The Afro-Continental Union Consult, a think tank on African good governance, has commended President-elect John Dramani Mahama for putting in place formidable teams for the transition and the fight against corruption.
The group noted that the resetting of Ghana under him has begun with good traction with a solid transitional team, a proposed consultative economic forum, and the establishment of the anti-corruption team with promising and experienced professionals to do the work.
Dr. Benjamin Anyagre Aziginaateeg, the Chief Executive Officer of the Afro-Continental Union Consult, speaking to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in an interview, said the solution to resetting sovereign Ghana was in the collective efforts of its people.
Dr. Aziginaateeg said it was through the active participation and contributions of the people that Ghana could regain its past glory and become an attractive nation on the global stage.
“This exercise of resetting Ghana is not solely the responsibility of the government but a shared mandate for all Ghanaians.
It requires every citizen to play a role in ensuring the administration succeeds in leaving behind a legacy that reflects the Ghana we all aspire to build.”
According to him, to achieve this, it was imperative that the anti-corruption team assume a more consultative approach to the inclusiveness of all the public to ensure the ownership of resetting Ghana, stressing that broad-based inclusivity would foster a sense of ownership among citizens.
He recommended that dedicated communication channels, including phone numbers, email addresses, and WhatsApp numbers, must be established and made accessible to all Ghanaians to solicit and gather ideas from the public.
He stressed that “once collected, these ideas can be carefully filtered and analysed to contribute meaningfully toward the national effort of resetting Ghana.”
Dr Aziginaateeg noted that by creating these open channels of communication, the new NDC administration would demonstrate its commitment to transparency, inclusivity, and participatory governance, which are key pillars for achieving sustainable development and restoring confidence in leadership.
According to him, accountability and standards enforcement could be extended to fuel stations serving fuel below the required standards, hotels operating below acceptable standards, instances of misconduct by health service personnel in medical facilities and ensuring that road construction projects adhere strictly to the desired thickness and quality to ensure durability and safety, among others.
He stressed that “The accountability of public funds must be prioritized.”
The proper use of taxpayers’ money should be respected and honoured, ensuring transparency and efficiency in all government expenditures.”
Dr. Aziginaateeg further called for a comprehensive re-engineering of the country by addressing systemic wrongs and implementing corrective measures across various sectors while calling for the involvement of the Ghana Armed Forces and allied bodies in infrastructure development projects.
He explained that engaging them in infrastructural development would reduce costs for the government while leveraging the discipline, efficiency, and technical expertise of these institutions to achieve national development goals.
