Over the past one year one word came to dominate news from the homeland. This is the word "Fired". Almost every month we see headlines like "...Boss Fired".

I first learned the meaning of this word as trainee in the civil service. My supervisor then told me that one only gets "fired" when he does something REALLY BAD. And believe me I have seen "old timers" on "daily-paid" (if you know what I mean) literally begging the boss to spare them from being "fired". Since then I have always tried to avoid the situation when I could get "Fired".

However, lately I have come to develop a different attitude about this word. Perhaps that is due to its constant use or misuse? Confused or not confused it certainly tells one a story. If any, it tells us that the person "Fired" has done something wrong and is being punished. The past 12 months alone over 20 senior civil servants and military officers were "Fired", "Remove", "Terminated". Each time we are told that it was ordered by The president. Often we are told that The President acted under the "Power vested in him by the Constitution......" Well since the President is acting under the powers vested him, What is the Point?

The point is, majority of those fired are not only the nations most well-trained, most-invested in, most experienced but also ordinary people like me, in the service of our country, who have worked very hard to avoid this thing called "Fired". The point is, each time these folks are "Fired" the nation lose one valuable investment. Given many of these people were educated by government funded programs, up to 1,000,000 Dalasi was spent on some of them. Firing them amounts to nothing but losing all that. The point is, nothing is made public about why they are "Fired".

While all these firings may be perfectly legal one may ask a few questions. If firing is to punish a wrong doing and deter potential wrong doers, is it working? If all those "fired" really did something wrong, then what has gone wrong? We know that most of them were recognized for their "outstanding service" before they were appointed to lead their Services. What impacts do constant firing of senior service people, have on the rest of the Service? Often one will believe that once you fire one, two, or three the rest will "fall-in" and learn their lesson! What make us think that the rest would not double-up the "eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow you may be "Fired"?