The slogan can be literally explained in its pure literal discourse to mean Ghana doesn’t want help in any form.

Clearly focusing on the literal meaning limits one’s ability to appreciate its deep call to revolutionise the fundamental structures of our economy through digitalisation, servant leadership and industrialisation.

Remember, religion teaches us of God is the ONLY one who never and would never need help of any kind.

Thus, Ghana not being God would need aid! But for a leader to declare that a country doesn’t need aid; be sure he has the human resources and natural resources to change the fundamental structures of his country.

This the leader does through strategic appointments of resourceful and visionary persons into institutions that have a role in leveraging the untapped natural resources of the country.

Admittedly, Alhaji Farouk Aliu Mahama’s appointment to be the second board chairman of Ghana Integrated Iron and Steel Development Corporation (GIISDEC) was an appropriate, strategic and practical example of the creation of confluence of vision and mission.

Alhaji Farouk’s role of being the highest technical powerful person certainly has a bearing in the operationalization of the core mandate of the corporation’s activities whilst visible results are being felt
every single day.

Just as Yendi is fortunate to have him as a Member of Parliament; Ghana Integrated Iron and Steel Development Corporation is not only fortunate but graciously lucky to have him lead the charge!

GIISDEC was established in March 2019 by an Act of Parliament (Act 988). The vision of the Corporation is to become a catalyst for Ghana’s accelerated industrialization agenda; this vision is perfectly tied to the mission of the grandchild of Imoro Egala, former Foreign Minister of the First Republic between 1960 and 1961; Alhaji Farouk Aliu Mahama.

The young energetic man with an innate mechanism of turning things around! Yes, the President called on him to provide leadership as leadership changes everything! Leadership cannot be taught; it is an inborn quality that is always inherited. Do you doubt me? Just a whisper, his father was the Vice President of Ghana (2000 to 2008). Do you get it? The legacy of service continues!

GIISDEC’s vision and mission would lead to the exploration of iron ore deposits at Sheini, Opun-Mansi, Akpafu and Pudo in different regions of Ghana. Being the second board chairman of the corporation means; leading the overall strategic matters, overseeing the group’s business and setting high governance standards.

In all these vex matters lies the mating of a self-mission of an individual leading a group and the vision of a corporation: Alhaji Farouk Ali Mahama’s mission of unearthing opportunities to accelerate development and turn the tide of poverty for an improved society and humanity at large certainly resonates with the vision of the corporation he chairs.

This mission clearly manifests in the corporation’s people-centered activities as seen in various dialogue and community engagements being led by no other person but the board chairman himself.

As an action-oriented board chairman, GIISDEC has already engaged a number of investors with one investor said to establish a $1 billion iron and steel industry plant in Ghana. When this singular investment is carried out, the fundamental indicator of cedi depreciation can be reduced drastically as the importation of iron and steel would be reduced significantly.

Thus, Ghana’s agenda on industrialization which requires high demand for iron and steel would be met domestically with no foreign aid.

Strategically, the board chairman also led a delegation to B5 company, one of the largest irons and steel companies trading in iron and steel products not only in Ghana but also all over the West African countries.

This was a strategic move birthed and championed by the board chair who understands the local content management ecosystems in corporate governance.

Undoubtedly, GIISDEC is moving at a supersonic speed engineered by a board chairman whose mission fell in love with a corporate vision; consummated and sooner than later the offspring of a billion-dollar iron and steel plant will be birthed.

The country shall smile and thank the son of Dagbon, Alhaji Farouk Aliu Mahama for a job well done.

He touted his administration as one that will vigorously institute home-grown measures to ensure that country is self-sufficient.

In this light, the ‘Ghana Beyond Aid’ mantra was birthed by the Akufo-Addo government.

However, an economist at the University of Ghana believes the essence of the slogan is lost.

“Ghana beyond aid is already beyond us. Of course, we knew from Day 1 that Ghana Beyond Aid was not anti-aid of aid rejection. It is actually in need of more aid,” he said on JoyNews.

Prof Godfred Bokpin is of the view that this commitment is out of Ghana’s reach as the country battles for a lifeline in a desperate request for an economic bailout from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

The lecturer was speaking on Newsfile on Saturday, August 13, 2022.

“Over the years, we have not been able to collect sufficient tax revenue relative to the size of our economy. That’s a big problem. While that is a problem, we have been largely inefficient at the expenditure side also,” he told Samson Lardy Anyenini.

He suggested that blocking such leakages in the revenue collection regime is one sure way of mitigating the country’s financial woes.

According to him, the government has forcefully articulated and pushed the Agenda in presentations to Ghanaians.

However, Dr Nduom has bemoaned that the vision in recent times seems to be fading and does not find expression in formal presentations such as the budget and Akufo-Addo’s own speeches at home and abroad. 

Read below the full letter:

HE. Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo

Jubilee House

Accra

Dear Mr President,

Ghana Beyond Aid:  My Recommendations To Walk the Talk

“Ghana Beyond Aid” is a vision put forth by your Administration.  You have articulated this forcefully and pushed it in presentations to Ghanaian citizens. 

You have also stood your ground on this with foreign leaders particularly those from the western divide of global governance.  Many have hailed it and bought into it as a very necessary agenda.

Recently though, the vision seems to be fading and does not find expression in formal presentations such as the budget and your own speeches at home and abroad.  It is time to light some fire under this vision and make it real.

To begin with, I support this vision for Ghana because it will promote self-reliance that would lead to greater prosperity of our citizens.

I am a supporter of “Ghana Beyond Aid” without reservations.

My concern is that this vision may become a mere slogan.  Over the years, Ghanaians have heard “the private sector is the engine of growth” with no fuel to make the engine move for the benefit of the people.  They have been presented with “Zero Tolerance for Corruption” and “Probity, Accountability, Transparency” and yet corruption is seen by citizens as the main barrier to their well-being.  Many leaders, in business and politics have put out their versions of “Ghana First” visions yet there is no common agenda to work with to make it come alive.

When the late General Ignatius Kutu Acheampong championed the Ghanaian ownership of the commanding heights of the economy, it spawned concrete actions that are still delivering benefits to the state and its people.  “Operation Feed Yourself” was and remains a popular policy from the Acheampong era.

Given where we are, the following are actions I highly recommend for you to consider implementing to push the “Ghana Beyond Aid” vision.

All infrastructure contracts signed by the state must have a minimum 25% of value go to an indigenous Ghanaian and his/her enterprise.

All Cocoa roads and projects funded by COCOBOD must be given to indigenous Ghanaians and their companies.

Ban completely, the importation of chocolate, soft drinks, fruit juices, fruits, poultry and meats.

Ban the importation of rice and sugar.

Immediately ban the serving of any imported food or drink at all state functions.

School feeding programmes must only use locally produced food and drinks.

Take firm steps to ensure indigenous Ghanaian control (ownership) of the financial sector – banking, insurance, investment, pension and others at all levels.

All professional services agreements – architectural, technology, financial etc., must have at least 25% indigenous Ghanaian participation.

All new and renewed concessions for gold, bauxite, oil and gas, diamond, timber must have a minimum of 25% indigenous Ghana ownership.

The digitalization agenda must be placed firmly, 100% in the hands of indigenous Ghanaians and their companies.

Give full rights and recognition to Ghanaians who by necessity have become citizens of other countries – to vote, be employed by the state and compete for elective offices.

Will this hurt?  Initially, yes.  But eventually, we will be a better country, one whose citizens can aspire to prosperity with confidence.

I would appreciate the opportunity to discuss the recommendations further.

Presented, Your Excellency, for your consideration.

Papa Kwesi Nduom.

President Akufo-Addo has revealed that his ‘Ghana Beyond Aid’ policy was misunderstood by some world leaders when news of the policy first got to them.

The President made this revelation while addressing a select number of Africa’s political, traditional and business leaders in a United Nations  Development Programme (UNDP) High-Level Dialogue at the Kempinski Gold Coast Hotel, on Thursday, November 7, 2019.

The programme was themed, ‘Africa’s Money for African Development: A Future Beyond Aid.’

“When I started the ‘Ghana Beyond Aid’ policy, a lot of people that I met were nervous and asked if I was preaching an anti-foreign, anti-European and anti-white doctrine,” the President revealed.

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“I remember the first time I met the president of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, that was his question but I told him it wasn’t. Rather it was about making policies and using our resources to enable us to stand on our own feet,” he explained further to Mr Juncker.

President Akufo-Addo said he allayed the fears of Mr Juncker that there was nothing in it that is meant to be hostile towards those that are investing in our economy and wanting to help us develop,” President Akufo-Addo said.

The ‘Ghana Beyond Aid’ policy by President Akufo-Addo has gained global attraction, as the UNDP has adopted it for its policy direction for the entire African continent.

The two-day conference, saw over 200 delegates across the world gather in Accra to discuss issues affecting Africa’s development.

The two-day conference, which saw over 200 delegates from across the world, sought to explore ways in which Africa can optimize the use of its own resources, creativity and innovation to effectively finance its development.

And also examined the future of development in Africa and how the continent was to capitalize on the implementation of the Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA).

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on Tuesday received a strategic document and Charter that outlines the roadmap for Ghana’s attainment of her goal of self-reliance and the vision of a country beyond aid.

The document, which was put together by a 13-member Ghana Beyond Aid Charter Committee, constituted by the President last June, is envisaged to become the mobilizing instrument for Ghana’s development.

The document is to be laid before Parliament for deliberations and expected to become a national policy document that would guide the actions of government, as well as that of the various stakeholders in the country.

At a short handing-over ceremony at the Jubilee House in Accra, President Akufo-Addo said the document, which he had perused, presented clear guidelines on how things ought be done in Ghana “in a collective sense”.

He said the agenda of a Ghana Beyond Aid, essentially was a mobilizing strategy to conscientise Ghanaians “that no one was going to come from anywhere to develop Ghana for them other than Ghanaians themselves”.

President Akufo-Addo noted that “the document is also going to be a guide as to how we go about applying the slogan [Ghana Beyond Aid] for it to become meaningful in the lives of the thirty million Ghanaians in Ghana and those outside Ghana”.

He noted that the new awareness on the continent over the past four decades had shown clearly that Africa could only address its developmental challenges when it weaned itself from the addiction to dependence on aid.

Africa ought to utilize its own resources and rely more on appropriate home-grown policies to unlock the economic potential of the continent.

“Progress would be made when we accept responsibility for our own actions and thereby conduct ourselves in a manner that would be fruitful,” he said.

The President said, as soon as practicable, he would want Parliament to have access to the document, to enable the House to deliberate on it and approve the strategy to give it a national character, that would guide all interventions aimed at making the country self-reliant.

He said It was important that Parliament, which was the main deliberating chamber of our country was apprised of it and also sees it as a document that is going to guide all the work of institutions of our State; Executive, Legislature, Judiciary, across board, Social institutions as well as Public ones.

The President has continually stated that after sixty years of independence, Ghana cannot depend on external assistance to plan its yearly budgets.

Thus, “for the sake of dignity and pride, as a country, as a people,” the President said, “We should be in a position to fund our own activities, then, we will have control of ourselves.”

“This is important for our self-esteem,” he reiterated.

Senior Minister Yaw Osafo Marfo, who chairs the Charter Committee told the President that the strategic document was a reflection of the collective inputs of 30 institutions.

He said a lot had gone into the preparation of the manuscript, and was hopeful that it (document) would give direction to the vision of a Ghana Beyond Aid.

The members of Committee drawn from various sectors of the governance structure also include the Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta; Minister of Employment and Labour Relations, Ignatius Baffour Awuah, Minister of Planning, Prof. Gyan Baffour, and the Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Hajia Alima Mahama, MP.

The rest are drawn from the Trades Union Congress, the Private Enterprise Foundation, the Ghana National Association of Teachers, as well as the Association of Ghana industries.

The Committee had been given a deadline of September 2018 to present to Parliament, a roadmap for the achievement of the vision that seeks to harness and prudently manage the country’s vast natural resource to finance Ghana’s development agenda without recourse to foreign assistance.

The document is expected, after approval by the legislature, to become the policy document to guide the actions of government as well as those of the various stakeholders in the country.

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The Committee, chaired by Senior Minister Yaw Osafo Marfo, includes Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta, Labour and Employment Minister Ignatius Baffour Awuah, Planning Minister Prof. Djan Baffour and the Local Government Minister, Hajia Alima Mahama.

Others are Dr Anthony Yaw Baah and Mrs Philomena Sampson, both of the Trades Union Congress, Mr David Ofori Acheampong of the Ghana National Association of Teachers, and Messrs Kwaku Agyeman-Duah and Nana Osei Bonsu of the Private Enterprise Federation.

The rest are Dr Yaw Adu Gyamfi of the Association of Ghana Industries, Dr Eric Yeboah of the office of the Senior Minister and Dr Yaw Ansu, a senior policy adviser at the Finance Ministry.

At a short ceremony at the Jubilee House in Accra, President Akufo-Addo said it could not be right that 60 years after Ghana’s independence, the country was still dependent on external assistance with its extraordinary natural and human resources.

He said that the country had been dependent on aid largely because “we have not been able to develop our economy to the extent that allows us to do things for ourselves,” adding, “by now, we should be in position to fund activities for reasons that is obvious, then, we will have control over our own destiny.”