Mr Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, Deputy Speaker of Parliament has said Ghana is blessed with numerous natural resources and if well branded and marketed, its value could soar above its current state.

He said a country would not develop with only the resources it had, but would only develop if attitudes were changed.

“For Ghana to develop, innovation and creativity are good ingredients and not commodities. A country will only develop if it succeeds in building a nation. “Nation building is a process of constructing a national identity, using the power of the state”, Mr Bagbin said.

He classified cocoa and gold as semi-luxury goods which could not be relied on to produce the necessary foreign exchange, likewise oil and gas which were only two sources of energy among many others.

“If it were so, Nigeria our neighbour would have being well developed. We need to find better sources of revenue”, he said.

“What Ghana needs is deep introspection, individually and nationally. A collective vision based on an unbiased reflection of the current state and future of Ghana could be a good beginning” he said.

Mr Bagbin said this at the launch of his 25 years of career as a politician and 60 years of life celebration held in Wa on Saturday.

The youth advocates for social democracy organised the celebration in honour of the Deputy Speaker’s development achievements in his life time and as a politician for the country and the Upper West Region in particular.

He wondered if Ghana was really practising democracy since there was raging indiscipline in the country, saying “Democracy cannot strive in a culture of falsehood, indiscipline and disorder”.

Mr Bagbin said discrimination and tagging of almost everybody as a partisan pointed to disunity, adding: “This conscious and deliberate strategy is a tragedy and the earlier we moved away from it, the better it will be for all of us and the future of the country” he stressed.

“What Ghana needs, is a strong and supportive political shareholder base”, he acknowledged.

Quoting the first President of Ghana, Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah at the declaration of independence, he said. “Nothing can be done unless it has the total support of God”.

“Ghana will get to that stage where we wish to be. “I believe strongly that my life is that of divination and determination. And am confident with you in the boat I will smile at the storm. Ghana will smile at the storm. Ghanaians will smile at the storm” he assured.

Talking on education, he said the answer to the see-saw, up and down type of development the country was experiencing now was not quality education.

“The solution is not just the implementation of a free universal education for all but a carefully thought through home-grown system of quality education based on science and technology and anchored by a culture of integrity”.

Mr Bagbin extended his heartfelt appreciation to the people of the Nandowli-kaleo constituency for their support, trust and confidence they reposed in him since his political career for almost 25 years of service to Ghana and the people of Nandowli-Kaleo constituency.

The forum was graced by many dignitaries including political leaders from the various political divide, traditional leaders, religious leaders, civil society organizations, students and many lovers and friends of the longest serving law maker of the premier law making body in the country.