By Ernest Nutsugah
Accra, Oct. 2, GNA – Non-governmental organisation, Centre for National Interest and Research, Ghana (CNIR-GH) has launched a programme called the “Centenary Agenda Initiatives” to “transform Ghana’s future”.
The initiative, which includes a series of events, to be announced later, aims to change the narrative of partisan politics in the country, and harness the existing opportunities in the country to drive “an inclusive social and political society”.
According to CNIR-GH, the initiative would focus on thematic areas such as “inclusive economic growth” for entrepreneurship and job creation, social cohesion, sustainable development, environmental stewardship, and global leadership.
Speaking at the press launch in Accra, Mr Dzabaku Kudiabor Ocansey, Executive Director, CNIR-GH, asserted, among other things, that the nation was not progressing due to “extreme partisan politics.”
He noted that developed nations were using their available resources efficiently and that Ghana had the potential to improve its economic and social fortunes through inclusiveness.
Mr Dzabaku believed many Ghanaians had transformational ideas but were often hesitant to implement them because they felt a lack of political backing.
“People have ideas but they are waiting for a political party to come to power before they share the ideas… and if that party does not come to power, it means the ideas will be buried,” he noted.
However, he said, the CNIR-GH initiative would transcend partisan politics, unite Ghanaians and help the nation reclaim its “rightful place” among nations.
The Executive Director underscored the need to nurture nationalists with the interest of the nation at heart, other than promoting individuals who operated along a partisan basis.
He called on citizens to interrogate the intent of persons seeking political office and ensure that state officials or appointees “add value” to national resources they inherited after assuming office.
“A nationalist is somebody who makes good use of opportunities around his community or the country, creates his own wealth and helps others…He thinks of his country first.
“A leader is someone who gets to a political office and adds value or maintains [the resources] he has inherited. But the politician is someone who comes and seeks his personal interest and that of the party he belongs to…
“It is time we understand these things so that when they [politicians] are asking us to vote for them, we should ensure that they add value to whatever they inherit,” he stated.
Mr Dzabaku also expressed concern about persons in leadership positions seeking their parochial interest at the expense of citizens.
“We have an obligation to make a sacrifice to build a truly independent and democratic Ghana, where we respect ourselves, our nation and value our people because whatever we do today, we shall account for it,” he added.
CNIR-GH said there would be stakeholder engagements, public lectures and conferences in the months ahead in line with the Centenary Agenda.
GNA