangerous precedent.
Leadership, by its very definition, must be rooted in example. But when leaders fail to manage their own time, disregard the rules that govern society, and act with a sense of unchecked entitlement, the ripple effect is devastating. Youth observe this behavior and replicate it. If a minister can arrive two hours late without consequence, why shouldn’t a student show up late to school or a worker to the office? Indiscipline has become normalized, because our leaders model it daily.
Running a red light isn’t just a traffic offense—it’s a mindset. It’s a belief that “I am above the law.” This mentality is seen in how some police officers abuse power, how some politicians disregard the very systems they are elected to uphold, and how traditional authorities expect reverence without accountability. It is a chain of misconduct that trickles from the top down, poisoning the moral fabric of the country.
We are importing foreign consultants and “experts” to fix problems that local talent is fully equipped to handle. Why? Because foreigners can be bribed silently or manipulated with foreign contracts, while our own professionals, rooted in patriotism, demand real reform. We are rejecting the brains that can build Ghana simply because they refuse to be bought.
By 2030, Africa will have the largest youth population in the world—yet many of them are growing up without direction, structure, or a model of discipline to follow. This is a crisis in the making. We are not raising leaders; we are multiplying discontent.
Culturally, we’ve become unreliable. We make grand speeches about development, but we arrive late, miss deadlines, ignore laws, and reward mediocrity. The solution is painfully obvious: politicians and traditional leaders must lead by example. Time consciousness is not a foreign concept—it is the foundation of productivity. Without it, transformation will remain a slogan, not a reality.
If we want Ghana—and Africa—to change, we must demand accountability, starting from the top. No one should be too big to be sacked for being late. No one should be too powerful to obey traffic laws. The day we begin to hold leaders to the same standards we expect of citizens is the day we begin to rise.
Nsemgh.com
