Ghana’s Unsustainable Development, Pressure From Citizenry

Governments of most developing countries like Ghana have been faced with pressure from the citizenry to fulfill their needs even when there are limited resources to do so. This has pushed many governments to proactively bring quick and instant based solutions to solve the Challenges of these countries. It’s quite amazing that most of these governments set and go by short term goals in other to regain political power. Ghana is 61 years and expectedly, our five-year and ten-year policies should have seen the light is of the day. As a country that found its way out colonization and autocratic rule, hence taking charge of the development and stability of our country, policies geared towards achieving a systematic and synergetic development should have been the ultimate aim of our leaders.

Dr. Kwame Nkrumah after leading the crew to gain independence and self-government for Ghana, proposed a layout to develop Ghana in the field of education, health, industrialization, environment, peace and stability. They consciously introduced northern education scholarship to promote education in all regions of the country.

Construction of Akosombo dam to provide power for our industries and home use. After this breakthrough, the establishment factories cross Ghana to take care of the growing population in the areas of jobs and livelihood for the people was a focus.

Construction of concrete roads for easy transit of people, goods and services was one of the remarkable projects that saw Ghana moving in the direction of self-governance with sustainable development.

It’s really surprising that it’s apparent in the policies of recent governments that their manifestos and policies are usually a listening ear to the words of the citizenry without clear indication of considerations in the challenges that could meet us in the next ten years or more.

Our educational sector saw an erratic changes and formulations which is gradually becoming a grounds to gain political cheap points. We were previously in the middle school, ‘O level’ and ‘A level’ system of education to the secondary school system of education where we had a ‘6 +3 +3’ system to complete secondary School before entry into tertiary education. The system after lasting for some years was changed to a ‘6+3+4’ system which met a swift switch after change of government. Now we are in a double track system which is a quick solution to the challenges facing the free S.H.S introduced by the current government, one of the laudable ways of making education accessible to all and sundry.

It’s about time we use long term plans to handle the challenges of our country by timely construction of schools, rolling out of facilitators to fit specific sector of education like Information Technology (IT), entrepreneurship and innovation to promote systematic adjustment to evolving challenges that come as a result of population growth.

In as much as we must be alert and responsive to the voices of the citizenry, it should not be with the purpose of gaining or maintaining political power.

Without government long term policy, development will be according to who complains the most which has characterized our recent development in the country. Government build roads and markets in regions to show care and love for the people while others are in handicap trying to get their bit of the national cake.

For hospitals, Polyclinics, clinics and CHPS compounds etc., they should be drawn in the plan of the country and must be followed by all governments. Laid down policies will put into consideration population growth rate of villages, towns and regions which are clear indication of the needs of the people in those are.

Can you imagine a market can be built for a community which is not in use due to politicization of policies or its situation area? We must have a unanimous policy that will guide us on the Construction of feeder and truck roads all over the country hence the inherent utilization not the tax payer’s money.

This will in a long round comes to reduce corruption as has been entertained in many of governments’ projects and programs. The right process of rolling most government projects are avoided since awarding of contracts is now about who you know who is in power.

With strong government long term policies, we can determine when to produce and when to export instead of combining two mega projects like planting for food and jobs and one district- one- factory.

Columnist: Kunsaari A. Enbong