Consider this maxim: "If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it." But I hear that it’s only ‘normal people’ who believe this maxim. On the contrary, I hear that engineers believe that "If it ain’t broke, it doesn’t have enough features yet". So, putting these two sayings together, the question to ponder over is – Is Ghana broken? After 52 years of nation-building, does Ghana have enough features for some or all to be broken to the point that they need fixing, re-tooling and re-engineering? Is it time for real change?
During my life’s short school journey, I picked up a theory which I’ve referred to before in this column – the Broken Windows Theory. Coined by two guys, Wilson and Kelling, the theory posits that brokenness attracts more brokenness until the object is completely destroyed beyond fixing.
The theory provides rich explanation to how slums are created out of nice and tidy neighbourhoods. It takes just one for brokenness to begin. It is initiated by one person, with one act that is tolerated and allowed to become entrenched, not challenged, not corrected, and not stopped. That one act becomes the symbolic permission, an approval and a signal that brokenness is the new and acceptable order. Then, hell breaks loose and everyone joins in the big party to add his/her own cacophony of brokenness until the neighbourhood becomes unrecognizable from its previous nice state.
Facts: Brokenness is costly. Brokenness is ugly. Brokenness is filthy. Brokenness leads to more brokenness.The following is an example provided by the thinkers of the theory. "Consider a building with a few broken windows. If the windows are not repaired, the tendency is for vandals to break a few more windows. Eventually, they may even break into the building, and if it’s unoccupied, perhaps become squatters or light fires inside. Or, consider a sidewalk. Some litter accumulates. Soon, more litter accumulates. Eventually, people even start leaving bags of trash from take-out restaurants there or break into cars."
Periodically, I reflect on this theory and wonder the extent of its relevance to Ghana and if it has the potential to deepen understanding of our national quagmire. But especially, I mull over its usefulness to solve some, if not most of our national brokenness. Many failures over several years have brought us to this point of vandalism. I also struggle to identify what aspects of Ghana do not exhibit signs of brokenness, and work as they should. I love our ability to laugh and love, but with regard to systems that work, I’m still looking.
Here is a quick run down of a few sings of brokenness. Please add your own to this list. Street lights go off and stay off for days, weeks or months, rendering parts of our towns dark and dangerous, making room for vehicular accidents, robberies and fear of road users. Fixing a light does not require brain surgery. Yet, the problem at times could just be a faulty fuse that could be replaced easily.
Cracks in good roads are left to widen, growing from pot holes into manholes until the entire road becomes a vehicular hole that is not passable/usable. The carnage on our roads with over 300 deaths since January is nothing but a sign of brokenness, fully packaged as a recipe for disaster. Drivers drive as if they have death wishes and are desperate to take others along with them. The engineering wisdom behind the design of some roads is suspect. Indiscipline is tolerated. Policing is corrupt, inadequate or non-existent. Some roads are not even car-worthy. The profile of the typical driver is frightening – school drop-out, non-literate or semi-literate, lousily trained who views the steering wheel as a symbol of power and gleefully uses it as a veritable weapon of choice.
Our national sanitation crisis is probably the most visible and symbolic portrayal of a national state of brokenness. It probably suggests a certain state of national depression which shows itself in the way we throw rubbish around ‘by heart.’ The troubling fact is that we have no clue how to manage the filth that seems to be engulfing us. The current state of environmental sanitation might be a national cry for help. It was Mahatma Gandhi who said, ‘Sanitation is more important than independence.’ Similarly, Victor Hugo wrote in Les Miserables, that "The history of men is reflected in the history of sewers…. The sewer is the conscience of a city." Chew on these.
The ongoing scandal that the last Speaker of Parliament literally cleaned up a government bungalow of everything that could be packed into a truck and took away as personal property points to brokenness in our system. What is missing in the discussion of this scandal is that laid down procedures of the Public Works Department were not followed. It does not appear that an inventory was taken before he moved in and also at the time of departure. In the absence of abiding by the rules of before and after inventory, who knows what might have been stolen on his behalf in the hurry and shuffle of exiting the residency?
An enduring question: With Regard to the new political leaders who are currently greedily grabbing state-owned vehicles – are procedures being followed to save Ghana from becoming a victim of good old thievery? Or, we’ll wait till this government is out of power and then we again examine what went wrong?
Our educational system is another area that is crying for fixing. Other areas are: Law and order has broken down. Corruption reigns. Meanwhile, in recent years, we have become enamoured with a fashion to develop policies: for water, sanitation, energy – for everything. Then what? Nothing!
Enters Broken Windows Theory. A major implication of the theory is that when the appropriate measures are taken to promptly fix manifestations of brokenness, one could deter low-level anti-social behaviours as well as major crimes, and keep society on its toes. It calls for commitment and consistency to do things right.
Once upon a time, New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani of September 11 terrorist attack fame, adopted the theory as part of general reform measures to clean up the then scary crime-ridden and filthy financial capital of the world, which was fast losing its shine because of anti-social behaviours of crime, filth, graffiti, public intoxication, nuisance and urination.
As part of the measures, the city authorities first zoomed in to symbolically solve some of its challenging problems including regular cleaning up of graffiti. Next, it began to enforce the laws, even laws for petty offences, if just to convey a symbolic message. The result of the initiative was the reduction of both petty and major crimes. The message was clear: no foolishness tolerated. And the message sank in with people who had hitherto, been disrespectful of the society, its laws, its morality and everything it stood for.
Did I hear that Team Mills won the 2008 elections on the ticket of change? What change? Will nonsensical acts of leadership and followership be purged? For instance, will the NDC government have the courage to tackle two politically taboo D words – Demolition and Decongestion – that are symbolic of the chaos that characterizes our cities? Take Accra and Kumasi. Disorder galore! Or, will Prez Mills run Ghana like a casino? We watch and wait for change to happen.
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