Minister Promises to Pursue Good Governance

from The Ghanaian Chronicle

The Minister of Local Government, Rural Development and Environment, Stephen Asamoah-Boateng proclaimed that the government needs to assure that the people are heard so they can drive the mantle of development and bring themselves out of poverty.

As he closed the 1st Accra Governance Dialogue he promised that he would make sure democracy was implemented in Ghana and hoped other African Ministers would follow suit.

After a two-day conference, delegates concluded that for Africa’s development, good governance was an essential requirement within African countries, and Ghana was praised for its political and economic advancement since independence.

The topic of ‘Consolidating Political Stability in Africa for Accelerated Economic Growth’ was discussed with delegates from Nigeria, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Gambia as well as Ghanaian Ministers of State.

The Chairman of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission in Nigeria, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu said that political stability is often hampered by corruption. He said the efforts to eradicate corruption would be fruitless if there was not a stable political environment encouraged by the people.

He used the current predicament in his country as an example, telling the delegates that 120 people who had been recently convicted of corruption were friends with the Nigerian president, Olusegun Obasanjo.

He said: “Above all, the political will must be present at the topmost level of political decision-making to allow such catalytic forces to work in such a way that they do not become the business-as-usual model which has become the bane of many reform programmes in the region.”

He told the audience that good governance would come from fair elections by the people. “The ability of the people to vote in a free and fair election, bolstered by informed choices, and for the elected representative to deliver on electoral promises, all form aspects of the cocktail of principles which coalesce into what we have come to define properly as governance.”

The importance of fair elections had already been emphasized by the Ghanaian Chairman Electoral Commission, Dr Kwadwo Afari Gyan who said on day one that by holding a successful democratic election would in itself not signal the arrival of democracy or good governance but was a step in the right direction.

He said “In so far as elective public offices are concerned, a successfully executed democratic election is the only genuine door to democratic leadership, and therefore the first step towards good governance.

“Elections form an important factor in consolidating political stability, which indeed is essential for accelerating economic development,” he added.

The representatives were encouraged to realize that Africa has its problems and remains a poor continent needing a lot of work. Discussing the import role that the private sector has in good governance, Ishmael Yamson, Chairman of Unilever Ghana and Standard Chartered Bank said: “We cannot for ever blame the unfavorable world trade terms for our slow development and pervasive poverty when we do nothing to change the structure of our economies.

“A company is not a country so no private sector organization can replace the state in ensuring political stability. What the private sector can do and do better is promoting good governance.

“First the private sector must become competitive and strong. A weak private sector is a liability to any country especially if the conditions for growth are present. When the private sector becomes competitive it will grow, generate more wealth and create prosperity for all its stakeholders. It is in the area of wealth-creation that the private sector can play a leading role,” he added.

As Mr Asamoah-Boateng closed the dialogue he said that by building on and learning from past experiences, Africa could develop into a democratic and fair continent. He said Africans needed to keep on talking of democracy and building on it.

He said: “A lot has been discussed here on democracy and good governance. I hope that they are taken forward and implemented. I will make sure, that here in Ghana, the issues are pursued and implemented.

“We need to bring our people up so they can drive the mantle of development and develop out economies.”

He also said that regardless of which party was in power, the people needed to be brought out of poverty and this would only be done if all the country worked together and pushed for political stability.

Graphic Communications said they organized the conference with an aim to encourage the development of democracy and good governance in the country and Africa.

Mr Asamoah-Boateng thanked the Graphic and praised the group for its hard work. He said other media organizations needed to also aid in the political stability of the country by exposing corruption and campaigning for democracy.

“The Government will support media practitioners as we strive for political stability and so together we can shape our country.”