Ministers of state and other government appointees have been advised to change their mindsets if they want the government to succeed with the ambition of modernising the Ghanaian economy beyond aid.
According to Dr Charles Mensa, the president must also endeavour to get his appointees to align with his determination to modernise the economy without relying on donations and aid from developed countries in Europe and elsewhere.
President Akufo-Addo in a meeting with visiting French President, Emmanuel Macron, on Thursday, 30th November, 2017 noted that Ghana, under his leadership, has decided to turn her back on the old economy, which is dependent on the production and export of raw materials.
Mr Akufo-Addo stressed that “we want to build a value-added, industrialised economy with a modernised agriculture, which is neither victim nor pawn of the world economic order.”
This, according to the president, “is the way to develop healthy relations between our two countries, and put Ghana at the high end of the value chain in the global market place, and create jobs for the teeming masses of Ghanaians, particularly the youth. Our vision is to build a free, prosperous, independent country, a Ghana Beyond Aid.”
Speaking on Joy FM, Dr Charles Mensa commended President Akufo-Addo for standing up to speak against the old economic order of the world, adding that Ghana will be better off if “we rise up and change the system.”
“It’s good that he gathered the courage to say it but what he needs to do is to dismantle the system,” the IEA chair gave the president a pat on the back.
However, the president could end up fighting the battle alone if his ministers, some of whom by their training and thinking, still rely on the old way of doing business with the West, Dr Mensa argued.
“I tell you most major western countries know who to talk to…it’s an old system, it’s been very well developed,” he argued, suggesting that some of the European economic powerhouses tend to use ministers and appointees of African countries to push their agenda.
“He [Akufo-Addo] has to wean some of his ministers off this colonial economic mentality, that’s where his challenge is,” Dr Mensa said.
He therefore, called on Ghanaians to support their leader to win the fight.
He said the president has “broken the back of fear for us” and charged the youth to carry the flame of the fire stoked by their leader.
“Nana Addo has led the way; he’s managed to risk his future to lead the way but it’s up to the younger generation to rally behind him.
“I think it’s significant and we need to throw arms all around him…It is going to be a big fight but if we win the fight we are going to cross the line and become and a modern economy,” describing it as such “shame that a very, very wealthy continent will become so poor.”
He called the president to walk the talk by amending the minerals laws and renegotiating some of the contracts the country entered into with multinational companies which allow the export of minerals and other produce in their raw forms to Europe.
Dr Mensa remarked sadly, the existing development where, “we give our best to Europe and we go back to them begging for freebies…which is even nothing to what we give them.”
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