Private sector urged to take lead in economic transformation

Entrepreneur and founder of the International Central Gospel Church (ICGC), Pastor Mensa Otabil, has charged private sector actors to take the lead in efforts at transforming the national economy.

Pastor Otabil, speaking shortly after he was recognized as Ghana’s Most Influential Personality for the year 2015, at the sixth edition of the awards event in Accra, said the private sector remains the engine of growth and actors in that segment must take up the task to transform the economy and the lives of Ghanaians, and not leave it to politicians whose real motives are not known.

He said: “It is time for the private sector to seize the control of thought discussions and power from the politicians who have subject this country to control by people whose motives we cannot judge as pure for the economy.

“We can easily reform this nation if we shift the light from the political powerholders to the ordinary Ghanaians who are toiling daily to make a living for themselves, their families and by extension other people.”

The motivational speaker said Ghanaians should work to impact their immediate surroundings and the country at large and not wait to occupy powerful positions before they become influential while commending e.TV for recognising those who are blazing the trail.

He said: “It is important that individual Ghanaians—whether actresses, footballers, labourers, farmers or preachers—be celebrated when they make important contributions to society.

“Our news media and journalists should report what the citizens are doing rather than focusing on what politicians are doing; as we tell the citizens’ story, this country will be for the citizenry and not the political elites.”

The Ghana Most Influential Persons Award is an annual event organized by e.TV Ghana—a subsidiary of the Global Media Alliance Broadcasting Company (GMABC)—to recognise Ghanaians who have made some significant impact in their various areas of operation in society.

Patrick Awuah of Ashesi University; investigative journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas; politicians Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo-Addo and John Agyekum Kufour took the second to fifth spots as Ghana’s Most Influential.

Board Chairperson of Global Media Alliance (GMA), Dr. Joyce Aryee, said of the awards: “This awards seeks to recognise Ghanaians who continually influence the country; we believe that opinion leaders have a way of influencing people and the youth especially look up to such influencers for inspiration and motivation.

She added: “Businessmen and technology entrepreneurs as well as educationists have a very crucial role to play in how they influence our people. We all must make the people that look up to us realise that hard work, innovation and the application of our ever changing technological space offers avenues for growth and development to our people.”