If Ghana Is To Be Become Prosperous Ghanaian Politicians Must End Their Negativity

If, as a people, we are to move ahead, and at the same time spread the benefits of economic growth amongst a larger proportion of Ghana's total population, our political class will have to put aside the "let-us-lay-waste-to-the-nation" mentality, which, when in opposition, makes them work extra hard sabotaging the nation-building efforts of the party in power.

For example, from day one, on the 7th of January 2009, when the Mills regime was sworn into office, that negative attitude has been on display by the main opposition party, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) - which has gone to great length to discredit the current National Democratic Congress (NDC) and, if its harshest critics are to be believed, sabotage the NDC's nation-building agenda, through its public-sector proxies, who still remain loyal to the NPP.

The conspiracy theorists in our midst point to the disgraceful power outage episode, a few days ago, at the Baba Yara stadium in Ghana's second city, Kumasi, as a classic example of such sabotage-by-remote-control.

No doubt we will eventually see whether that is confirmed by any committee of enquiry's findings.

Readers will recall that the floodlights failed when there was power outage, which lasted almost an hour, during the World Cup qualifying match between Ghana and Lesotho, a few days ago.

Some of its harshest critics point to that embarrassing episode as an example of the sabotage-by-proxy strategy, adopted by extremists in the NPP.

As is common knowledge in Ghana, the NDC pretty much did the same thing, when it too was in the political wilderness, from January 2001 to January 2009. Such tactics will only set the hands of the metaphorical clock of progress back in Ghana.

If politicians from across the spectrum were more responsible and patriotic, instead of such negativity, would they not rather focus on making ordinary people more aware, for example, of the lunacy, at a time of austerity at home, and in most of our trading partners, of continuing to spend as much as Ghc60 millions to subsidize fuel?

As someone pointed it out to me, it is an insane policy that fuel smugglers, who illegally transport fuel from Ghana to sell across our borders, benefit the most from. How can that possibly redound to the benefit the national economy?

At a time of global climate change, and in an age of austerity, is it not prudent for us to become more conscious of the need to use fuel, electricity and water more sparingly and efficiently?

Surely, having to pay the true cost of such items, will make all of us conscious of the need to be more careful in their usage?

Would the Ghc60 millions spent monthly by the government to subsidize petroleum products, not be better value for our nation, if it was spent instead on an initiative to provide well-designed and well-built affordable housing, for low and middle income families nationwide, I ask?

And would embarking on such a housing initiative not boost the construction sector's contribution to Ghana's GDP - and create more jobs for some of Ghana's teeming young artisans, I ask?

So why is there no advocacy by political parties for ending fuel subsidies - and focusing instead on using less fuel by encouraging the importation of more hybrid vehicles and fuel efficient vehicles, as well as LPG gas-powered vehicles?

Would it also not be refreshing, dear reader, to hear our nation's politicians urging Ghanaians, for example, to embrace ideas that will make our country more competitive than our neighbours - such as abolishing personal income tax and making this the nation with the lowest corporate tax rate in Africa?

Will that not help create an enterprise culture in Ghana - and help bring down our unacceptably high levels of youth unemployment?

And why not resource it, and ask the Ghana Navy, for example, to operate hovercraft on the Volta Lake - so that whiles making lake transportation safer, it would, at the same time, generate funds to help the navy improve the lot of our gallant sailors?

And instead of enriching crooked businesspeople who evade taxes and corrupt customs officials, if our ports were made free zones, would that not make them the leading ports along the West African coastline, and generate more income for our nation, I ask?

And instead of continuing to export cocoa beans, why not earn more for Ghanaian cocoa farmers and our country, by attracting Chinese, Japanese, Malaysian, Indonesian and other Asian chocolate companies to manufacture chocolates here for their home markets, as fair-trade confectionery?

Instead of endless propaganda and exchanging personal insults, it is time members of Ghana's political class (across the spectrum) focused on what will raise the living standards and improve the quality of life of ordinary Ghanaians - whether they are in power or in opposition.

If we are to become a more prosperous society, our politicians need to end their negativity - and think more positively. A word to the wise...

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