Accra, April 25 GNA - Mary, 80, hobbles in her gait because of a deformity in her right leg. She has spent 57 solid years of her entire life working in the White House, which since 1792 has become symbolic of the American Presidency.
It is here that every United States President except George Washington has conducted the government of this powerful military and industrial nation.
Mary's continued presence in the oldest building in the District of Columbia, 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, the most famous address in the US, standing for the power and statesmanship of the Chief Executive, at such ripe age, could hardly be ignored or fail to excite the curiosity of any first-time visitor.
It was, therefore, no co-incidence that this writer followed with particular interest every bit of what she did or said including, of course, her murmurs, whispers and conversation with others, for the more than three hours spent in this all important edifice - the seat of the government of the world's only superpower.
The Old Lady together with a Ms Paige, a young Protocol Officer, who could pass for her great granddaughter, had been assigned the responsibility to lead the Ghanaian Journalists, including this writer, travelling with President John Agyekum Kufuor on his recent US visit at the invitation of President George Walker Bush to the White House Press Office to wait, as the two leaders went into an hour-long face-to-face meeting in the Oval Office.
Mary was indeed a good companion, always eager to offer help despite her frail physical condition and even shared some candies with us. She, however, left us in no doubt about her security alertness, sense of duty to her nation and unbending principles as she kept our movements under close circuit watch, making sure we stayed within permissible territory.
Then came one of the accredited journalists to the White House, who sought to find out from her, the leader, the US President was meeting. When told it was Ghana's President Kufuor, he remarked; "I hope something good comes out of this. He has to help that country."
And indeed, this did happen, the Kufuor-Bush talks were very productive and fruitful. Ghana now looks set to access a substantial US development assistance of about 500 million dollars through the Millennium Challenge Account (MCA). Signing of the Compact, to allow for the drawing on the Account has been fixed for July 28, 2006 following a favourable report by the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), the body set up by the US Congress to administer the Fund and the Dr Paa Kwesi Nduom led Ghanaian Team.
As a nation, this should give us cause to celebrate and to be hopeful and optimistic about the future. The goal of the MCA, an initiative of the Bush Administration, is to reward sound policy decisions that support economic growth and reduce poverty. Selection of countries for support under it is based on clearly developed set of concrete and objective benchmarks of just rule, good governance, investing in people and encouraging economic freedom.
Our country's qualification was, therefore, on the basis of the satisfaction of these criteria. What this should mean to us is that we should no longer either discount or take for granted the significant progress made with regard to our governance system and the fact that Government's policy decisions and choices are right.
Now, apart from the about 500 million dollars that is going to start flowing in after the appointed July date, the Government is also to negotiate for an additional 450 million dollars from development partners and the MCC, bringing the expected total package inflow to close to one billion dollars.
This stands the MCA out as the biggest Project after the Volta River Project undertaken by Osagyefo Dr Kwame Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana's First President.
Our country's Compact proposal has been so designed to modernise the agricultural sector of the economy, which employs about 55 per cent of the population.
It would involve the construction of irrigation systems, cold storage facilities and roads to open up rural farming areas. Farmers would be given training and access to credit. Some communities would be provided with classroom blocks, electricity and other social infrastructure in 23 districts with high rural poverty and enormous potential for high value crop production throughout the country.
This is one Project the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Administration cannot afford to falter, since it offers the country the means to win the battle against poverty; bring down the unemployment figures and to help to propel it to the middle-income status. It could be truly turn the fortunes of the nation around if transparently and efficiently managed.
It is for this reason that, one expects the Presidency itself to assume oversight responsibility and supervise the Millennium Development Authority, which would be managing the funds when it comes on stream. To ensure that the Authority operates more professionally, efficiently and competently, appointment of the staff should be based strictly on merit and not any other consideration. It must be completely detached from politics.
Ghana is at the crossroads - a 100 per cent debt cancellation and the MCA. Is it luck, on the part of President Kufuor? Is it Divine Providence? Or could it be as a result of formulating the right policies and making of choices and decisions? It might probably be a combination of all these. The future indeed looks bright and promising.
