ANOTHER TRIAL OF GHANA’S FORTUNE

 

                                            pic source:ghana home page

Ghana has since 58 years of independence, remained a developing countries. It has made several attempts to improve its development status. Some of these moves have turned out to be mirages due to incompetence and corruption on the part of people in authority while others are still facing the rigor of sustainability. Think of the GYEDA, SADA,YES, LEAP, among others policies which either could not be sustained or are is still dwindling. The John Dramani Mahama led administration has made another bold attempt to test the lack of the country in development by launching the 40-year Development Plan for the country 40-year dev't plan. It is thus an undeniable fact that the launch of this development plan is a laudable initiative by the National Development Planning Commission, NDPC and the government of Ghana. The 40-year development plan is undoubtedly a step towards achieving the developmental objectives of the country. However, the multibillion-dollar question about its delay is something yet to be answered. It is worth noting that there, is a vast difference between initiating a plan and implementing it. Ghana as a country is well noted for propounding good policies and documenting them but the implementation stage is never reached. The least said of the Children’s Act and Ghana Shared Growth and Development Agenda which were never implemented in full, the better. It is high time policy makers went beyond the mere formulation, which actually takes a lot of state’s funds to implementing it. The 40-year development plan should not be a nine-day wonder but a document that will live to see the fulfillment of its goals. Though it will be given a political connotation and undertone, there is the need for more coordinated efforts to ensure that it is fully implemented. Some policy analysts have advocated that the development plan should be divided into segments with defined numbers of years within the forty-year period so that they be easily measured and monitored. More importantly, the involvement of children and youth in the discussion process is a stepping-stone for the realization of this development agenda. Most often, policy makers and people in authority refer to children as future leaders. Is it not mere flattery when the capabilities of these same “future leaders” are not fully developed to face the leadership mantle ahead of them? Gone are the days when the views of the young were considered immature and therefore overlooked. As it stands now, stakeholders all over the world are beginning to soften their stance on the thinking capabilities of the youth having realized the importance of the involvement of children in decision-making. The fabulous speech delivered by Rebecca Obeng Kyere of Curious Minds-Ghana is a sign that this country has a future. In publishing the speeches presented at the launch on the official homepage of the speech on the child representative was left out and that leaves much to be desired in the area of children empowerment.

Rebecca Obeng Kyere of Curious Minds-Ghana

Nonetheless giving opportunity to the children at such an august forum is worth commending. it is therefore the hope of many that this will not be an end to the involvement of children in the decision making process in general and the 40-year development plan consultation yet to be conducted at regional levels in particular. It is a known fact that the inclusion of children in decision making at their early stage is one way of developing their potentials. There is a biblical saying that, train a child the right way and when he grows, he will not depart from it. Therefore, the young ones of this nation should be offered the appropriate and holistic training at the international, national, regional and local levels if they are believed to be the future leaders of this humble nation. By so doing they will be equipped with the needed capacity to man the affairs of this country in the near future. Since the implementation of the 40 year development plan will be a collective responsibility by all citizens of Ghana, it must equally be enjoy a collective involvement of persons from the top of the social ladder to the bottom throughout the consultation period. The young people should be in the driving seat to ensure a holistic development of mother Ghana. The citizens of Ghana look forward to a shared development policy formulation and implementation. Value children, value development.

WRITTEN BY PHILIP TENGZU

GHANA INSTITUTE OF JOURNALISM

_{EDITED BY LYDIA DARLINGTON FORDJOUR & WILLIAM OWUSU BOATENG}