Tomorrow starts Today -Prof Akosa

?I am optimistic we can turn the country round and go for development with the collective talents, intellect and energy of every Ghanaian for the benefit of Ghanaians thereby making Ghana the happiest place for all? - Akosa

Professor Akosa says, ?I am still optimistic that Ghana can become a country where anyone (irrespective of tribe, location and status) who works hard is able to get ahead and create a good life for their family?. Akosa said he wants everyone to have a stake in sovereign and corporate Ghana, to go for the ?Ghanaian Dream? by owning Ghana as Ghanaians.

Speaking to Reporters without Borders? Peter Jeffrey in London, Professor Akosa set out his priorities and what he wants to achieve as President of Ghana.

Akosa said his idea of Ghana is, ?fundamental equality - equality of opportunity, equality of culture - where no one is discriminated against because of his/her tribe or where he comes from, equality of respect, equality for all - matters than ever?.

Professor Akosa talked about some of the challenges that face Ghana today, but also outline the opportunities before the Ghanaian people under CPP government. Akosa spoke of ?two Ghanas, one for the, connected, rich and the powerful 20%, and one for the rest - poor 80%?. This 80% poor, Akosa calls ?my constituents?.

Akosa said as someone who grew up in a period when opportunity was not based on tribe or where one lives, ?It hurts me to say that more than 50 years after independence, we now have 2 Ghanas - one where children of the rich get easy access to the ?right schools? and one where the poor 80% have no choice?.

Akosa said the truth is that opportunity is too often denied to people because they are poor. Akosa said ?misplaced priorities by successive governments? have profound effects on the poor, such as the energy crisis, housing policies and the education policy?.

On the current narcotic crisis damaging the image of Ghana, with drug barons using the country as ?transit point?, Akosa said ?restoring our moral authority means cracking down hard on those who are the ring leaders, the so called ?drug barons? by giving our courts the powers to jail narcotic dealers longer jail terms, giving our law enforcement agencies the tools, resources and right training to do their job with no political interference?.

Speaking with so much passion and conviction, Akosa said as Ghanaian, there is no better opportunity than the important challenge of helping over 16 million Ghanaians who live in abject poverty. ?I don?t think addressing poverty, in the land of my birth - Ghana - is charity, to me, addressing poverty makes our workforce stronger and our economy stronger. This is the legacy that I want to leave, by creating employment for Ghanaian people, rewarding hard working families - affordable housing (in every town, village and hamlet of my homeland - Ghana) by helping workers save for the future with homeownership, tax credits, good schools, good health centres and hospitals?.

?By creating a country where every child have the same opportunity - means to change fundamentally the culture of poverty and create conditions that allow people to lift themselves up, by creating more middle class and fostering growth as well as development?.

On the health of the nation, Akosa promised to reform the health care system, by giving people a choice of good health care plans - a choice between private and state plans. Akosa said being poor does not mean being denied health care. Akosa said Every Ghanaian, rich or poor, no matter which region we live in, from Wa to Sekondi, Dormaa Ahenkro to Keta - has the right to health care, good housing, good drinking water, good education and electricity. ?CPP 7 year Development Plan delivers it?.

Akosa said, ?we need to transform our energy infrastructure by investing in alternative renewable energy, deployment of alternative energy technologies, invest in research and development?.

Akosa said we can create more jobs in Ghana by placing our priorities right. He said the 3 Northern regions can be turned into Ghana?s bread basket. Akosa, sounding statesmanlike, said ?our education system remains unequal. When Akosa was asked about the plight of a primary school in Sekondi where children had to abandoned school to fend for themselves, he stated, ?there are more schools, not only in your hometown of Sekondi, but up and down the country, where more than half of the school won?t finish. Our education system is short of the changes, values, and skills our children need for the future?. Akosa ask rhetorically, ?how can the children in your home region take advantage of the many jobs we will create in the oil industry, if we do not invest in our education system??

Akosa said ?we need to critically change the discussion about education system, to move beyond a focus on testing and to get to the issue of educating our children for the challenges we will face, especially in the oil industry in your home region, the Western Region?.

Akosa said,? Tomorrow starts Today!

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