Bernard Mornah making a submission on Radio Gold’s political programme “Alhaji Alhaji” on Saturday, expressed disappointment in government for not pioneering any initiative to ensure a robust economy.
Though admitting that the country since independence has been politically stable, “It’s clear that our country is not a country of yester years, that today people are speaking with all manner of anger. People are talking with all manner of offensive abusive words…That cannot mean that we are progressing. It means that some things are not right and that the President ought to make them clear.”
Explaining further, he noted that though Ghana has attained independence, the country has degenerated from the economic status achieved by Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, first President of the nation, who saw the establishment of the Akosombo Dam to generate electricity for communities, and also initiated a number of projects to enhance the education system in Ghana.
“We are largely dependent on Akosombo dam that was constructed when we had less than 7 million people. How come? Have we advanced the course of our nation towards that economic independence or have we degenerated in our quest?
“In our educational pursuit, have we advanced from the days when we had less than 1,700 schools in this country and to what extent? If you read the budget statement, secondary education is around 36%, not even 38%...So, what happened to the chunk of our people who want to attain secondary education and cannot get?” he questioned.
Speaking in relation to the President’s speech at the 56th Independence Day, Bernard Mornah outlined his expectations saying President Mahama only echoed remarks by his predecessors regarding the state of the economy but did not specify any measure to curb the crises facing the country.
To him, President Mahama should have stipulated pragmatic steps his government will do in his four-year term to end the plight of Ghanaians.
He therefore sought answers from the President, thus asking; “Is the President going to be bold to say that the rot in the mining sector cannot be allowed? That the rot in the oil sector where we have about 12% with 88% in the hands of the people who are somewhere playing golf will not be allowed. Are we going to ensure that those who are in various offices that have supervised the collapse of industries, and some of them collapse them and turn around and form groups to buy them; are we going to ensure that those people give way for people who are progressive to take over? So that we will be able to march forward…”
He also expressed worry over Ghana’s importation of commodities at the expense of the local ones, which he noted have collapsed some domestic businesses. Though he would not shift the blame entirely on the incumbent government, he however hoped President Mahama’s commitment will not just be a lip service but he will work assiduously to boost the progress of the nation.
“This nation will not survive when our agriculture is not doing well. When you continue to import rice and sometimes plantain, and charcoal and import toothpick”, thereby proposing that the government restores the country’s assets.
“This nation will not advance if we continue to do the things that we started doing from 1956. We will not prosper if every asset of this nation is put on divestiture. And I have been calling that the divestiture implementation committee must be scrapped.” he said, calling for a radical change in the state of the economy.
Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana
No comments:
Post a Comment