If Ghana Is To Be Become Prosperous Ghanaian Politicians Must End Their Negativity

If,   as a people,  we are to move ahead,   and at the same time spread the benefits of economic growth   amongst a larger proportion of Ghana's total population, the extremists amongst our  political class will have to put aside the "let-us-lay-waste-to-the-

nation"  mentality, which, when in opposition,  makes them work hard  at sabotaging the nation-building efforts of the  party in power.


For example, from day one,  on the 7th of January 2009, when the Mills regime was sworn into office, that negative attitude has been on display by hardliners in the main opposition party, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) - who  have  gone to great length to discredit  the current National Democratic Congress (NDC)  and, if their  harshest critics are to be believed, sabotage the NDC's nation-building agenda,  through   public-sector proxies who still remain  loyal to the NPP.


The conspiracy theorists in our midst point to the disgraceful power outage episode,  a few days ago,  at the Baba Yara stadium in Ghana's second city, Kumasi, as a classic  example of such sabotage-by-remote-control.


No doubt we will eventually  see whether that is confirmed by any committee of  enquiry's findings.


Readers will recall that the floodlights failed  and left the pitch  enveloped in darkness  for over an hour, during the World Cup qualifying match between Ghana and Lesotho, a few days ago.


Some of their  harshest critics point to that embarrassing episode   as an example of the sabotage-by-proxy strategy, adopted by extremists in the NPP.


As is common knowledge in Ghana, hardliners in the NDC pretty much did the same thing,  when their party  too was in the political wilderness,  from January 2001 to January 2009. Such tactics will only  set the hands of the  metaphorical clock of progress back in Ghana.


If such politicians (from across the spectrum)  were more responsible and patriotic, instead of such negativity, would they not rather focus  on making ordinary people more aware, for example, of the lunacy, at a time of austerity at home,  and in most of our trading partners,   of continuing  to  spend as much as Ghc60 millions to subsidise  fuel?


As someone pointed it out to me, it is an insane  policy that  fuel smugglers - who illegally transport  fuel from Ghana to sell  across our borders -  benefit the most  from. How can that be of any benefit to   the national economy?


At a time of global climate change, and in an age of austerity, is it not prudent for Ghanaians  to become more conscious of the need to use fuel, electricity and water more sparingly and efficiently?


Surely,   having to pay the true cost of such items, will    make  all of us concious of the need to be more careful  in their usage?


Would the Ghc60 millions spent monthly by the government to subsidise  petroleum products,   not be better value for our nation, if it was spent  instead on an initiative to provide well-designed and well-built  affordable housing,  for low and  middle income families nationwide, I ask?


And would embarking on such a housing initiative not    boost the construction sector's contribution to Ghana's GDP -  and create more jobs for artisans amongst  Ghana's teeming unemployed youth, I ask?


So why is there no advocacy by political parties for  a national consensus on ending fuel subsidies - and focusing instead on using less fuel as a nation by,  amongst other strategies,   encouraging the importation and use of   hybrids  and more fuel efficient vehicles, as well as  LPG gas-powered vehicles?


Would it also not  be refreshing, dear reader,  to  hear our nation's politicians urging Ghanaians, for example,  to embrace  ideas that will make our country more competitive than our neighbours -  such as abolishing personal income tax and   making this the nation with the lowest corporate tax rate in Africa?


And why not resource it,  and ask the Ghana Navy, for example,  to operate  hovercraft on the Volta Lake - so that  whiles making lake transportation safer, it would, at the same time,  generate funds to help the navy improve the lot of our gallant sailors?


Instead of continuing to be a source of corrupt practices that enrich  crooked businesspeople and corrupt customs officials, if our ports were made free zones, would that not make them the leading ports along the West African coastline, and generate  more income for our nation in the long-term, I ask?


And rather than  continuing to export cocoa beans, why not earn more for Ghanaian cocoa farmers,  and our nation, by attracting Chinese, Japanese, Malaysian, Indonesian and other Asian as well as North American and European   chocolate companies,  to manufacture chocolates here  for their home markets, as fair-trade confectionery?


Instead of devoting their energies to endless propaganda and exchanging  personal insults, it is time  members of Ghana's political class (across the spectrum) focused on what will raise the living standards and  improve the quality of life of ordinary Ghanaians  - whether they are in power or in opposition.


If we are to become a more prosperous society, our politicians need to  end their negativity -  and think more positively.  A word to the wise...


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