Bad leadership accounts for Africa's problems - Dr Antwi Danso

Koforidua, Aug 12, GNA - Dr Vladimir Antwi Danso of the Legon Centre for International Affairs (LECIA), has attributed the political and democratic problems of Africa to bad leadership. He observed that what Africa lacks is visionary leaders, who understand the problems of the continent and would be able to shape the path for prudent economic governance.

Speaking at the 7th National Delegates Congress of the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) in Koforidua on Tuesday, Dr Antwi Danso said, post-cold war realities amidst the limited popular participation in governance, vengeance politics, and the market-state discord, had created platforms for social non-cohesion and in most places engendered civil upheavals.

He said Ghana had had a very chequered history of democratic experiment where the socialist class welfare system of the first republic was met with internal and external opposition. Dr Antwi-Danso said since independence the real meaning of democracy and good governance had been a problem, which had resulted in much political instability in Ghana.

"None of the military regimes that had come into our political system ever understood the underlining forces of democracy and good governance" he said.

Dr Antwi-Danso said the weak, stagnant, and decaying Africa economies made it difficult for real devolution of authority and resources to local government in the continent. He said in order that Ghana would have sustainable democracy, the role of a teacher could not be overemphasized. He urged teachers to be agents of good governance and sustainable democracy through unified union, who would be custodians of national logic, and awareness creation.

Mr Kwame Alorvi, National President of NAGRAT, drew attention of the Ministry of Education Science and Sports to certain concerns of teachers, which had remained unattended over the years despite promises by governments. He mentioned key among them as the single spine salary structure that would ensure fair and equitable wages and salaries among public sector workers.