Wednesday, May 21, 2008

HELP! HELP!! GHANA’S ECONOMY IN DANGER

Hi folks! are you aware that despite the much praise showered on the improvements of our economy, it’s still not strong and vibrant as we were made to believe by politicians? Finally the cat has been left out of the bag and out! Out!!! It runs away to seek refuge in the land of the unknown. Yes wherever effect the truth will take, its is comforting to know that its out and will help us as ordinary Ghanaian to take any pragmatic decision or steps needed in order for us to survive any economic setbacks. I wasn’t that surprising to hear the Director General of National Development Planning Commission, Dr Regina.O.Adutwum admitting that despite the improvements, “the economy still remains basically fragile i.e. small, open , highly dependent on external inflows and vulnerable to shocks triggered by global fluctuations in commodity price as we are witnessing today”. Yes folks trust me, I wasn’t all that surprise at the Directors General utterance because our governments has been foreign donor dependents for far too long failing to adopt a national strategic plan that would for see the harnessing of both our Natural and Human Resource Capital. Let me fill you in folks, evidence from all over the world indicates that no nation including our beloved Ghana can accelerate its social and economic development without properly articulating it vision for development, and its resources, including its human, natural and financial resources towards achieving that vision. Meaning that, there has to be a clear cut strategic national policy which will act as a guide in drawing up a national developments priorities geared towards the utilization of our country limited national resources.

POLITICAL PARTIES ADOPT THE USE OF ICT IN THEIR CAMPAIGNS

The National Democratic Congress, yes the ZU-ZA party is making some strides in efforts to put thing really together to win this years elections. I’m talking about their organizational structures which are to propel the image of the NDC to electorates. I was enthused with their accreditation procedure, this time friends trust me, the NDC didn’t miss it or leave it to chance, they deplore the use of Information Communication Technology tools like the Laptop Computers, Digital Cameras, Digital Printers to enhanced their efficiency so that they could cater for all journalists who would troop to the secretariat to seek for accreditation. In fact most journalists who made it to the NDC secretariat to check on their accreditation before the D-day were very much impress not only with the technological step up made by the largest opposition party in the country, but the fact that the NDC as a political party has rising up to the occasion where ICT plays a dominant role in changing the way we think and do things. My fellow colleague journalists must be given the thumbs up as well for embracing the use of sophiscated ICT tools in discharging their duties. This to me demonstrates how committed journalists in Ghana are in taking advantage of the new media landscape to championing the course of ICT in the era of Globalization.
Least I forget about the incumbent government’s party, yes I am talking about the New Patriotic Party. They’ve also proven that achieving the status of been the party in government is no mere an achievement without the integration of ICT in their policy formulations. The NPP as part of it Manifesto had ICT as one of it core policies aimed at putting Ghana in a very competitive digital environment which will see the country playing a leadership role especially within the Sub- Region. Oh recently folks, the flag bearer of the NPP launched his SMS TEXT fundraising campaign. One may ask about our great leader Kwame Nkrumah’s party, the Convention Peoples Party (CPP). Hhmmmmm! I wonder whether they’ve really awakened from their long slumber and taken the bull by the horn with all their might by addressing issues that are ICT related. Yes understandably the CPP has a vision of industrialization and agriculture as its topical issues, but they need to know that without placing the integration of ICT issues also into it national agenda, its going to be suicidal for them come election day.