COLLECTIVE RESOLVE FOR BETTER GHANA (JAN 8, 2010)

It is preposterous for anybody to think that the Mills administration can achieve everything it promised during its four-year mandate.
Indeed, we are yet to come across literature anywhere that suggests a 100-per cent accomplishment of pledges made by governing parties while on the campaign trail.
That is not to say, however, that people should not take their government to task if the government fails to deliver on the social contract they signed with the electorate during the electioneering.
Yesterday was exactly one year when President John Evans Atta Mills assumed office, promising to pursue policies for a better Ghana.
When the President met the media at the Castle yesterday, he trumpeted the successes achieved by his government and gave the assurance that the gains would eventually reflect in the pockets of the people.
The President mentioned gains by his administration in terms of reduction in inflation and stabilisation of the cedi, among other issues, which would help to greatly improve the lives of all and put the cynics and critics to shame.
No one doubts the fact that the President took office at the time the whole world was in the throes of a major economic meltdown, for in the United Kingdom and the United States of America, for instance, banks and mortgage companies were filing for bankruptcy protection.
Thankfully, all governments that put in place austerity measures as a way of dealing with the economic crunch are seeing results and Ghana is no exception.
The Daily Graphic thinks that the President was right in not limiting the success that his administration has chalked up to the competence of his team of ministers but to the co-operation of Ghanaians at large.
The people had to go through sacrifices during the trying times last year to give space to the government to execute its programmes and policies.
It is our hope that as we move out of the stabilisation stage of the economy to the level where efforts would be geared at promoting the take-off of the economy, the welfare of Ghanaians will remain the focus of the government’s policies and their views and criticisms accommodated in the conduct of state affairs.
For it is said that the path maker does not know where he has gone crooked, so the doors should constantly be opened to the people to scrutinise the policies of the government.
The President acknowledged the essence of the marketplace of ideas when he applauded the media for the significant contribution to the frontiers of democracy.
The Daily Graphic believes that with the collective resolve, we can achieve the ultimate for this country, that is, build a country where everybody can afford the basic necessities of life.
The journey ahead will not be easy; it will be rough and tortuous but we can reach the ‘Promised Land’ only through hard work, sacrifice and a united front.
As said earlier, governments are unable to achieve all their pledges within their mandate.
The Daily Graphic, therefore, suggests to the government that in looking forward, it should prioritise its programmes to focus on few key areas that can drive the economy for the take-off.
We also suggest more investment in people through education and health so that we can have healthy men and women to lead the assault on squalor, poverty and disease to create a better Ghana by the end of the President’s term.