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Ensure your work outlives governments- President Akufo-Addo to NDPC Board

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President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has inaugurated the new governing board of the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC), with a charge on the body to ensure its work outlived governments.

The 43-member NDPC Board, chaired by Professor Stephen Adei, an economist, includes ministers, Governor of the bank of Ghana, regional representatives, ex-officio members and others appointed by the President.

At a ceremony at the Jubilee House in Accra, President Akufo-Addo told the Board that the country looked to their ability to forge partnerships, irrespective of their political leanings, to design a comprehensive planning programme and policy that would shape and accelerate Ghana’s development goals irrespective of which government was in power.

He stated that once the Ghanaian people had decided to organize their lives under the guidance of a democratic constitution, political power was to rotate between political parties, thus it was of utmost importance that the countries aspirations are not altered.

But once there would be competition for political power, there was need for a plan with a clear direction that would serve as a compass that successive administrations would key into.

“The people of Ghana decided to organize their lives under the aegis of a democratic constitution. It is therefore envisaged that there would be competition for political power in our State by political parties. That therefore means that every four years the possibility exist for one party or another to be in office.

“If indeed the work you are to do is to be successful, it means that you have to take into account this possibility that quite different parties, with different understandings, different manifestoes, and different commitments would occupy government at one stage or the other.

“Your ability to design a program for our nation should enable the development of our nation to take place despite changes in the face of the Executive,” the President stressed.

The President further reminded the Board of the need to eschew political considerations in their work because “the opportunity you have is not to litigate or mediate your political differences”, saying, “that’s not the purpose of this body, you are there to help the President of the day make intelligent choices for the nation in terms of the planning and development of our country.”

“Recognising the constitutional imperatives that we all live by, it means that those in the commission would not necessarily be of one mind, the change of political allegiance or choice, but that really ought not to affect the quality of work required of you.

“It is not an easy task that you’ve been assigned to do under the constitution…it requires maximum integrity on your part, recognition of what are the realities of our nation, what are the best methods of prosecuting the agenda of national development,” President Akufo-Addo admonished.

“It is not an easy task but I have great confidence in the people being assembled here. I am confident that this very difficult task conferred on you would be one you would be able to discharge with credit to yourselves and to the progress and well-being of the nation,” president Akufo-Addo told the board.

He assured that his administration “stands ready to work with you in all transparency and in all sincerity for us to get the best possible arrangements we can for the progress of our nation. And my doors will always be open to you.”

Prof. Adei thanked the President for the opportunity granted him and the other members of the board to serve the nation and assured that the board would do its best to put forward a policy that would aid the transformation agenda of government that transcend other political regimes.

 

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