A public lecture to identify workable solutions to complement efforts at enriching Ghana’s governance system to accelerate development has been held in Accra.
It was held on the theme “Good Governance as a catalyst tool in the development of our country, Ghana,” and organised by the SOLIDARE Governance Forum.
It brought together experts to deliberate and interrogate thorny issues challenging good governance practices in the country and suggest the “way forward.”
Speaking at the lecture on Thursday, Benjamin Essuman, Executive Director, SOLIDARE Governance Forum, noted that good governance was essential for every country to thrive.
“In a country where there are good governance practices, the people prosper and their communities develop. Good governance is synonymous with sound development,” he stated.
“Over the period, we have been told by our development partners, scholars and governance experts, that we can have that Ghana we wish for, only when there is a long period of uninterrupted good governance in this country,” he added.
Mr Essuman indicated that it was imperative to interrogate the symbiotic relationship between good governance and development in the country, as no astronomical development had been seen since the inception of the 1992 constitution.
Speaking on “Good Governance and Development in Ghana: Interrogating the relationship,” Dr Alidu Seidu, senior lecturer, Political Science Department, University of Ghana (UG) Legon, said people were central to development as they were “the means to an end and an end in itself.”
He underscored that good governance facilitated human progression and satisfaction.
Dr Seidu explained that governance involved sustainable economic growth, prudent economic management, respecting press freedom, making people happy and respecting people’s rights.
The senior lecturer said the salient features of good governance included“accountability, transparency, equity and inclusiveness, efficiency and effectiveness, participation, rule of law and consensus.”
For the prevalence of good governance, Dr Seidu said there should be the “legitimacy of government, accountability of official element of government, competence of government to make and deliver services and respect for human rights and rule of law.”
Drawing a linkage between good governance and development, Dr Seidu stressed that good governance provided an enabling environment for development, responsiveness and commitment to serve people.
Others were the provision of cohesive and responsible society, constitutional validity, reduction of governance cost, enhancing public service quality and improving employees’ productivity.
BY ABIGAIL ARTHUR
