APRM would help improve democracy -Minister

Accra, Feb. 14, GNA - Mrs. Gifty Ohene-Konadu, Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry on Tuesday said Ghana's accession to the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) would improve the society tremendously, especially in the areas of democracy and good governance. She said the indiscipline that have engulfed the society as well as the disregard for state property and the propensity to amass illegal wealth are short-comings that a critical adherence to the tenets of the APRM can help the nation to overcome.

Mrs Ohene-Konadu, who is also the Member of Parliament for Asante-Akim South said this in a statement on the APRM on the floor of the House.

"It is here that I wish to commend our President, John Agyekum Kufuor for displaying exemplary courage to confront the challenges and showing trust in the people he has appointed to various positions." Mrs Ohene-Konadu also praised the government for the institutions that have created to promote democracy and good political governance, economic governance and management, corporate governance and socio-economic development, which she said are the four main pillars of the APRM.

"Our accession to and review under the APRM shows clearly the time we as a nation wasted between 1982 to 1992."

"The socio-economic problems that others had attempted to solve through the high-handed methods of a revolution are here treated in a sober and responsible manner."

"I crave the indulgence of the House to join me in congratulating our President, the government and people of Ghana for successfully going through a second review session under the APRM."

Contributing to the statement, Captain Nkrabea Effa Dartey (Rtd), MP for Berekum said the APRM is the foundation for the development of Africa because it is used as a means of evaluating the nation's performance in relation to good governance.

He said there is no country in the world, which is poor, but bad governance and policies can make a nation poor.

Capt. Effa Dartey said in most developing countries, people in power are very arrogant, tell lies, and in most cases are not able to develop their countries whilst the leaders of the developed nations are selfless and committed.

"We of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) have democracy and the rule of law as our backbone and our President has also done so by appearing before the APRM."

"Today our President who is a gentleman as submitted himself to the APRM."

He said the Minority's boycott of Parliament because of the Representation of the Peoples' (Amendment) Bill (ROPAB) was uncalled for because Ghanaians abroad who remitted a total of four billion dollars to relations in Ghana must be allowed to vote. "How can you refuse Ghanaians abroad who have contributed to the development of the nation with cash they have earned under hash conditions not to vote?"

Professor Mike Ocquaye, Minister of Energy said President Kufuor has set a good standard for African leaders to emulate and must be congratulated.