Ghana is late - Apraku

Minister for Regional Integration and NEPAD, Dr. Kofi Konadu Apraku (MP) until the last ministerial reshuffle the Minister for Trade and Industry has expressed frustrations at the inability of the country to take advantage of international opportunities to liberate herself from the shackles of poverty.

Already according to him, Ghana is behind in the implementation process of what is being touted the "liberator of Africa" - the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD).

His concerns stem from observations that countries such as Senegal, Nigeria, Algeria and South Africa have already selected projects for which funding has been given while Ghana, one of the foremost signatories of the NEPAD document is yet to decide on which projects the country wants to project.

The Minister explained; "Ghana had not put in the [level of] effort that she ought to have put in, and I am not criticizing anybody; it is just that, that is what is obvious to me."

He pointed out to the network Herald that a lot more work would have to be done, before the country can begin to count the gains of the concept.

To quicken the clock of progress, his ministry plans to embark on an educational campaign on NEPAD, starting next month - July, with the sole aim of soliciting input from civil society as to how the concept could be actualized for the benefit of Ghana.

Minister Apraku, however, agrees that the exercise is Herculean in the face of the fact that NEPAD has been working at governmental levels at the expense of civil society which presently harbours bizarre notions on the benefits of the concept.

"Even some Members of Parliament do not understand how the concept operates," he noted, but thought it is obvious "we cannot operate without the involvement of civil society" and so the Ministry will be seeking through its educational campaign to collate views from the public and incorporate it into the concept.

He dismissed criticisms that NEPAD is just another framework for African leaders to go begging for aid and handouts explaining that the need for the continent to consider taking itself seriously is more urgent now when all Africa continues questioning why in spite of the enormous resources that Africa has, it remains the worst performing continent in the world. NEPAD has therefore become the way forward for Africa’s economic rejuvenation.

Moreover, Dr. Apraku thought it would be dangerous for the continent to continue to rely on the developed world especially now that it has become abundantly clear from aid and grants to other parts of the world that Africa is obviously not the favourite of the developed world.

"NEPAD is not [an] American or European concept but a totally African initiative with partnership with the developed world."

He referred specifically to a single nation in Asia being given $4 billion in form of assistance while the whole of Africa comprising some 54 nations has been allotted $5 billion for its NEPAD initiative. This to him is a confirmation of the view that, the continent cannot rely solely on others for its development.

"May be that is why we have to concentrate more on generating funds internally for our development."

He explained further that all that NEPAD seeks to do is to impress upon the governments of Africa to create an enabling environment, by eschewing corruption, arbitrariness, dictatorship and ensure good governance, transparency, respect for due process among others, to enable Africans have confidence in their governments and keep their monies in their home countries.

He tasked leadership on the continent to find out why Africans are uncomfortable investing in Africa but would rather keep their monies in Swiss banks. "We need to check that."

Having himself lived the best part of his adult life abroad, Minister Apraku is more aware of that lack of confidence of Africans resident abroad in their countries than the average Ghanaian and reasoned that "NEPAD is increasingly necessary in order to give Africans, the confidence to invest in their own countries."

President Yahaya Jammeh of the Gambia is one of the die-hard critics of the Initiative, and the only president on the continent to have openly spoken against NEPAD.

Dr. Apraku who is also chairman of ECOWAS Council of Ministers said although the Initiative could go ahead without the support of president Jammeh, he (Apraku) had made attempts to speak to him on the issue and would if he gets the opportunity, explain the concept to him, to get him and his country on board in the interest of Africa.

He told the paper that since the region is expected to produce a strong convertible regional currency there is the need for the integration of economies, the free movement of goods and persons and the achievement of a convergence criteria