America is arguably great, however, not necessarily due to its great presidents (past or present), but largely due to its highly strengthened and unshakable institutions. “Human beings are inherently greed”, once lamented my boss. Indeed, vesting our absolute trust in an individual is so risk, precarious and being extremely naïve and above all delusional to suppose that everything is going to be fine. We must consequently seek effective checks and balance via enhanced institution.

Thus, if we are to truly remain optimistic, as nation, we must oblige ourselves to understanding that, solutions to our numerous economic and social predicaments; lies beyond Chinese loans and most importantly above careless trust in political office bearers!

A curious mind is apparently querying, what then is the solution? Strengthening Institutions of governance! Inter alia, we must seriously attempt the following:

1. Isolation of ACC from executive arm: we owe it to ourselves and most significantly, to the incoming generation to aggressively advocate for the complete isolation of the Anti Corruption Commission from the executive. In a country where unemployment levels are as high as 80%, it would be folly for anyone to anticipate that courageous men who will stand against the desires of the appointing authority for purposes of fighting corruption will one day fall from heaven. Remember, all presidential appointees, pledge more loyalty to the presidency and little if not nothing to the nation. We must therefore, devise a mechanism that should compel their loyalty to nation above the presidency

2. Send police officers for advanced studies: to solve the mystery pertaining to why police officers are consistently reluctant to follow-up cases related to murder or stolen phones send them to school if possible abroad, let them study forensics and advanced IT. That way you would boost their capacity and morale to deal with complicated technology issues. In Europe for instance, a CCTV footage is more than enough material required to identify the potential criminal, we can do it as well and can solve many questions related mysterious deaths, resulting in reduced criminality while enhancing the thriving of the economy

3. Enhance the vetting system: the contemporary vetting system is gruesomely weak and vulnerable. It’s all about parliamentary majority. This scenario has produced ministers who had active court cases. We have no option but to find a way of enhancing our vetting process so that not every Jim and Jack should become a minister. In other nations, ministerial positions are highly respected and only given to competent, sound minded and extremely credible characters, that’s they see results. Expecting results from ministers who are largely a product of deep rooted weak vetting process is being delusional!

Henceforth, for as long as our institutional performance remains unchanged, we should have all reasons to despair. It’s not how much we borrow that will emancipate us from this economic depression, but rather, how functional, efficient, effective and autonomous our vehicles of transformational development are. Undoubtedly, and as Pilato similarly noted in one of his posts, solutions lie beyond Chinese loans!

Author,

F. Kamanya