Mismanagement of national resources affects development - Ajene

Bolgatanga, Oct. 14, GNA - Mr. Robert Ajene, a retired educationist, has said Ghana had a lot of natural resources but they were misapplied and mismanaged by people, especially people in leadership positions. He said this on Tuesday at a validation workshop on Good Governance, Economic Governance and Cooperate Governance in Bolgatanga, organized by the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) Governing Council. Mr. Ajene expressed concern about the way some people, especially leaders, misapplied and mismanaged the country's resources and said if these resources were well managed the country would have developed faster instead of relying on external assistance.

He stressed the need for Ghanaian leaders and workers to cultivate the habit of nationalistic values in them by sacrificing and dedicating themselves to duty.

Mr Arjene expressed regret about the attitudes of some workers who stayed at their work place just for two hours instead of the normal working hours.

He said this was affecting productivity "yet such workers were the very people who demanded for increment in salaries and better conditions of service."

Mr. Ajene said political polarisation was another challenge militating against the development of the country and suggested that as soon as elections were over there was the need for all political leaders to team up together to move development of the country forward.

He appealed to parents from the north to invest more in their children's education and desist from claiming poverty and said government alone could not cater for the educational needs of the people.

The Bolgatanga Oversight Committee of the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) conducted the research on Good Governance, Economic Governance and Cooperate Governance in the Municipality which was validated. It was to see how the areas were faring on Good Governance, Economic Governance and Cooperate Governance and to help find solutions to the problems confronting these achievements.

Identified problems and recommendations from the various districts where the Oversight Committees of the APRM operates would be fused into a document to be forwarded to the President that would inform and influence policies and decision making in the country.

Among some of the concerns raised by participants at the validation workshop included bad road networks in the Municipality, low quality education and health care in the Municipality.

They appealed to the Municipal Assembly and other stakeholders to address some of the major problems in the Municipality especially in the area of road net works, quality health and education. Mr. Epsona Ayamga, the Bolgatanga Municipal Chief Executive assured the participants that the assembly had plans in place to address some of the concerns raised.

He said the role being played by the oversight committee of the APRM would assist the assembly to formulate policies and programmes suitable for the people at the grassroots level and gave 650 Ghana cedis to the APRM on behalf of the assembly to support their work. 14 Oct 09