A Senior Lecturer at the University of Cape Coast, Professor John Gatsi, has stated that the President’s directive to the two major political parties to resolve political vigilantism in the country is a narrow approach to solving the problem.
He explained that the country’s security challenge should be tackled holistically by all stakeholders because it was much broader and complex.
Prof. Gatsi noted that “recent surge in contract killings, robberies, kidnappings, land guard menace, among others, should be tackled with strategic approach, instead of asking the two parties to resolve them.
He was expressing his views on the President’s State of the Nation Address delivered to Parliament on Thursday.
Prof. Gatsi objected to the approach, saying “the nation’s security is critical because it defined how the business investment environment should be handled with involvement of all the security agencies and other key stakeholders.”
With regard to the performance of the macro economy, he acknowledged reduction in inflation, policy rate, increase in economic growth and other indicators, but indicated that he would have loved to hear the President mention the number of jobs and opportunities created as well as revenues generated with the stabilisation of the indicators.
“The nation cannot glorify in macroeconomic statistics without translating into physical infrastructural development and wellbeing of the people,” Prof. Gatsi stressed.
President Akufo-Addo asked the leadership of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and National Democratic Congress (NDC) to come together and agree on appropriate measures to end the phenomenon of political vigilantism.
The President said he had personally asked the leadership of the NPP to extend an invitation to the leadership of NDC for such a meeting to happen and, thus, suggested next week as a preferable date.
Meanwhile, Dr Oduro Osae, a Local Government Expert observed that in the absence of defined framework or guide for delivering the State of the Nation Address, the President stuck to the directive principles of state policy by highlighting on key areas of the economy, including health, sanitation, education, infrastructural development, among others.
However, he noted that he would have loved to hear the President provide details about the policy statements highlighted in the 2018 address for the public to know the progress made thus far.
Notwithstanding, Dr Osae said “the President has done well by supporting the resolution of the age-long Dagbon chieftaincy dispute and taken a decision to celebrate this year’s national independence parade in the Northern Regional Capital, Tamale.
–myjoyonline.com
