Ghana’s Vital Call for a Unified National Development Agenda

The latest and popular phrase making moves in the airwaves, on the screens, and dominating newspaper headlines is the National Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate and former president’s “24-hour economy” policy. Members of the NDC claim that this policy would be the catalyst to spearhead Ghana’s economic growth while members of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) including the party’s Flagbearer and Vice President of Ghana, H.E Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia have criticized the policy claiming it is just an ordinary economic activity which is already in existence. Whether or not the policy is realistic enough to alleviate Ghana of its economic anguish still remains the former president idea and concept by which the country would be governed when he wins the 2024 general elections. Dr. Bawumia on the other hand also has his own ideas and concept to sell to Ghanaians going into the 2024 polls. Founder and Leader of Movement for Change, Hon. Alan Kyerematen has already launched his Great Transformation Plan (GTP) as his concept to run the country with if he is elected the president of Ghana. This is irksome with all the presidential candidates who will appear on the ballot sheet. Ghana right from independence under her first president, Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah till the current Akufo-Addo-led government has been administered on individual leaders’ ideas, concepts and principles.

All developed countries do something special and unique to reach the development milestone they have covered so far. These countries by consensus and through key stakeholders engagement unanimously drafted, adopted and implemented a realistic, clear, and well defined, and measurable long term national development plan.

Now the question is, does Ghana ever had a national development plan? Ghana in fact has had 19 National Development Plan since 1957 after Gurgisburg’s 10-year development plan from 1920 to 1930. Seven out of the 19 was instituted within the 4th Republican democratic dispensation. The evolving of 19 national development plan connote that every president or government since independence had had at his disposal a national development plan but why have those plans failed us? The volume of national development plans we had had as a country portrays a high level of inconsistency in the country’s plan adoption and execution. It’s ridiculous to note that all of these plans were subjected to suspension and complete abolition during under each of the presidents. For the better adoption and implementation of national development plan was the reason the National Development Planning Commission was established entrusted with this function but unfortunately, been rendered inactive enough hugely due to political interference.

The latest national development plan was drafted and implemented in alignment with the United Nations’ global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030 in 2015. This is a 40-year long term National Development Plan with the vision of achieving “a just, free and prosperous society” by 2057. This also provides a framework for national development which would be binding on successive governments. This plan too has however been suspended and the country run on individual ideology dominated by slogans.

It’s obvious and emphatic that for reasons of the country administered on individual developmental ideology and prince dominated by hollow promises has led Ghana to be growing at a very slow pace. Ghana from independence has be battling with low economic growth accompanied by huge sums debts, high unemployment rate, inflation, inconsistent exchange rate, and among others.

Many East Asian countries such as South Korea, Malaysia, Singapore etc that Ghana was rocking shoulders with right in the early days of independence far advanced in development ahead of Ghana because their leaders were and are committed to their respective national development plans.

It is about time Ghanaians call on the nations leaders to implement a national development plan, kick against politicians or candidates’ individual governance principles and push for continuity the of development. Let’s rise up and build Ghana on a formidable grounds with realistic, clear, well define procedures, measurable, proven collective agenda over solo ideas in building a country posterity would be proud of.

Source: SintimMedia
Story By: William Effmen