Socio-Economic Problems

FOR THE MOTION.
Mr. Chairman, Panel of Judges, Accurate Time Keeper, Co Debaters’ of the Opposing Views, Fellow Students, Ladies and Gentlemen: Nyarko Lartey Billton is my name and I am very honoured to take part in this august argument. The motion before the house Mr. Chairman is and i quote “the socio-economic problems of Ghana are responsible for indiscipline of the citizens”. Mr. Chairman before i take my stand in this august argument, i would like to explain certain keywords in the motion so that my audience will get a clear idea of what the motion is about.
Mr. Chairman, the keywords in the motion are socio-economic problems, responsible, indiscipline and citizens. According to Wikipedia-the free Encyclopaedia, a socio-economic problem refers to the area that governs the misunderstandings and the activities of individuals that shape them as economically inactive. The socio-economic issues are the problems that socioeconomics tackles and the factors that have negative influence on the individuals' economic activity. Such issues are lack of education, ignorance, cultural and religious discrimination, overpopulation, unemployment, poverty and corruption.

Indiscipline is the disobedience of rules and orders and a manifestation of an outward mark of disrespect in accordance with standing agreements. Indiscipline therefore calls for disrespect, a breach of social order, bad moral behaviour, disregard to self-accepted and self-maintained social values of life. Mr. Chairman, to be responsible means that to be hols accountable for an action or an activity.
The 1992 constitution of the republic of Ghana defines a citizen as a person who has been accepted as a Ghanaian either by birth, marriage or adoption.
The motion therefore means that socio-economic problems are solely responsible for indiscipline of the citizens. From this notion or idea of the motion i would like to go against the motion that socio-economic problems are not responsible for indiscipline of the citizens of the republic of Ghana.
Based on the rich natural resources and the positive character and intelligence of the people, Dr. Nkrumah's strategy towards economic freedom took off with enthusiasm. And during the 9years of his regime, Ghana experienced an accelerated socio-economic and industrial development progress never seen in Africa before.

Ghana was becoming an industrial hub in West Africa in the 60s, manufacturing almost many basic products from factories across the country. Agriculture was on top priority producing bumper harvest of raw materials for the factories and plenty foodstuffs to feed the people. Foodstuffs were even sold at fair prices to workers at their offices, workplaces and other outlets by the state food distribution corporation. Within 9years of the first republic, Ghana's GNP and GDP were very high with favourable economic trend and improved the quality of life.

What then, has befallen the country, resulting in the present self-inflicting socio-economic crisis Ghanaians are experiencing, since the overthrow of the first republic.
Ghanaians after DR Nkrumah, 50 years now, have not been able to manage their socio-economic problems and even to sustain and maintain solid infrastructure foundation base built during the first republic. Precious 50 years has been a waste in Ghana's history in her socio-economic development and is experiencing serious deterioration and neglect in infrastructure, resulting in the sinking of the nation into poverty in the midst of riches.
Corruption, a socio-economic problem, another hindrance to progress, which is also an attribute of greed, is a canker that has eaten into the moral fibre of some leaders from top to bottom. Mr. Chairman, the interesting part of this is that, the people of Ghana today can’t stand the face of poverty due to the corrupt nature of some of our leaders who manage to steal state money. This has given rise in lawlessness, indiscipline, economic crimes and draining the country of billions of cedis. Mr. Chairman an incident of such happened at the Esipong Magistrate court during the Ghana at 50 probe. The court final decision which was published in the daily graphic with number GDN 0003365478T on the 15th of May, 2008 declared that since the minister was supposed to share the at 50 T-shirts for free and he decided to sell them, he was charged of defilement to the state and his position was taken away from him. The youth upon realising the truth set off to the street to embark on a demonstration. The description on their boards reads “...he deserves prison...” This is a sort of indiscipline. This clearly shows that since the minister was corrupt which is socio-economic problem, it led the citizen to embark on an unlawful demonstration which is indiscipline. Also another episode of corruption
Back-biting, another hindrance to economic development and for that matter a socio-economic problem which causes indiscipline refers to the discrediting somebody because of envy / jealousy. Mr. Chairman, backbiting in Ghana now a day is on the ascendancy and it’s causing a great deal of harm among the citizens in the country leady to indiscipline.
Mr. Chairman, considering a report by the Graphic Co-operation released in 2010 during the Mills government shows that, even in government our leaders stick to backbiting to rip competent men off their position. Hon. J.E Sarpong (coach of the Dansoman based Liberty professionals) sounded a strong warning to some assistant coaches in Ghana for their “pull him down” attitude which i call the “PHD Attitude” when he saw that it was these attitudes of the assistant coaches that the boys were performing poorly on the field despite the hard training. Envy, dirty politics, administrative frauds, dishonesty, false propaganda and lies are all socio-economic problems causing indiscipline in the country drawing the country back in progress.

Mr. Chairman, another inflicting socio-economic problem leading to indiscipline in the country is unemployment. Labor is the most important asset of the poor. Underemployment and Unemployment are thus key determinants of poverty”. Labor is very important, it brings income to the family, to purchase its daily needs and it runs the economy of the country. Without labor, poverty pops out. Poor countries should establish its labor force; they cannot depend for the rest of their lives in the help of other countries. In the old sayings “Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach him how to fish and he will eat for a lifetime”. The street of Ghana today is filled with unemployed graduates and this is raising the rate of crime combat in the country. Crimes like armed robbery and pickpocketting in Ghana is one the ascendancy due to lack of jobs for the youth. Because they must eat at all cost, they are left with no option than to break doors and rob others of their property. Mr. Chairman, the saying I quoted not long ago addresses rich countries and that they should teach poor countries how to work and to stand by themselves, so they could not be over dependent on them.
Also to clarify this Mr. Chairman our leaders are so corrupt and sycophant. How can a doctor work for the whole year and not be paid certain allowances. This is something mostly unheard of in this country. If they appeal for their money and the minister in charge tells them and I quote “the meat is finished and its left with the bones” on quote and at the same time the remaining he calls “bones” on quote is the same money used to pay the MP’s and the cabinet ministers and other officials. Mr. Chairman, i want to throw this to my opponents that if it was to be them, what will be their reaction to this. Their answer will be the same strike action and unlawful demonstration as in the case of NAGRAT and the GMA in 2013. I call the recent strike action by NAGRAT and GMA unlawful because in our constitution, for a social service personnel to embark on a strike is a breach to the laws. Mr. Chairman, Panel of Judges, Accurate Time Keeper, Co Debaters’ of the Opposing Views, Fellow Students, Ladies and Gentlemen: now that I have succeeded in setting the record straight i know i have been able to convince the house that the current socio-economic problems of the country is responsible for indiscipline of the citizens.