Thumbs up for the President

Congratulations to the President, Mr J.A. Kufuor for winning the 2004 elections. The second term for every President is like the count down to a finish line and working hard towards the legacy of how one wishes to be remembered. For instance President Clinton, "presided over the digital revolution and helped fuel the explosive growth of the new economy."

We all hope that positive Change Chapter Two will propel Ghana into the accelerated growth we all yearn for by 2008. It is our belief that there will be Free Education by 2007, Health Insurance will be fully implemented in 2005. Many are are waiting in the second term to see remuneration to all workers will keeping-up with a reliable purchasing power parity, stable currency, a single digit inflation and unemployment halved from the 20 percentage level before the end of the four-year term.

Hopefully, most of the 40 per cent of the population will leave the poverty bracket. Ghana will also have a reliable National Airline that is profitable. Ghana should be able to reduce poverty to 27 per cent by 2008 if we are to meet the Millennium Development Goal of reducing poverty by half by 2015.

Since Kenya Airways declared over three hundred and twenty four per cent profit just six months of operation under the Kenya Airways and KLM arrangement in 2004. The airlinefs Net Profits after-tax increased to Sh1.5 billion up from the Sh356 million realised in the previous period. The airline has funds to purchase two new Boeing 777 planes and equipment that it needs in its expansion strategy. Hence, a very relevant case for Ghana in the search for a new airline for Ghana.

Let us not see the same experience witnessed by Ghanaians in Chapter One of Positive Change wherein, corruption seemed to be condoned. The society as a whole should have a negative tolerance for corruption; implying a high degree of responsiblity to see corruption abhorrent to every Ghanaian, not as in the zero tolerance situation where the burden of action will rely solely on the President alone.

The economy hopefully and undoubtedly will be kept stable and be made to keep growing from the 5.2 level given by government at the end of 2004. We will be blessed with a reconciled nation as promised.

To the EC Dr. Kwadwo Afari-Djan and his team, a good job done. Then to the peace loving Ghanaian electorate may the Almighty God Bless all of you. Also to the political parties who put up an interesting and formidable challenge but for the "odds," I wish you good will, and especially to the NDC the party of the ordinary people of Ghana thanks for keeping democracy alive in Ghana. Especially as was deeply noted by the flagbearer of the NDC Professor Evans John Atta-Mills. "He praised the foot soldiers of the NDC for their indomitable spirit and sterling contributions to the electoral contest. "

Let us all guard against the notion of "killing" parties since that will only lead to autocray. It is clear therefore that the NPP has witnessed the best feeling of accomplishment after a victory so fought than just being there alone. Power corrupts but absolute power corrupts absolutely. Hence, we should not from now or in the future make the crippling of a former leader or major opposition parties our watch word. Once again the ball is in your court, Mr. President, so Japanese will say "omedeto gozaimasu" or congratulations again, President J.A. Kufuor, "eeye osonu." James W. Doe Economic Researcher, Oceania