PETE’S CORNER with Peter Martey AGBEKO: GJA 2025 ELECTIONS:  Navigating the landmines

Imagine that a district hospital is expecting a consignment of equipment in January. In the last week of December, a payment voucher arrives on the desk of the officer responsible for approving it. Attached is a certificate stating that the equipment has been delivered. The officer knows the truck has yet to arrive.

Walk through any market in Accra or Kumasi today and you will notice something. The trader selling fabric is taking orders on WhatsApp and TikTok. The young man at the chop bar is watching short videos while he waits for his food. The woman buying a new fridge checked the price online before she left the house.

Preparing people for the economics of living is the new buzz. Let’s discuss.

One of the first principles of good corporate governance is independence. People who supervise an institution must be free to question its decisions, examine its finances and hold its management to account without fear, favour or personal interest. When that independence is compromised, even a carefully designed governance structure can become a shell.

Imagine two Ghanaian companies bidding for the same major contract. In the first, staff gather quotations through email, reconcile price schedules in spreadsheets, chase approval signatures and manually assemble the presentation.

A cup of tea and a cocoa bean

“One who eats alone cannot discuss the taste of the food with others.” – African proverb  

There's something so infuriating about waiting for a response from someone who's promised to deliver a service, complete a project, sort a problem, or provide an update, and then getting nothing.