PDS saga: Let’s reclaim Ghana – Greenstreet

The 2016 Flag bearer of the Convention People’s Party (CPP), Ivor Kobina Greenstreet, has waded in the PDS ECG concession agreement saga describing the development as “a true policy crisis”.

According to Mr. Greenstreet, beyond the threat, fraud and disappointment, the saga provides an opportunity for rethinking the fundamental economic direction of the country. He believes inherent in there is an opportunity to “Reclaim Ghana” based on a strategic mobilization of the Ghanaian spirit and all her competitive advantages.

Ivor Greenstreet in a statement said Ghana should focus on the quality as well gross sum of economic growth.

“Instead of always hyping economic growth that only benefits a few what we need rather is a strategy of growth which galvanizes the society within terms of new approaches to growth such as the Developmental State which would expand the economy for the welfare of all and improve the standard of living for all Ghanaians in a meaningful way. We need a Development Economy, a Development State and a Development Constitution.”.

He related to the sale of other important state owned enterprises which in the long run proved to be beneficial to the national interest.

“We sold Ashanti Goldfields, Ghana Telecom and other strategic state assets under firehouse conditions. We cannot continue this way. ECG must not be sold, contracted out or devalued in any other way under firehouse conditions. Is VRA next? If not for the partial nationalization of Ashanti Goldfields by the then Head of State, Col. Acheampong, based on a firm policy of mobilizing Ghanaian opinion for capturing the commanding heights, would there have been anything for Rawlings to sell later? …Why sell your prized assets?” he queried.

He said that South Korea, China and India, with fast growing economies, have implemented carefully interventionist policies. Continuing, he said that elsewhere in East Asia, Taiwan, Malaysia, Singapore, as well as other countries had various forms of state led intervention policy directions that had been applied in different ways to suit their individual circumstances. That is the important discussion we must have if we are to “Reclaim Ghana” and make the promise of “Beyond Aid” more than an empty slogan. We have the mental capacity to collectively think outside the box, Ghana can make it, he stated.

“Coming from the Nkrumahist party, I support the Beyond Aid argument in broad strokes. It is a logical outcome of the necessary fight against neocolonial imperialism especially when it is tactically construed to include a rights based approach to Development which recognizes the righting of historical injustice,” he said.

Mr. Greenstreet disclosed he has started a process towards mobilizing the citizenry around President Akufo-Addo’s call for active participation in the governance of the country. “I also take the President’s invitation to us to assume active citizenship seriously. I have already begun a process of strategic conversations, strategic scenarios, strategic solutions and strategic planning towards contributing to the thought bank for acquisition of the features of a winning nation”.

“The time has come for us to critically discuss the meaning of our political as well as economic citizenship seriously. It should not just be a matter of transferring state assets to private Ghanaian hands. I stand for the working of our achieved commonweal into broad and equitable welfare…we have to reclaim Ghana” he concluded.

Government last week announced a termination of the Electricity Company of Ghana, ECG concessionaire agreement with the Power Distribution Services, PDS citing fundamental and material breaches in the contract. The US government consequently withdrew $190 million second tranche of the compact II grant for restructuring of Ghana’s power sector.