We need improved leadership to develop - Prof Adei
A former Rector of the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA), Professor Stephen Adei, has called for an improved leadership in order to help transform the country’s fortunes.
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According to him, the most important key to Africa’s development was to improve leadership systems.
He said for instance that leaders of the country, from post independence have failed to exhibit good leadership skills, hence their administrations have not translated into development.
Professor Adei made the remarks at the official opening of a photo exhibition by the Graphic Communications Group Limited (GCGL) at the La Palm Royal Beach Hotel in Accra on Tuesday.
The event, dubbed: “60years of independence through the lens of Graphic” exhibited various photographs compiled by the GCGL to tell Ghana’s history from the pictorial perspective.
Leadership
Speaking on the topic: “21st century leadership and preparation of Africa towards a better world”, Prof Adei was of the view that effective and transformational leaders build strong institutions that propel other economic factors to facilitate development.
He therefore entreated civil society organisations to rise up against bad leadership in order to save the continent from further being plunged into abject poverty.
Prof Adei, however, said Ghana and by extension, the African continent could improve its lots when mechanisms were instituted to check corruption and improve leadership and basic education.
Lands
Concerning land use, he said, the state must consider taking charge in the management of land in the country and expressed worry on how lands were being used in the country.
According to him, although chiefs and traditional authorities were the custodians of lands, such powers could only be allowed to maintain the right to sell lands; with the state taking responsibility on how lands ought to be used in the country.
He, however, explained that the idea of the state taking charge in the management of land use in the country was not to deny the chiefs and traditional authorities their right to own their lands but to ensure effective and proper land use.
He said land was the major resources of the country and that the country ought to be concerned on how lands were used.
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Responsibilities and duties
The Deputy Minister of Information, Ms Dokua Asiamah Adjei in her address blamed the woes of the country on the failure of leaders and institutions.
According to her, if leaders and institutions had worked the way they were expected to deliver, the country would not have been where it is today.
She said, however, that the country would function properly when individual citizens and the various institutions performed their functions as expected.
Touching on the exhibition, Ms Adjei commended GCGL for the photo history.
According to her, many in the current generation of the country have little knowledge of what happened in the country during the colonial times, but with the photos, they would be in position to see what transpired during such times.
Photo exhibition
The Managing Director of GCGL, Mr Kenneth Ashigbey, for his part said the photo exhibition was organised in order to help rekindle the sense of patriotism among the country’s citizenry.
He said the photos were rich in content of the country’s history, saying that the company would consider making the exhibition an annual event.