WHO IS RUNNING OUR COUNTRY, GHANA? - MY RESPONSE

Dr. Nduom

Yesterday, I gave some examples of situations we face in Ghana to back up the need to ask the question, "Who is running our country, Ghana?"  

Yes, we have an elected President, John Atta-Mills in office.  Yes, we have a Parliament with members duly elected to enact laws.  Yes, we have a Judiciary appointed to serve according to the law of the land.

Yet we face some very basic, fundamental challenges in Ghana after 54 years of independence.  

We the people are not managing our own affairs which is why on independence day this year I called for actions to bring about Economic Independence.  

When as a country we repeatedly go not to our domestic bankers - Bank of Ghana and the rest - but to the IMF, the World Bank and others who impose conditions that are not new and take away powers of the Executive to decide which policies to implement to support the needs of the people, then we are NOT in charge.

A key solution we often miss is making public sector institutions strong, independent, well-motivated and efficient.  Because our institutions are weak, people do what they want and politicians can run wild and cannot be held accountable.  

The people in charge of investigations (police) and  prosecution (Attorney-General) are often controlled by politicians which make them weak and incapable of instilling discipline in our system.  

The legislature is weakened by excessive powers given to the executive. 

 Many examples abound in the Health Service, Parks & Gardens etc.  If we had strong and efficient institutions to collect property taxes, income taxes, etc. we will have the funds to clear the mountains of garbage and keep our communities clean and free from preventable diseases.

What is needed is to embark on consistent reforms with the best technical professionals we can find with leadership from an Activist President who believes in need to strengthen state institutions even when they take away powers from his office. 

This so far in the Fourth Republic has been missing.  President Mills can save the situation if in the time left of his tenure, he dedicates himself to this task.  

I have been in government before so I know that this is difficult to do as members of the executive tend to want to keep all powers to themselves.  

It will take a strong-willed President who is a crusader of reforms to go against the usual wishes of the members of his party and administration to shift power to state institutions who can bring discipline and effectiveness to our affairs of state.  

Self-determination takes competence, knowledge and inclusiveness to achieve.  Inclusiveness in society does not mean appointments to ministerial positions.  

It means making opportunities available to all Ghanaians who are qualified.  It means buying made in Ghana using the state's purchasing power to make our industries strong and our people prosperous.  

This should be our battle call - the Movement for Economic Independence, an inclusive, knowledge-based mission that we must embrace to free ourselves from the domination of other nations.

Can Ghana do it?  Can we become economically independent?  Can we make state institutions strong and effective so they can hold all of us to account and facilitate the development of a healthier, prosperous people?  Yes We Can!

But it will take the youth, the young men and women 35 years and below to become positive activists who will work selflessly to bring about the change we need.

What do you think?

By: Dr. Paa Kwesi Nduom