Former President of the republic Ghana, John Dramani Mahama has commended the leadership of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) based in the UK for its commitment to ensuring executive accountability in member states.
He said holding governments accountable of their stewardship of resources entrusted to them is vital to the development of the African continent in particular and the world in general.
Mr. Mahama expressed gratitude that the UK Government through the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association continues to implement programmes and policies that help member countries hold their respective governments accountable as well as strengthen and sustain young democracies across the continent.
The former ECOWAS chairman made the commendation when a CPA-UK high powered delegation paid a curtsy call on him at his office in Accra as part of the team’s working visit to the country to participate in a multi-national Trade and Security Workshop between the CPA-UK and African Parliamentarians.
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Mr. Mahama addressing the delegation took the opportunity to expose some political lapses been experienced in the country.
The former leader accused the siting President of the republic and Chairman of ECOWAS of political prejudice which he (the former president) described as an affront to the socio-economic development of the country.
The Ex-President and the 2020 presidential candidate of the main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) bemoaned how President Akuffo Addo’s led government has since assuming office five years ago abandoned all development projects initiated by his administration in particular and those of his predecessors.
He said development projects irrespective of the political administration that initiate them are valuable properties of the citizenry and must be completed and put to use to serve the purposes for which they were initiated.
Mr. Mahama pointed out that considering the country’s economic state, it will not be economically or socially prudent for any leader with the welfare of the people at heart to abandon crucial development project which are at advanced stages of completion and start same new ones from scratch.
He expressed much concern of the fact that most of these newly initiated projects do not have well assured resource funding for their completion.
He attributed the president’s adamant posture towards issues of national development to the weak democratic system in the country.
He said party politics has cladded the judgement of members of parliament and government appointees that they see nothing wrong with the leader of the party on whose ticket they represent.
The NDC’s hopeful presidential candidate for election 2024 said he looks forward to a Ghana with strong and mature democratic representation where appointees and elected representatives of the citizens will not do the biding of their partisan leaders but truly seek the wellbeing of the masses.
CPA- UK delegation said the association is proud of the country’s stable democracy so far and appealed to all stakeholders to play their respective roles to consolidate and deepen it.
The delegation led by the Labour Party’s Cardiff South and Stephen Doughty are in the country to participate in a workshop directed at strengthening trade and security ties in the sub region in an era of the COVID -19.
The Workshop is also expected to raise and discuss issues bordering on African Continental Free Trade, as well as affirmative action and the role of women in the development of the continent.
