A former UN Governance Advisor, Prof Baffour Agyeman-Duah has urged political parties in the country to embrace a unified national manifesto for sustained economic growth.
Prof Agyeman-Duah on JoyNews’ PM Express emphasised the need for a collaborative approach, suggesting the adoption of the 40-year national development plan crafted by the National Development Plan Commission as a blueprint.
According to the former UN Governance Advisor, implementing the content and recommendations outlined in the 40-year plan is the most effective way to address Ghana’s development deficit and stabilize the economy.
He highlighted the common political practice of making promises without detailing implementation strategies, noting that such a trend hampers genuine progress.
“It is the way we run politics; all the parties seeking power would want to demonstrate to the populace that, in fact, we can do ABCD without telling the people how they’re going to do it.
“… so your development is going to depend on the charity of the international organizations; the multi and the bilaterals, then we’re going to have a time when everything will collapse on our face. And that is exactly what we’re experiencing,” he said on Monday.
Advocating for a unified national manifesto, Prof Agyeman-Duah argued that the 40-year development plan could serve as a consensus document for all political parties.
Such a collective approach, he believed, would enable civil society organisations to monitor and hold political parties accountable for their promises.
Drawing parallels with successful developing nations like Rwanda and Malaysia, Prof Agyeman-Duah underscored the importance of aligning political agendas with long-term development goals.
He acknowledged the criticisms of countries like Rwanda for perceived shortcomings in democracy but pointed out their significant strides in development.
The former UN Governance Advisor concluded by highlighting the close relationship between development and politics, cautioning against the pitfalls of political competition that often lead to unfulfilled promises and abandoned projects when parties come into power.
He urged Ghana to prioritise a unified vision to overcome development challenges and propel the nation forward.
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