Re-Introduce Operation Feed Yourself — PNC

The Leader of the People's National Convention (PNC), Dr Edward Mahama, has called for the re-introduction of Operation Feed Yourself (OFY), which was instituted by the Acheampong Government.

“In relation to food production and what I label as energy for the body, we need to recast the OFY policy of more than three decades ago to make it consistent with present realities of unfolding globalised world conditions”, he contended.

Dr Mahama, who was addressing a press conference in Accra on the 'State of the Nation', said luckily, some of those who drafted and implemented the policy, including Col. Bernasco, were alive and could help in modernising and implementing the policy.

According to him, the successful implementation of the policy would result in abundant food for local consumption, export and raw materials for local industries.

The PNC leader, who is also a medical doctor, said "our nation is in a fermenting crisis and if Ghana was a patient brought to my clinic, I would immediately place her under intensive care” because unless the affairs of the nation are reorganised, “the future looks bleak and hopeless.”

Explaining, he said the recent lynching of a Presiding Member at Asunafo North, lawlessness, the description of Ghana as a transit point for illicit drugs and rampant corruption were all indications that there was deepening crisis in every aspect of national life.

He said the proclamation that the Kufuor administration had helped the country to attain good macroeconomics was in sharp contrast to the living standard of Ghanaians because of the high cost of living, increasing levels of poverty, ignorance, illiteracy and unemployment.

Concerning the Akosombo Dam, he said the low level of water was the harbinger of serious things that would happen to the country, which included water shortage for domestic use according to a recent international conference which indicated that Africa was likely to suffer the worse form of drought and poor harvests.

Dr Mahama suggested that a PNC government, apart from introducing the OFY, would also initiate efficient strategies to have adequate energy for industries by heeding the recent call by the Ghana Science Association for a national programme to harvest rain water as apart of the solution to the impending drought.

On education, Dr Mahama said apart from the critical attention that the party would pay to the nursery, primary, secondary, tertiary and vocational systems, a PNC government would also ensure that “all adults gain basic literacy and numeracy in less than three years.”

He added that his government would embark on a vigorous education on civic privileges and responsibilities of citizens as well as enhance their awareness of the effect of globalisation.

He explained that with the right national policies, high maternal and infant mortality, environmental, sanitation, and other health problems would be reduced by 50 per cent.

According to Dr Mahama the National Health Insurance Scheme was “crippled and struggling with haphazard implementation” due to lack of commitment by its initiators and suggested that for the programme to succeed, the leader of the programme must be a practising physician.

He said Dr Kwame Nkrumah foresaw the current electricity problem hence the introduction of the Atomic Energy Commission and the establishment of the Aboso Glass Factory which were to utilise solar energy.

Story by Donald Ato Dapatem