The little, little things that combine to make a government unpopular

In addition to perceptions of corruption, sheer incompetence and the introduction of unpopular policies, the negative attitude of political appointees contribute in eroding the public-goodwill of Governments and this is a factor that should not be downplayed.

It is therefore expected of political appointees to remain in constant consciousness that individually and collectively, they are ambassadors of the appointing authority and consequently, their actions and or inactions have a direct influence in shaping public perception about the Government.

We believe if the Ashanti Regional Director of the National Service Scheme (NSS), Alex Opoku Mensah, had this consciousness in mind, he would not have stormed the Manhyia Hospital in Kumasi, throwing his weight about in unrestrained arrogance and yelling “do you know who I am, do you know who I am” while raining invectives on a female nurse and threatening to have the powers to get her sacked from the job!!!

The female nurse now turned a victim of abuse and threat had an alleged misunderstanding with a daughter of this arrogant appointee who in response had stormed the hospital to show her where power lies.

The appointee’s daughter is said to be serving as a House Officer at the hospital and she was heard in an audio now gone viral behaving as a backing vocalist to the invectives the father was spewing on top of his voice at the Hospital.

Alex Opoku Mensah was heard screaming “do you know who I am” as though he were the giver of life or a superhuman being if not a spirit. Meanwhile, he is nothing but an ordinary mortal who lacks power over life and death; an ordinary mortal receiving a monthly salary paid him by the suffering Ghanaian tax payer.

Alex Opoku Mensah is an appointee of this Government and ought to be a servant of the people rather than the tin-god status he has deluded himself into.

The choice of words Alex Opoku Mensah used in describing the female nurse cannot be republished in clod print as that would be offensive to the sensibilities of readers. The words were distasteful and reckless to an extent they create doubts about his emotional intelligence, self respect, self discipline and common sense.

His needlessly uncouth misbehavior and the blatant abrasive pomposity with which he exhibited the misconduct calls into question his aptitude as a leader and a Regional Director for the National Service Scheme for that matter.

Openly insulting a woman in public and describing her physical features in derogatory terms with scorn and disdain while threatening to have the powers to make her lose her job is shameful to say the least.

Assuming without admitting that the female nurse in question had even erred, what happened to the laid down procedures for addressing such grievances?

Alex Opoku Mensah, the woman-abuser, after his tantrums has issued a sort of feeble-worded apology which did not contain the most important words that he has stepped aside in shame.

The headquarters of the National Service Scheme has issued a statement to say it has commenced investigations into the dishonorable drama but some of us wonder why Alex Opoku Mensah would simply not do the honourable thing and save the NSS from further disgrace.

We doubt he would step aside. He would rather hang in there with his soiled reputation and continue to smear the mess on Government; after all it is not his face that would be on the ballot sheets. What has he got to lose? NOTHING!!!!