John Dramani Mahama
Professor Seidu Alidu, a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Political Science at the University of Ghana, has urged political parties and flagbearers to subject their policies and programmes to public scrutiny.
This, he believes, will enable the electorate to make informed decisions on December 7. It will also allow Ghanaians to seek clarification of policies and programmes for better understanding.
Prof. Seidu's comments come in the wake of John Dramani Mahama, flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), and his encounter with the media on Sunday, July 7.
During this event, the former President outlined his vision for the nation if re-elected.
Key among the promises made by the former President is resetting the country within four years, instilling fiscal discipline, improving the free senior high school programme, and ruthlessly tackling corruption by strengthening the Office of the Special Prosecutor.
Speaking in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) on Monday, Prof. Alidu lauded the former President, indicating that the initiative was a form of accountability to the people. "I think it is a very good thing to do.
Basically, it's a kind of accountability measure that when you seek to lead the people, you should submit yourself to their scrutiny," he said.
Prof. Alidu also explained that the former President's move should encourage other flagbearers to present their policies for the country to the public and avail themselves, particularly to the media, for scrutiny.
This, he said, would ensure that such flagbearers are more circumspect in their promises.
"If every flagbearer in this country were to organize such an event and allow the media to question him, probe him, and ask for clarification on some of the promises they make on campaign platforms or in manifestos they write, leaders would be very circumspect in just opening their mouths and saying anything because they know the media will hold them to account," he stressed.
Prof. Alidu commended the flagbearer of the NDC on his responses to questions posed by journalists, saying it showed his level of experience.
"Overall, his responses to the questions were very apt.
"You could see that he had prepared for them and he responded in a manner that shows he has experience.
"Even in cases where he wasn't very sure about the procedure or what to do, the way he responded let you know that he has the idea but is not very specific about what to do... So, I was very satisfied with the kind of responses he gave to the questions," he added.
Regarding Mahama's promise to reset the country in four years, Prof. Alidu explained that a four-year tenure is too short for any president, and for that matter, any government, to make a significant impact.
"However, he urged the former President to build a strong foundation by taking bold decisions to address the numerous challenges facing the country, including illegal mining, the depreciation of the cedi, and corruption, for subsequent governments to thrive.
"I agree that four years is such a short time to achieve everything, but you can also set the right foundation within four years for others to build on. When the NPP government came to power in 2017, most of the dividends they harvested in the first term of the presidency were as a result of the foundation laid by the previous NDC administration.
"President Atta-Mills also benefited from a lot of the foundation set up by President Kufuor, and President Kufuor benefited from a lot of the foundation set up by Jerry John Rawlings. So, that's why we say governance is a continuity; it is a continuous process," he said.
Prof. Alidu added, "We all know the issues. Sometimes, it is the political will and commitment to confront these issues that have always been our challenge. And I believe that if he thinks he is doing one term without being subject to renewal, he should be bold enough to tackle some of these challenges head-on and lay the foundation before he leaves."
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