Ghana: A Multi-party National Development Agenda Urgently Needed

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PAUL YENTUMI 11 years ago

This will be a wonderful idea for Ghana. Are those in authority going to read. We in the diaspora must drum it home to them.

This will be a wonderful idea for Ghana. Are those in authority going to read. We in the diaspora must drum it home to them.
Frank Okyere. NY 11 years ago

Stephen Atta Owusu, you are a great writer.This will be a great idea if it is implemented in Ghana. This will bring peace and harmony.

Stephen Atta Owusu, you are a great writer.This will be a great idea if it is implemented in Ghana. This will bring peace and harmony.
Afua Mensah 11 years ago

This is a great article. I hope a lot of us will read and discuss outside here.

This is a great article. I hope a lot of us will read and discuss outside here.
alorvi 11 years ago

This is the most important thing we need in Ghana. They know this but greed has washed out the good in them

This is the most important thing we need in Ghana. They know this but greed has washed out the good in them
CONCERN 11 years ago

I hope our corrupt politicians will read this and borrow a leaf from here.

I hope our corrupt politicians will read this and borrow a leaf from here.
Hamid 11 years ago

I, too, agree with the present writer. The long term development of the country cannot be something that one particular party should decide alone. We must all be agreed on what we want. And once we know that, any government t ...
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I, too, agree with the present writer. The long term development of the country cannot be something that one particular party should decide alone. We must all be agreed on what we want. And once we know that, any government that comes to power MUST implement those things. So that if Akufo-Addo thinks free SHS is feasible for the country, he can present it to the national development commission which will debate and decide to implement it in which case whatever govt comes to power must implement it. He cannot make it a campaign manifesto to get votes and when he gets power find reasons why it cannot be implemented...

But, in practice, this will be difficult to do. The parties will not vote for a national development commission because they want to decide things themselves so that they can get their 10% cuts. Then we shall be discussing forever which projects we want and where they should be sited because it seems we, Ghanaians, don't even know what we want.

Na waooo...
Nyansa 11 years ago

A wonderful piece. This is what Ghanaweb should encourage on this platform not the garbage that it encourages from tribalists and see no evil die hard party activists. Well done Steve.

A wonderful piece. This is what Ghanaweb should encourage on this platform not the garbage that it encourages from tribalists and see no evil die hard party activists. Well done Steve.
Maapa 11 years ago

I take this opportunity to commend the columnist for expressing views taht I have harboured for some time now. I think a further step in this laudable direction would be for all Ghanaians to demand a party-free natyional deve ...
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I take this opportunity to commend the columnist for expressing views taht I have harboured for some time now. I think a further step in this laudable direction would be for all Ghanaians to demand a party-free natyional development agenda which all ruling oitical parties would be forced to commit to. It is the only way we can free ourselves from the stranglehold of party politics. Then we would'nt care much who or which party is in power.
ghanaman 11 years ago

As with most laudable achievements, this is an idea based on right thinking. All that is needed is for the necessary steps to be taken to ensure there is a short, highly focused national debate and immediate implementation.

As with most laudable achievements, this is an idea based on right thinking. All that is needed is for the necessary steps to be taken to ensure there is a short, highly focused national debate and immediate implementation.
Statesman 11 years ago

Mr President over to you

Mr President over to you
Statesman 11 years ago

National development plan

National development plan
Paul Amuna 11 years ago

I believe it is time Ghana had a national development plan which cuts across party lines and is ring-fenced so that no change in government interferes with projects. This way, corruption will also hopefully be controlled to s ...
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I believe it is time Ghana had a national development plan which cuts across party lines and is ring-fenced so that no change in government interferes with projects. This way, corruption will also hopefully be controlled to some extent.

Having said that, I find it difficult to recognize any success of the Busia government you allude to. He made a "serious attempt to control the population growth"? Busia introduced Family Planning in Ghana? Are you really serious about this? Driving "Aliens" out of the country at short notice and great distress is not entirely a pleasant experience, nor is it the best way to "control the population"?

I suggest you focus on your message of a one-nation, unified approach to development planing and prioritization in our projects. For example if as appears to be the case, there is a need to embark on major long term DUAL CARRIAGE road networks in Ghana, the blue print can be developed by experts selected from across the nation's spectrum, costed etc. Then government looks at it and parliament (yes, a MULTI-PARTY parliament which works and does what they are sent there to do) debates it and eventually a bill is passed in the House for government to commit to the project. We seek the necessary funding to support the project and if we say it will take 20 years to complete, so be it. That way, we can all share in the success of it etc. By the way, the motorways (highways)and other major projects like the Channel Tunnel in Europe and latterly the High Speed Rail network being planned in the UK were done that way. No nation develops fully unless all sections of its population are involved in the process.
Hamid 11 years ago

I think the author is right when he said Busia introduced family planning in Ghana. Busia was obsessed with controlling the population of the country. The development ideology at that time argued that if we could reduce our b ...
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I think the author is right when he said Busia introduced family planning in Ghana. Busia was obsessed with controlling the population of the country. The development ideology at that time argued that if we could reduce our birth rate, we could better combine our human resources with our other resources. Busia bought the policy wholesale and family planning was brought to Ghana with cheap condoms, pills, Emko, the white one that looked like a huge pill with a hole inside that you insert into the hole before doing the thing - I've forgotten the name (do you remember, Paul?), family planning clinics, and other contraceptives. Today that development strategy has gone out of fashion.

The Aliens Compliance Order was also part of his controlling of the population and it was a total disaster. It was very cruel and inhumane as you pointed out. Worst of all, it didn't even achieve the aims that it was meant to achieve.

No doubt, not many people mourned Busia's overthrow. His government was tribalistic also.
Hamid 11 years ago

I think that big white tablet-like contraceptive was called Sampoon. It made the place wet - but Emko also made the place wet... lol.

I think that big white tablet-like contraceptive was called Sampoon. It made the place wet - but Emko also made the place wet... lol.
Paul Amuna 11 years ago

Please note that following the Sixties' care-free era and the introduction of contraceptives, the international planned parenthood federation was at the forefront of promoting family planning and reducing unwanted pregnancies ...
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Please note that following the Sixties' care-free era and the introduction of contraceptives, the international planned parenthood federation was at the forefront of promoting family planning and reducing unwanted pregnancies. I seem to recall that Prof. Fred Sai, a Ghanaian pediatrician, Harvard trained nutritionist and public health expert was a vanguard for this and eventually became the president of the IPPF. Busia only sought to take advantage of what was a global new wave.

Sorry to disagree with you on this point, but we need to get the facts straight. The aliens' compliance order, far from being aimed at controlling the population, was a narrow-minded, bigoted, ill-advised nationalistic philosophy that has characterised the Busia philosophy and is being played out now through tribal bigotry in our political system. That it was meant to control our population was a smokescreen. Furthermore, what would Busia and his government's economic reason for wanting to control the population when in fact, Ghana has never had a problem of over population to start with? And how were we going to develop and man our economy in the future? His approach was myopic, ill-informed and not based on any sound philosophy. There is always a case for preventing unwanted pregnancies and "controlling population growth" through sound measures and these must always be welcome.

That said, I agree with the writer that we need a more inclusive developmental agenda which looks far beyond party politics and affiliations.
Hamid 11 years ago

I think you and I agree on many of the points we are discussing. The only point of contention is whether it was Busia who introduced family planning in Ghana. By your own words: "Busia only sought to take advantage of what wa ...
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I think you and I agree on many of the points we are discussing. The only point of contention is whether it was Busia who introduced family planning in Ghana. By your own words: "Busia only sought to take advantage of what was a global new wave", it was, indeed, Busia who introduced family planning in Ghana. The point is that even if IPPF was at the forefront of promoting family planning, Busia still made it a policy measure of his government in Ghana. He stressed it as no other government in Ghana did before or after. It was during his time that we had the proliferation of contraceptives in Ghana as never before. Incidentally it was the time I was, myself, growing up sexually, so I remember well.

Yes, Prof. Fred Sai was in the vanguard and he was a strong member of the Progress Party. He may have been the moving force in the government's policy.

So, yes, Busia brought family planning as a policy in Ghana!

There is no difference between all your other points and mine, so no comments there.
Paul Amuna 11 years ago

I agree with you, no need for us to be-labour the point as it deviates from the primary issue at hand. Agreed.

I agree with you, no need for us to be-labour the point as it deviates from the primary issue at hand. Agreed.
Ya0 11 years ago

Well-done Director.I hope Ghana waves radio or any media in diaspora can pick this master piece up and discuss it to the hearing of our leaders in Ghana. This is what we need for the sake of progress in Ghana.

Well-done Director.I hope Ghana waves radio or any media in diaspora can pick this master piece up and discuss it to the hearing of our leaders in Ghana. This is what we need for the sake of progress in Ghana.
Frank 11 years ago

Thank you Mr. Atta Owusu for this piece. The government to succeed will be the one to help heal the wounds of the people (proper reconciliation. The one to put his party agenda alone aside and think of all inclusive governanc ...
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Thank you Mr. Atta Owusu for this piece. The government to succeed will be the one to help heal the wounds of the people (proper reconciliation. The one to put his party agenda alone aside and think of all inclusive governance.
I tell you the truth moving away from the "blood castle" Osu is one good step Mahama has taken..but more to be than with the agenda "open government".
The people should also learn to respect authority no matter what. Many nations are at war and it has destroyed socio-economic progress. We are not going to war, but what the devil is using against the nation is "war in our mouth".
It is my prayer that we will come back to our senses and help create an 'acceptable and forgiving environment', with this then we think of progress
YAFFA YAFFA 11 years ago

YOU ARE SO GOOD AND LEARNED.IT MEANS YOU ARE SO PATROTIC AND TRUE CHILD OF NEO COLONIAL ERA.WE ARE CRYING FOR JOBS, WHILE A SO CALLED GHANAIAN HELPED TO COLLAPSE COMPANIES LIKE, ABOSO GLASS FACTORY,NSAWAM CANNERY,JUTE FACTOR ...
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YOU ARE SO GOOD AND LEARNED.IT MEANS YOU ARE SO PATROTIC AND TRUE CHILD OF NEO COLONIAL ERA.WE ARE CRYING FOR JOBS, WHILE A SO CALLED GHANAIAN HELPED TO COLLAPSE COMPANIES LIKE, ABOSO GLASS FACTORY,NSAWAM CANNERY,JUTE FACTORY ,FIRESTONE- BONSA,MEAT FACTORY BOLGATANGA,ALL THE GOLD MINNING CENTRES COLLAPSED.YET WE SAY WE ARE NATIONALISTS.AFTER 1966, IF ALL GOVTS THAT CAME DID AT LEAST 1/3 OF NKRUMAH'S DEVELOPMENT PLAN, GHANA WOULD HAVE GONE FOWARD AS NKRUMAH SAID. KINDLY GIVE US MORE WISDOM AND INSIGHT TO NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT FIRST BEFORE ANY OTHER ISSUES.SEND A COPY TO THE SPEAKER OF PARLIAMENT FOR IMMEDIATE REMINDER AND ACTION. YOU ARE GREAT BRAVO STEV
Buddy 11 years ago

Stephen Atta Owusu, may the good Lord grant you more wisdom and long life. this is the kind of Ghana we should all embrace.thank you for your wonderful article.

Stephen Atta Owusu, may the good Lord grant you more wisdom and long life. this is the kind of Ghana we should all embrace.thank you for your wonderful article.
The Eye Germany 11 years ago

Are the present and future politicians listening? This a great article from a great mind. Akoks,keep it up! Well done.

Are the present and future politicians listening? This a great article from a great mind. Akoks,keep it up! Well done.
Kobby 11 years ago

i believed our dear nation Ghana would have been better of just like South Africa if we had left the affairs of the nation to the whites..regardless of the slavery and other issues, our nation would be far developed than what ...
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i believed our dear nation Ghana would have been better of just like South Africa if we had left the affairs of the nation to the whites..regardless of the slavery and other issues, our nation would be far developed than what we see today !!
Stephen-Pipes Afrifa 11 years ago

This is a wonderful,feasible and good national development agenda. Ghana leaders wake up, we are tired. Good work Mighty Man, God bless you.

This is a wonderful,feasible and good national development agenda. Ghana leaders wake up, we are tired. Good work Mighty Man, God bless you.
Oti Akenteng 11 years ago

Indeed suspension of former government projects are really unhealthy competition.Another good article from Stephen.

Indeed suspension of former government projects are really unhealthy competition.Another good article from Stephen.
moi 11 years ago

This is a realization which would have to dawn on all of us sooner or later; that the development of our dear country should transcend political party manifestoes and ideologies. However, due to lack of strong national instit ...
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This is a realization which would have to dawn on all of us sooner or later; that the development of our dear country should transcend political party manifestoes and ideologies. However, due to lack of strong national institutions and political will, this brilliant idea from Stephen will remain as the late Bob Marley put " a fleeting illusion to be pursued but never attained". We can only hope that someone in authority will one day come across this piece. Well done Steve.
Owusu Ansah Kwadwo 11 years ago

Well than Steve continuon saying that becouse this is very important.Please Mr president read this comment.

Well than Steve continuon saying that becouse this is very important.Please Mr president read this comment.
boloyeung,finland 11 years ago

Agya Owusu,firstly i must say u're such a wonderful intellectual.ghana can utilize dis multi-party dev.agenda by making gud use of our oil revenue and tax revenue.in dis way,all impasse generating frm de part of d prezdnt nt ...
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Agya Owusu,firstly i must say u're such a wonderful intellectual.ghana can utilize dis multi-party dev.agenda by making gud use of our oil revenue and tax revenue.in dis way,all impasse generating frm de part of d prezdnt nt abiding by his manifesto,MPs,DCEs nd wat have u will be curbed to it's bearest minimum.gh is a rich country nd it's time ghanaians rise up to fight for their rghts esp concerning d provision of basic amenities.
baker 10 years ago

well spoken, my brother. We need leaders that are pragmatic rather than theoretical in their actions. stay blessed

well spoken, my brother. We need leaders that are pragmatic rather than theoretical in their actions. stay blessed

Ghana: A Multi-party National Development Agenda Urgently Needed

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