Fellow countrymen,
As we inch toward the 2016 general
elections, the crusaders of the two major political parties in Ghana
have come out with their policy documents. Upon my careful perusal, I realized one was strongly hinting on JOB CREATION and the other on
INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT. Clearly, the issue of traditional ideologies
have indeed come to action. The capitalist have laid their cardinal
qualities to bare in their policy document where as the socialist have
also done same.
The emerging issues makes me feel as though they
are issues we have been with. I am filled with a strong sense of dèja
vu when it comes to job creation and infrastructure development. In the
first, second and third republic, many politicians have had their share
of those issues. But the question I am asking is, have we taking our
time to think in deeply about the issues and also which one to
prioritized over the other?
A Zambian economic scholar, Moyo
Dambisa made this arguments, It is better to provide infrastructure
development (schools, hospitals, roads, markets etc) before coming to
tackle the most pressing issue of unemployment. I read it over and over
again trying to get the connotative meaning. Arguably, the justification
was that it indeed makes no economical sense to create jobs without
basic social amenities. This will put undue pressure on the few
amenities the country is having and create huge competition on it's
accessibility.
Adams smith's school of thought also says, we
should also allow the invisible hands to operate and at the long run,
equilibrium will be established. The theory has been developed widely by
neo capitalist and it has work perfectly in the western countries.
I am very sure Ghanaian have come to a point of perusing policy
documents and basing their value judgements on the competency,
action-orientedness, and nationalism.
I am sure fellow future
leaders YOUTHS will tighten their belts and seize the opportunity of
2016 general elections to vote against the final assault on the bastions
of want, disease, poverty, degradation and indignity.
Bance Salifu Yaro
Former PRO IAAS-KNUST
Director of communication YNP-GH
+233 24 604 0085
bsalifu@gmail.com