The Honorary President of SOLIDAIRE GHANA, Dr. Cadman Atta Mills has projected that the new year will not bring much needed prosperity and development for the people of Ghana.

According to him, the economy will continue to struggle, largely as a result of the government’s failure to implement much-needed legal and institutional reforms that will help protect the public purse and also checkmate managers of the economy.

In his new message to Ghanaians he said: “Knowing how difficult the past year was, due to the near collapse of our economy, we would have wished to bring good tidings to the suffering masses of Ghana, ahead of the new year.”

The brother of Late President Prof John Evans Atta Mills who has been a strong advocate for the adoption of a new constitution blamed the government for the near collapse of the economy in 2022 and demanded that a new legal regime be adopted to avoid that situation in the future.

The statement continued: “…we note that the paradigm shift in Ghana’s body politic, that Solidaire Ghana has been calling for, is far from being tabled for a national debate. The systemic reforms underpinning the paradigm shift are condition precedents for the realization of Ghana’s attempts to surmount the current economic and governance challenges and be able to build back our economy in record time.”

Below is the full text of his statement

2023 NEW YEAR MESSAGE

Season greetings to the good people of Ghana.

Knowing how difficult the past year was, due to the near collapse of our economy, we would have wished to bring good tidings to the suffering masses of Ghana, ahead of the new year.

We fervently wish Ghanaians a Happy and Prosperous New Year (2023). But we note that the paradigm shift in Ghana’s body politic, that Solidaire Ghana has been calling for, is far from being tabled for a national debate. The systemic reforms underpinning the paradigm shift are condition precedents for the realization of Ghana’s attempts to surmount the current economic and governance challenges and be able to build back our economy in record time.

We use this opportunity to call on the President Nana Akufo-Addo government, to revisit the Constitutional Reforms started by the Ghanaian government in 2011, in order to bring into fruition the many institutional checks and balances needed for rapid, sustainable and equitable growth. The recommended necessary Constitutional Reforms should be tabled for a national debate and implementation. In this context, we note that the reforms cannot await the political alternation of power!

We further demand, that stakeholders be invited to prepare draft bills on Political Party Financing, develop a new Procurement Act and table an enhanced Local Government system that will enhance quality of governance in our dear country.

It is our considered view, that the passage of such new laws, will go a long way to help Ghana return to the path of progress and development.

Afehyia Pa.

Dr. Cadman Atta Mills (Honorary President)