Let’s place premium on reset agenda

The country's modest 68th Independence Day celebration yesterday could well establish a genuine basis for the government's reset agenda.

With the previous elaborate carnival events trimmed to a mere ceremonial parade of a representation of the security services and three schools, yesterday marked a sharp departure from what had been a showpiece celebration of Ghana's independent status.

Indeed, even across the country, the downsized anniversary event involved only a small number of schools.

This, perhaps, gave expression to the "Reflect, Review, Reset" theme of this year's Independence anniversary celebration.

With President John Dramani Mahama and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) riding to power on the back of a proposed reset agenda, the cost-cutting effort mimics the overall measure of prudence and frugality needed to reflect an economy running on the restrictive fuel of the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

At 68 years, it is a sad commentary on the nation that it still draws on the emergency interventions of the IMF, other nations and international bodies.

What it means is that the country's natural resource endowments have had minimal impact on the development of the people.

This unfortunate situation is not because of the poverty of quality brains to manage the country and its resources.

After all, the country has produced outstanding professionals across different facets of life, including the late Kofi Annan who rose to head the United Nations.

Instead, it is the case of setting wrong priorities and sometimes activating parochial ventures influenced by selfish or narrow interests that undermine the collective interest of the nation.

In the end, our development has happened on a piecemeal scale rather than on a broad-based all-encompassing level that envisions tomorrow and seeks to provide the foundation for solutions to anticipated developments.

Refreshingly, President Mahama announced at yesterday's national event that the modest ceremony held at the Jubilee House cost GHc1 million, just five per cent of the GHc20 million budget if it had been held at the Independence Square.

That was 95 per cent savings on the GHc20 million budget.

While we applaud the government for the effort to stay within spending limits that the economy can tolerate, we urge that the rest of the agenda should not be limited to improving the economy. In fact, all aspects of the system must be impacted by the agenda.

From security to illegal mining, sanitation to healthcare delivery, education to the chieftaincy institution, land acquisition and registration regime, and other sectors of the system, the nation craves a reset to improve.

Impunity as seen in virtual rogues who undermine the rule of law, middlemen commonly called “goro boys” meddling in administrative processes, unfair job opportunities availed to cronies and a disregard for meritocracy are some examples commonplace in the system.

The broader reset agenda, of course, recognises the need to turn a new curve in the country's life.

It should deliver decent jobs, better living conditions, improved sanitation, affordable accommodation and better education outcomes, among others, to the people.

As President Mahama said, it is time for "bold leadership and the clarity of vision that is needed to navigate the turbulent economic waters we are sailing in currently, while safeguarding our future”.

We could not agree with the President more on this. After all, it is said that leadership is cause, everything else is effect.

It means leadership impacts everything, including the attitude of the populace.

The government and the presidency must lead from the front in championing the aspirations of the citizenry as they continue to rally the country for a take-off of an ambitious journey that promises to depart from the vicious cycle that has led the country nowhere.

A few days before the 68th Independence Day celebration, the country undertook a national economic dialogue as part of the interventions to design a better future for the nation and its people. All of these culminating in the Independence Day celebration should ensure that we manage the country better than ever so that we do not return to the IMF.

This is what the reset agenda requires of us.