Dr. Daniel Appiah Of UG Honoured For Outstanding Teaching

A public sector management specialist at the University of Ghana Business School (UGBS), Dr. Daniel Appiah, has called on political elites and governance experts to collaborate to innovate an inclusive system of government that would sustain the country's political stability and economic development.

Dr. Appiah said this during a ceremony to receive the Humanity Magazine International award for his outstanding teaching at the Department of Public Administration and Health Services Management.

According to Dr. Appiah, Ghana before 1957 had a public administration system that was more competent and impartial than the present era. “Ghana's economy also had a higher GDP per capita than South Korea, Indonesia, Bangladesh, and Brazil but these countries are now far richer than Ghana" he added.

He explained that "Ghana's political stability and economic achievements prior to independence were mainly due to the existence of an inclusive and competent system of governance where political appointees did not only possess a high level of tertiary education but they also had to write competitive examinations to merit their political appointments. Unlike South Korea, Ghanaian political elites replaced the inclusive and competent system with divisive winner-takes-all partisan politics."

He added that the increasing level of political party vigilantism across the country is a logical consequence of the politics of winner-takes-all. He cautioned civil society groups against their advocacy for the transformation of the non-partisan local government system at the district assembly level into another winner-takes-all system because it is likely to undermine Ghana's political stability.

Dr. Daniel Appiah, who teaches Comparative Public Administration, used the opportunity to appeal to political party elites to work together towards ending political vigilantism because it poses a serious threat to the businesses.

A certificate presented to Dr. Appiah reads in part: “This is in recognition for your outstanding teachings on effective public sector management and campaign against corruption. Your students profoundly appreciate your efforts".

Mr. Yahaya Alhassan, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Humanity Magazine International, called for a credible programme to curtail the winner-takes-all party politics. He called on public officials to be vanguards of the public good and not passive administrators.

Mr. Alhassan said that the University of Ghana Business School has a pool of scholars to help build the country and he commended Dr. Kwame Asamoah, Dr. Abdul Gafaru Abdullai, Professor Justice Bawole, Dr. Albert Ahenkan, Dr. Thomas Buabeng, Dr. Emmanuel Yakubu Seidu, and Dr. Aminu Karimu, all lecturers at the school, for playing vital roles in shaping the knowledge of students about public sector governance.

He disclosed that Humanity Magazine International aims at promoting quality leadership by recognizing the achievements of leaders in public and private institutions, to serve as shining examples for other managers or individuals to emulate.

"At Humanity Magazine International we also promote African businesses by encouraging such businesses to team up with their counterparts and academicians in other parts of the world to create innovative approaches to expand and create jobs for the youth" he added.