Ghana to collaborate development agenda with other African countries-Veep

Vice President John Dramani Mahama has given the assurance that Ghana would always do everything within her purview to support African and other Third World countries in their development agenda.

He said it is only through such collaboration that the country could effectively identify areas that she is comparatively stronger and develop strategies for partnership with others.

Vice President Mahama gave this assurance when, Amama Mbabazi, Prime Minister of Uganda, led a delegation of Ministers and Members of Ugandan Parliament to call on him at the Osu Castle.

The Ugandans, who are in the country at the invitation of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and The Netherlands Institute for Multi-party Development, would among other things under study Ghana’s progress in the oil and gas exploration and exploitation, and the performance of Ghana’s Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC).

Vice President Mahama said Ghana and Uganda had over the years shared experiences in the Structural Adjustment Programme, Local Government Administration, establishment of AIDS Commissions and it was therefore not surprising that the delegation was in the country to tap the knowledge and expertise of Ghanaian experts on oil and gas.

He advised the delegation not to concentrate only on the success stories of The Netherlands, Norway and Trinidad and Tobago, in oil and gas exploitation, but to learn some of the worse situations from countries like Nigeria that had gone through tumultuous times.

Explaining some of the safeguards government had put in place, Vice President Mahama urged the Ugandans to establish legal and political structures to facilitate the smooth running of the industry.

Prime Minister Mbabaza commended Ghana for her strides in democracy and good governance, particularly in the functions and performance of the IPAC.

He said while Ghanaian politicians identify their rivals as opponents, in his country opposition is misconstrued as enmity.

This, he said, is having negative repercussions on the development and growth of Democracy in the East African country.

Prime Minister Mbabaza commended the NDC for the invitation and expressed the hope that it would spur the delegation on to patch up all political and democratic cracks in their country.