Ghana needs robust policy foundation - JOY
The independent candidate in the 2016 presidential race, Mr Jacob Osei Yeboah, has argued that an emerging Ghana, where development, employment, better livelihoods and other benefits abound for the citizenry, needs a robust policy foundation.
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This policy foundation, Mr Yeboah, also known as JOY, said, must espouse an all-inclusive system of governance where the best policies and human resources in all political parties, traditional and religious leaders and statesmen are pooled to form the government.
He stated this when he presented his manifesto, dubbed “policy foundation,” to the Paramount Chief of the Esikado Traditional Area, Nana Kobina Nketsia V at Esikado, and the Takoradi Central congregation of the Church of Christ in Takoradi in the Western Region.
Mr Yeboah had earlier presented his manifesto to the leaders of some religious organisations, including the office of the Chief Imam, the Christian Council of Ghana, the Methodist Church and the Catholic Bishops Conference on separate occasions.
Presentation
Mr Yeboah said the presentation to Nana Nketsia was to boost his earlier commitment to make religious and traditional leaders an integral part of his government if given the nod.
“I am giving my policy document to you to signify that if voted as president, you can at any time hold me accountable for whatever is in the policy foundation without being victimised. I will welcome your criticism or corrections wholeheartedly at all times,” he said.
According to JOY, his “policy foundation” was aimed at doing what was right for the people, often in consultation with them rather than socialism and capitalism which divided the people.
“ My policy foundation again promotes creating wealth and sufficient jobs through the industrialisation of the vast natural resources the country is endowed with as well,” he said.
That, he believed, made his policies the best to build that robust foundation for the emerging Ghana he envisaged.
Upper Parliament
Mr Yeboah, who is contesting as a presidential candidate for the second time, said in Ghana’s democracy, religious and traditional leaders were always expected to calm political and ethnic tensions but questioned why they were not allowed to participate directly in governance by being offered appointments.
He said he would, set up a (second) upper parliament which would be an upgrade of the current Council of State made up of religious and traditional leaders, senior citizens and the best human resource in all political parties in terms of governance.
He said the upper parliament would be mandated to review, scrutinise and fine-tune policies and decisions taken by parliament with the aim of addressing what he described as the tyranny in parliament due to a political majority.”
That “tyranny,” he said, was affecting the quality of decisions taken by legislators and therefore, applying some checks and balances had become very crucial to ensure development was not compromised.
Vote for peace
Receiving the policy document on behalf of the Takoradi Central congregation of the Church of Christ, Professor Daniel Asimah appealed to the electorate to vote for peace and unity to accelerate development, adding that “no meaningful development could be achieved in any polarised community”
He also appealed to his church members and all electorate to ignore calls by some political leaders urging their supporters to stay around the polling stations after casting their ballots.
According to him, that was not helpful to the electoral process because the slightest action among the supporters of the various political parties could be a source of commotion, considering the recent claim by some stakeholders that elections were won at the polling stations.
“Please go and cast your vote on time, go home and wait until 5 p.m. and then you can go back to the polling station to observe the counting, conducting yourselves decently,” he said.
Professor Asimah appealed to the electorate to desist from interfering in the ballot counting process and asked them to use lawful means to address their concerns to safeguard the peace the country had been blessed with.
For his part, Nana Nketsia also added his voice to the call for the electorate and politicians to conduct themselves responsibly to ensure that the country remained safe during and after the election.
As a local preacher in the Methodist Church, he also presented a highlight of his policy foundation to the Takoradi Circuit of the Methodist Church of Ghana when he worshipped with the church last Sunday during his campaign tour of the Western Region.
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