Let us embrace rule of law, human rights

THE FLAGBEARER of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Addo Danwka Akufo-Addo, has urged Ghanaians, especially the leadership, to infuse more urgency into redefining the sense of national duty, in order to make the 21st Century, the age which removed all doubts about our ability to manage our own affairs.

He said, the nation had an arduous task, to pass on the touch of hope to future generations, about how the country was rescued from the jaws of repression and retrogression.

“We have an arduous task, albeit, first, we must vindicate the faith that our founding fathers had in this country, and secondly, we must make our own bold generational contribution, to Ghana's progress, and finally, we must pass on to our children, in all its fullness, the hope that has been rescued from the jaws of repression and retrogression.”

Delivering a lecture at the second series of the late Ferdinand O. Ayim Memorial Lectures, in Accra on Friday, under the theme, “Why we must believe in Ghana,” Nana Akufo-Addo, the eloquent presidential candidate for the ruling party, urged Ghanaians to embrace the principles of democratic accountability, which he ascribed to as the bedrock of development.

“Let us embrace the principles of democratic accountability, the rule of law, human rights and individual liberty and freedom, which some of us instinctively believe must form the bedrock of our national development, and individual property. Yet, alongside this freedom, we must, with the same passion and commitment, uphold our individual responsibility, to contribute proactively toward the greater good of society.”

This, he underscored, was the vision of a free society, stressing that no society could be truly free, unless its citizens feel the need to embrace both liberty and duty.

The NPP presidential candidate, who explained vividly why he believed in Ghana, stated that the nation must not allow perils of indifference, which paved the way for populists and hypocrites to take out their anger, frustration, envy and bitterness, on the nation to re-occur.

“We must avoid at all costs a repetition of that destructive culture,” adding, “What our long-tortured and chequered history teaches us, is that the spirit of the Ghanaian, in his or her quest for peace, progress and prosperity, cannot be quenched. We are a determined lot, who cannot be deterred. We have had our failures as a nation, but failure is never fatal, so long as our courage to persevere prevails.”

Nana Akufo-Addo, who was given a moral support by Dr. Kwame Addo Kufuor, Mr. Yaw Osaafo Marfo, Mr. Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey, Dan Kweku Botwe and a host of party bigwigs, intimated that the nation cannot be built where envy rather than role-modelling was the preferred option.

According to him, it was such a dislocation of the psychological fabric of our society, which we needed to defeat, to the extent where self-advancement does not induce the proverbial skinpain.

He was not happy about the wanton destruction of properties, confiscation of assets and companies, amongst others, which took centre stage in the struggle, due to envy.

Declaring that he was ready to lead the nation, and approach the future of this nation with buoyancy and hope, he said, “I am ready to take up this task of leadership with buoyancy and hope. And I believe we should all approach the future with buoyancy and hope. For now, our task is pure and simple; it is to wage a relentless war against poverty. We should wage this war in our minds; we must wage against the mentality of impoverishment, wage against our negative attitudes, our fears, and our fatigues. To believe in Ghana, is to believe in ourselves; to accept that we are more than capable. We must wage this war in our homes, in the classrooms, in our apprenticeships, on our streets, in our offices, on our farms, markets.”

According Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, the future of this nation belonged to the people of Ghana, and that all efforts must be made to protect it, and observed that this was the age re-discovery, and also the need to reconnect with the courage and hope, that made Ghana the first black African country to achieve independence.

He said there was also the need to claim for ourselves, a new passion and culture of excellence, and urged the people to move forward, with confidence that our potential lies within us, and that it was bigger than the problems, which stifled our efforts in the past.

Nana Akufo reiterated his four central thematic goals, which were the continuing consolidation of our democracy, the modernisation of our society, the structural transformation, and the full engagement of our nation, in the process of regional and continental integration.

To him the nation must have a leader, who would take the bull by the horns in the larger interest of the nation.

He said the nation had reached its crossroads, but not just another crossroad, saying that the nation was poised upon the threshold of a new beginning.

According to him, the political contamination was long spent, and that the foundation had been laid.

Nana Akufo-Addo, said the age of reckoning was here, and that leap from the third world to the first world, was also before the nation, and that this new age was one of economic transformation.

Bearing in mind the atrocities of the past, the NPP current legislator for Abuakwa South applauded the forgiving spirit Ghanaians.

According to him, it was such a spirit that informed the basis of the National Reconciliation Commission, pointing out that despite harrowing revelations, though gruesome and painful, it did not trigger off an orgy of retribution.

“Ghanaians are forgiving, but we don't want the generosity of our hearts, to be taken for granted. Actions that turn brother against brother, friend into foe, must no longer be allowed to dictate the pace of our development. Now is the time, to draw a line between that painful past, and the exciting future ahead of us. Whether it is, for example, in Dagbon, Sefwi-Wiaso, or Alavanyo-Nkonya, there is today a growing recognition that we may seek lasting justice for old disputes, by not necessarily recounting our steps in a complex effort, to undo some old ills afflicted on either side of the conflict.”

He, however, stated that there was the need to take full responsibility of our actions, and our future, by not shirking them.