Build Ghana on Common Grounds

With the universal acceptance of Mufti-Party Democracy and the rule of law as the most effective way of building and developing a nation, meeting the global demands and challenges of our time, it is important for us as a nation to let national interest in certain certain vital areas override our political interest.

In this article, I would try to point out certain areas where in my estimated; we need to arrive at a national consensus and treat always with nationalistic approach and possibly desist form having them rest on the whims and caprices of the government of the day or the government in opposition.

Where government is seen to defend and the opposition attack indiscriminately, there is always difficulty arriving at a nationalistic angle to satisfy all persons not withstanding their political affiliation.

As a country, do we have areas where our line of thinking is nationalistic and free from partisan line of thinking? Do we have areas where NDC and NPP are obliged to toe the same line on or think along the same line on?

To address this, I have identified the following priority areas of our development as key areas that can be placed above every party’s quest for political fortunes and serve as point of convergence for all Ghanians irrespective of their political colors: The foundation on which every country can develop in this Science and Technology driven world is based on quality education.

The decline in the quality of our education today attest to how over politicization of issues that are not suppose to be politicized can lead a nation to radical retrogression. Our hope for a better future as a country largely rest on the kind of training we give to the young ones and when education is dragged through the mud like we have, then we are setting this nation up for a big time failure.

The fact that for the very first time in the history of this country and possibly the entire African continent student of different level (from 3 to 4) undertook the same examination and same set of question gives credence to how indiscriminate politicization can lead a nation into radical retrogression in development.

The long term solution is to develop an educational system that cuts across the divide and accepted by all- accepted as the constitution is.

Electoral Process: lack of trust in the process of electing person into political offices, spells doom for the stability of every nation that has embraced democracy. The very moment an electoral process gives room for ‘defeated person or groups’ to question the credibility of results on reasonable grounds; it matters less if the election was won fairly or not, it throws the credibility of the elections into question and the winner is almost always deprived of a united country which is extremely crucial in development.

Though since 1992 Ghana has made conscious effort to improve the electoral process to ensure that there is less election disputes, the current court case on the 2012 poles underscore the fact that we need to develop an electoral system with less loop hole for even defeated individuals or groups to take advantage of to question the credibility of the very outcome of the election.

The onus also rest on the Electoral Commission to strictly adhere to the generally accepted procedure for conducting elections and refrain from last minute adjustments that are someway somehow not in line with the rules governing our elections.

The continual dispute of our election results is danger to our democracy.

The Justice System: The fact that this country was built on the tenet of freedom and Justice confirms the essence of justice in the development of this country. The highest court of the land has a point to prove in the current electoral dispute.

As much as I am confident that my party won this election legitimately, I want the court to pass a verdict that perfectly in line with the verdict of the people as would be proven my the ballot results

The rule of law must at all times be seen to be the fulcrum around which the law is applied

Foreign Policy: The world is said to be global villages where the joy of one country has adverse effect on the other. What then is our policy in relation to dealing with other nations in times of joy and trouble?

If we had a nationally accepted foreign policy that say don’t talk and be taking sides but wait and allow collective voices of the various Inter Nations grouping to lead the way, I doubt the ‘di wo fie asem’ approach would not have been an issue.

We need a common and nationalistic approach in dealing with the world, what is our foreign policy?

Without a common voice in certain sector, we are forever going to talk more than we can achieve.

Abuga Pele

MP, Chiana Paga Constituency

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