Focus Debate On "Better Economic Manager" Because None Can Be Guiltless Of "Family And Friends"

The raging debate on governance packed "family and friends" appointees is very headless, needless and hypocritically loaded because no government under the history of Gold Coast/Ghana politics can be found guiltless and also would ever be found guiltless in the future. In fact, no government would ever appoint an enemy.

A family and friends government can never be avoided because to ban it from the country's governance system would mean that no newly elected party should make a single appointment from members of its structures since about 90% of the members of every political party are related by either friendship or family. It is instructive to note that some of the synonyms of "friend" ally, associate, close, loyalist, partner, accomplice, acquaintance, companion, mate, member, comrade and supporter. And so if none of these categories of people can be part of the opportunities of an individual or organization's victory then what is the essence of individuals coming together to execute a common agenda for the good of society.

The practice of nepotism is part of the Ghanaian culture and so will be difficult to take it out of our societal norms. Note, it is not only present in our partisan governance system but also very evident in the running of the entire affairs at every facet of our public and private sectors/organizations/institutions such as churches, mosques, chieftaincy, traditional, educational, religious, industrial, companies, health, security, judicial, media, political parties and others.

Traces of nepotism is not only found in the governance structure of Ghana but also evident in all countries around the world without the exception of the world's biggest economies like USA, UK, China, Russia, Germany, France and others.

As a result of the above revelations, and since accusers can not even be guiltless, it would be sincere on the part of all to drop the debate on "Family and Friends" and rather shift it to the competencies of such category of appointees, strengthening of institutional structures and also the better manager of an economy because it is such that influence the social and economic sectors of the nation and not relations.

Sincerely speaking, NDC is not providing itself as a better and considerable alternative, it has always reduced the serious issues on nation building to child's play. As it stands currently, the policies and performance of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo led government per the statistics has placed it as the best ever in the history of Gold Coast/Ghana politics.

The splendid performance of this government under the leadership of President Nana Addo has not only been evident in Ghana but has also caught the attention of all across the globe with the likes of International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Bank, United Nations (UN), Germany, Cable News Network (CNN) and others commending Ghana under President Nana Addo for its rapid development.

More so, President Nana Addo has been voted as the best and most visionary president in Africa and the third in the world respectively by Leaders of Tomorrow; a Canadian based research organization and World Vision Forum; US-based Think Tank. Note per his performance, Ghana has been able to secure an unprecedented trade surplus twice, the world's fastest growing economy twice, stable outlook with an upward grade from B- to B by Standard & Poor (S&P) for its monetary policy effectiveness, huge reduction in unemployment, remarkable growth in its agricultural, industrial, human resource development, health and security sectors through policies such Planting for Food and Jobs (PFJ), One District One Factory (1D1F), Planting for Exports, One Village One Dam (1V1D), One Constituency One Ambulance (1C1A), One Constituency One Warehouse (1C1W), Rearing for Food and Jobs, Free Senior High School (FSHS), entrepreneurship drive policies such as Presidential Pitch and National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Plan (NEIP), revamp of the railway sector, digitalization of the economy, development of the cocoa and mineral sectors, and others.

Again, through his amazing performance, Ghana has secured the host of the secretariat of African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), and a resolution to the Dagbon chieftaincy crisis, the mirage Asante-Akyem feud and the galamsey crisis.

Furthermore, as a result of President Nana Addo's sound policies gaining global acceptance, Kenya has adopted Ghana's FSHS policy while the UN under its United Nation's Development Programme (UNDP) has adopted the "Ghana Beyond Aid" policy for entire Africa. Also, due to the President's realistic policies, initiatives and innovations bearing fruits coupled with his zeal to live up to his Ghana Beyond Aid agenda, the government under President Nana Addo has promised to fund the 2020 Presidential and Parliamentary elections with internally generated funds and not depend on support from foreign donors.

With the above listed achievements of the current New Patriotic Party (NPP) led government under President Nana Addo and its zeal to achieve more, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) should brush aside its mediocre and myopic debates and political strategies, and rather bring on board superior and weighty policies, initiatives, innovations and arguments as alternatives to counter what the citizens are currently witnessing under this government. Because if not, they will remain as the jokes and not the serious-minded nation builders they have been seen as since 2013.

Thank you
Hhhmm, may God be praised always
Nana Kwadwo Akwaa
Member, Critical Thinkers International (CTI)