Ghana cannot develop with a 4-year manifesto – Prof. Stephen Adei

Ghanaian educationist, Professor Stephen Adei has stated categorically that Ghana cannot be progressive when it keeps finetuning itself to its 'habitual' four-year manifesto plan.

According to him, the only way a country can develop is when the leaders have a long-term plan or strategy in place to govern the people.

Making this assertion to banter a statement Senior Minister, Yaw Osafo-Maafo made during his vetting in 2017 that Ghana has no need for a 40-year plan, Prof. Stephen Adei speaking on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show on Monday said, “I think that there are people who may be ideologically opposed to planning, there are some who are ideologically supportive of it but the reality is this, no country can develop with four-year manifesto which is not reflective and linked to a long term perspective plan or strategy”.

He continued that a 40-year plan was drafted containing 465 pages but “no government officials are going to read it,…neither the technical people…it would have ended on the shelve because of the bulk and nature of it” therefore, what the National Development Planning Commission seeks to do is to extract some key things which will be beneficial for Ghana at 100.

Expressing shock at the attitude of Ghanaians during elections, the educationist indicated that Ghanaians have become so much obsessed with public declarations of policies by politicians.

Ghanaians will to the polls in December this year to elect 275 legislators and a president to steer the affairs of the nation for the next 4 years.

Based on the manifestos being read to them, citizens will make a choice to vote for a political party based on their affiliations or what message is being carried to them.

This political race is between the two main political parties; opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) with their flagbearer being former president Mahama and the incumbent New Patriotic Party.