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Whither our country Ghana?

Whither our country Ghana?

This is the concluding part of the article. The first part was published last Monday, July 25, 2016.

Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC) Government from December, 1981 to January, 1993

The government of the PNDC strengthened the structures that ensured grass-root participation in the governance of the country. To strengthen the national economy, the PNDC government also embarked upon the Economic Recovery Programme with the support of the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

First National Democratic Congress (NDC) Government from January, 1993 to January, 2001

The government achieved many successes during its eight-year tenure in office. It built the SSNIT Flats, extended electricity, provided bore-holes in the rural areas, constructed roads, reformed the educational system, liberalised  and expanded the telecommunication sector which made it possible for many Communication Centres to be opened, established the Ghana Educational Trust (GET) Fund and Value Added Tax (VAT) system, and initiated the National Health Insurance service.

 As part of the liberalisation of the telecommunication sector, it sold 30 per cent equity share capital of Ghana Telecom to Telecom Malaysia but did not give any part of the proceeds from the sale to Ghana Telecom.

New Patriotic Party (NPP) Government from January, 2001 to January, 2009

For the first time in the history of Ghana, President John Agyekum Kuffour took the bold initiative to invite members of other political parties to serve in his government. He brought in the brilliant and astute entrepreneur, Paa Kwesi Nduom, to serve initially as his Minister of Economic Planning and Finance.

The NPP administration chalked many successes, including the Repeal of the Criminal Libel Law, stabilisation of the Macro-Economy, taking the HIPC initiative, re-denomination of the Cedi, introduction of the Capitation Grant and the School Feeding Program, establishment of the National Health Insurance Scheme on a wider basis, expansion of ICT Services, construction of roads, school buildings, Student Hostels and Housing complexes and modern Sport Stadia.

However, after achieving a growth in excess of seven per cent at one stage during its tenure of office, the NPP, towards the end of its administration, faced challenges of such a nature that in spite of very serious opposition from the public, it had to sell 70 per cent of the shares of Ghana Telecom to Vodafone in order to use part of the proceeds from the sale to pay the salaries of Civil Servants.

 

Section 4: Whither 

Ghana – the way forward

In deciding on which political system Ghana should adopt in the light of the experiences we have had over the last 59 years since we attained independence from Britain on March 6, 1957, we have to carefully consider the merits and demerits of the various political systems we have had in Ghana.

The one-party system is undemocratic and dictatorial.

The military administration cannot be an option.

The multi-party political system, as we have seen, suffers from many drawbacks,mainly due to its intrinsic divisive nature.

The only viable option Ghana should adopt is the union government which is free from all the drawbacks of all the other political systems, mainly due to its inclusive nature.

Section 5: What is 

Union Government?

how will it function?

The Union Government concept rests on four main pillars and these include: -

• There will be no political party.

• Electioneering campaign expenses will be borne by the State.

• There will be maximum utilisation of the talents, expertise and skills of all the people to ensure faster Socio- Economic development of the country.

• There will be a National Development Plan.

Structure of Union Government

There will be the Executive, the Legislative and the Judicial arms of government, with complete separation of powers. The Press will be the fourth estate of the realm.

5.2.1 executive

The Executive arm of government will be headed by an Executive President who will be elected through universal adult suffrage. A three-stage strategy will be used to elect the President.

Stage1: Constituency Level

Individual candidates who are persons with competence, integrity and are public-spirited will present their manifestos on the basis of the National Development Plan.

Regional Level

The successful candidates who emerge after the constituency level elections in the region will then campaign again and present their manifestos to the electorate in the region to be voted for and selected as the candidate for the region in the Presidential Election at the national level.

Stage 3: National Level

All the successful candidates who emerge after the regional elections will finally campaign again and present their manifestos, on the basis of the National Development Plan, to the entire electorate in the nation for one of them to be selected as the President of Ghana.

This method for the election of the President is similar to the one used to select Miss World.

Those contestants who are successful at the regional level can be likened to the national beauty queens of the different countries in the world taking part in the beauty pageant.

The criteria of competence, integrity and public-spiritedness can be likened to the beauty statistics used by the Judges in the Miss World beauty pageant.

The entire electorate in the country who will vote to select the President can be likened to the Judges at the Miss World beauty pageant.

The Electoral Commission (EC), which will organise and supervise all electioneering campaigns, will declare the candidate who will win the national elections as the Executive President of Ghana.

Ministers Of State

To ensure maximum utilisation of all the best talents in the country, the President will appoint the Ministers of State in consultation with the relevant professional bodies or organisations. For example, the President will consult the Ghana Medical Association to appoint the Minister of Health and the Ghana Institution of Engineers for the Minister of Works, Water Resources and Housing.

The President will appoint an Attorney General separate from the Minister of Justice.

Regional Ministers will be appointed by the President in consultation with the appropriate Regional House of Chiefs.

Legislature

Individuals who wish to take part in the Parliamentary Elections must be competent, have integrity and demonstrate public-spiritedness. They will present their manifestos on the basis of the National Development Plan.

No Member of Parliament will be appointed by the President as a Minister or Deputy Minister of State.

There will be no Majority Leader.

There will be no Minority Leader.

There will be no Chief Whip.

5.2.3. Judiciary

There will be the Judiciary arm of government to be headed by the Chief Justice.

Public Accountability

All top appointees in government as well as the Speaker of Parliament and the Chief Justice will declare their assets before assumption of office and at the termination of their tenure of office.

Just as the President as the Head of State, gives the State of the Nation Address to Parliament each year, each year the Speaker of Parliament, as Head of the Legislative arm of government and the Chief Justice, as Head of the Judicial arm of government, will give Annual Reports on their institutions.

Similarly, the Chairman of the National Media Commission and the Chairperson of the EC will give Annual Reports on the Press and the Electoral Commission respectively.

Proposed plan of implementation of union government

December 7, 2016 is not in the too distant future. However, there is a saying that where there is the will, there is a way. It is, therefore, proposed that the following Plan of Implementation is adopted to usher in Union Government for Ghana.

Step 1: National House of Chiefs and National Peace Council meet the hierarchy of all the political parties in Ghana and convince them to accept the concept of Union Government for the Peace, Stability and faster Socio-Economic Development of Ghana.

Step 2: National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) sets up a body, similar to the Ad Hoc Committee on Union Government which was set up in 1977, to collect and collate the views of Ghanaians, almost 39 years after the former Head of State, General Ignatius Kutu Acheampong mooted the idea of Union Government.

Step 3: A body is set up to draft a Constitution on Union Government for Ghana.

Step 4: National Development Planning Commission prepares, for a start, a five-year National Development Plan for Ghana, to provide material for the manifestos of those who will contest for seats in Parliament or as the Executive President of Ghana.

Step 5: Under the direction of the EC, electioneering campaigns will be conducted by the various contestants. The State will bear the cost of all the campaigns.

Step 6: Electoral Commission organizes General Elections for Parliamentary seats and the President on the basis of universal adult suffrage.

Conclusion

Before the advent of the British colonial rule, the various ethnic groups in the country knew and practised Chieftaincy for centuries. A key feature of this form of government is that decisions were made on the basis of consensus. There was no formal opposition as we have it today.

At independence on March 6, 1957, the colonial British administration left us with the Westminster system of government, which is based on the “Winner-Takes-All” philosophy. Since then, we have modified it, to add a bit of the American system in which the Executive is separate from the Congress, so that today we have a hybrid system of government in Ghana.

The experiences we have had over the past 59 years clearly show that the multi-party political system of government with its Winner-Takes-All philosophy, has not brought us the development we have hoped for. It is as though we have a “government of some people, by some people,for some people”.

Today, Ghana is sharply divided along party lines. There is no agreement on National Development Agenda. There is deep division, rancour and bitterness.

 Clearly, the multi-party political system of government is alien to our culture.

The proposal for Union Government for Ghana is, therefore, meant to bring about National Cohesion, Unity and Peace.

It is meant to ensure the full utilisation of the talents, expertise and skills of all the people to quicken the pace of national development and ensure better living conditions of life for the people.

Divided We Fall; United We Stand.

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