Government should set leadership agenda

Accra, Feb. 12, GNA - Mr Alban Bagbin, Minority Leader on Tuesday said it was always prudent for government to set an agenda on issues of leadership qualities, economic and the political direction of the nation.

He said through discourse, brainstorming and suggestions, a refined national policy could be attained therefore, government should not relegate its responsibilities to the media to set the agenda because the media in their enthusiasm to sell their products they come out with sensational issues, which made the public to go on the binge, neglecting tackling of pressing national issues.

Speaking to the Ghana News Agency in an interview on current diatribe on two presidential candidates, Mr Bagbin said it was rather the government which should establish leadership qualities that was needed for the governance of the country.

The Minority Leader noted that most political parties had not yet evolved the kind of leadership they had to have and whether that leader should be vibrant, knowledgeable, fit to lead the country, which should not become a pawn to international or global manipulations. "And again do the people who elect their leaders understand geopolitics so that the country could fit into globalisation and have a competitive advantage", he asked.

Mr Bagbin said, government should empower the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) to educate the public on leadership issues, quality of leadership and the characteristics of leaders. He said, it was also necessary for papers to be presented to the Institute of Economics Affairs (IEA) and the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) and other allied bodies to brainstorm on socio-economic issues within a context. Such research works and presentations, coming from informed sources should lead to national debates that would form the basis for policies.

He said, it was here that the media's role was critical to national development. Mr Bagbin said it was unfortunate that, "We pay a lot of attention to social and political rights than to economic rights". He said, "free speech, which is also a right could lead to destruction if one had no economic life."