Executive Director of the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), Sulemana Braimah, has cautioned the Mahama administration against using the perceived shortcomings of the previous New Patriotic Party (NPP) government as the benchmark for measuring its performance, insisting that Ghanaians deserve governance anchored on excellence rather than relative improvement.
According to him, while many citizens may welcome the actions of the current National Democratic Congress (NDC) administration as a departure from what he described as the poor governance record of the immediate past government, such comparisons should not define the country’s expectations of leadership.
“The damage done to our nation by the last NPP administration was so monumental. After such a terrible record of governance, almost every step taken by the current administration may be viewed by many as a welcome departure from the bad governance by the recent past government,” Mr Braimah wrote in a Facebook post on Friday.
He, however, argued that Ghana could not afford to lower its governance standards to a point where merely performing better than a previous administration is regarded as success.
He likened such comparisons to celebrating a student who obtains an E8 in the West African Senior School Certificate Examination simply because another candidate scored an F9, stressing that “being better than failure is not success.”
Mr Braimah said the government’s much-publicised “Reset Agenda” must be assessed on the basis of measurable improvements in the lives of Ghanaians rather than comparisons with the record of the previous administration.
He said the country requires transparent and accountable leadership, strong public institutions that serve the national interest, and a government that places competence above political patronage.
The MFWA Executive Director also called for strict adherence to the rule of law, honesty in public administration and the protection of the country’s natural resources, expressing concern over the continued destruction of the environment through illegal mining activities.
He maintained that holding governments accountable was an essential feature of democratic governance and should not be misconstrued as hostility towards the state.
“It is both necessary and patriotic to continue to demand transparency and accountability from the current NDC government. Holding government to high standards is not an act of hostility. It is an essential ingredient of democratic governance,” he stated.
Mr Braimah further said a government genuinely committed to resetting Ghana should welcome constructive criticism and independent public scrutiny as important tools for improving governance.
He said the Media Foundation for West Africa would continue to monitor the activities of the government and expose what it considers fraudulent transactions, wasteful public expenditure and instances where public officials fail to uphold transparency, regardless of criticism from political supporters.
“Our collective ambition must be to build a nation where every government is judged against the highest standards of integrity, competence and service to the people,” he said.
Source: www.kumasimail.com
