NDPC shouldn't be headed by a politician - Expert

Local government analyst, George Kyei Baffuor, is kicking against any attempt to entrust the leadership of the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC) into the hands of a political leader.

He says what Ghana needs now is to transform the Commission in its current form into a body like the National Commission on Civic Education (NCCE) or the Commission of Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) with its sole mandate to plan for the country.

Flagbarer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Akufo-Addo came under strong criticism from President Mahama at Tuesday’s IEA Presidential Debate when he proposed to make his vice presidential candidate the chair of the NDPC.

Nana Addo said that will give it the political will to implement plans, but Mr. Kyei Baffuor says when the NDPC is made a Commission with its chair and members having security of tenure, having a politician heading it will not be necessary.

He said in order to make the NDPC strong a number of issues must be addressed to give that tacit impetus to operate well.

“The political will has to do with ensuring that the necessary clout of the Commission is available to it to forcefully ensure that these harmonized plans are implemented.”

He said the government must have the will to provide the resources and the political directions of assemblies superintended by the NDPC in order to insulate the commission from political interference.