DFP: Governments must not condemn predecessors

Accra, March 2, GNA - The Democratic Freedom Party (DFP) on Friday decried the habit of condemnation of predecessor governments by succeeding governments, saying this accounts for numerous abandoned projects in the country.

In a statement signed by Bede A. Ziedeng, Interim Deputy General Secretary, on the occasion of the Golden Jubilee of the country, the DFP said such a habit retarded progress.

"On hindsight, we can learn from the mistakes of the past which account for continuing underdevelopment, poverty and shortcomings in democratic governance - the dark spots of the nation's history that reflect defects in the economic and political management of the nation," it stated.

Wishing Ghanaians a happy birthday, the DFP said the abuse of human rights instituted by colonialism was continued under the Nkrumah regime, albeit to counter attempts by his political opponents to destabilize the CPP government.

It said unfortunately succeeding civilian governments sometimes fell prey to the temptation to resort to arbitrariness for political ends.

"All of us must therefore share the blame for the persistence of human rights abuses. Even today, few of us are prepared to challenge arbitrariness, threats to peace and political stability."

The statement said on the economic front, comparison with contemporaries like Malaysia and South Korea showed that even though the strategy of state enterprises as a vehicle of growth under the Nkrumah regime had good intentions, it was harmfully pursed.

"Successive governments have swung to the opposite end of the pole thus encouraging dependence and exploitation.

"Today, slavish adherence to the perceptions of the World Bank and the IMF, including high taxation and over-liberalization of trade, has hampered rapid growth."

The DFP added that insufficient recognition of the need for a green revolution coupled with colossal corruption had worsened the plight of the people.

The DFP lauded the contributions to the birth of Ghana by its numerous heroes, particularly the Big Six - Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, Dr. J. B. Danquah, Mr. Akuffo Addo, Mr. William Ofori Atta, Mr. Obetsebi-Lamptey and Mr. Ako-Adjei.

"As we celebrate 50 years of nationhood, we must take stock of achievements but more particularly of errors in developmental strategies and fashion out a new course for Ghana," DFP said. 02 March 07