, "Better Ghana" Concept Isn't The Legacy Of Mr. Rawlings

Ghana's High Commissioner to South Africa, His Excellency Lee Ocran, has denied assertions by a leading member of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) that the "Better Ghana" agenda is the legacy of ex-president Rawlings.

According to the diplomat, the idea behind the "Better Ghana agenda" was mooted by a committee he once chaired.

Former First Lady, Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings is alleged to have stated on Kyzz FM, a Takoradi-based private radio station that the "Better Ghana" agenda concept being used by the Mills' government was developed by her husband, and therefore remains his legacy.

The "Chronicle" newspaper, in its Thursday, September 9th edition, reported that the NDC's first National Vice-Chairman strongly put forward that former President Rawlings had developed the ideology of a "Better Ghana" agenda since 1982, and presented a paper to that effect, when he was in government during the Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC) regime.

According to the publication, until this piece of information was revealed by the former First Lady who was on a three-day working visit to the Western Region, many were those who thought the concept was developed by President Mills.

However, Mr. Ocran stated that "ex-president Rawlings" never proposed the "Better Ghana" agenda to the committee. He further said the "Better Ghana" agenda was put forward by a member of his committee, and emphatically stated that "no president, ex-president or party chairman" suggested that to him.

The members of the NDC manifesto drafting committee in 2004 included Ms. Hannah Tetteh, current Minister for Trade and Industry, Kwamena Ahwoi, a senior lecturer at the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA), John Mahama, current Vice President, Abakah Kwansah, Dr. Tony Aidoo and Lee Ocran, Ghana High Commissioner to South Africa.

The membership for the 2008 committee included Dr. Oteng Adjei, current Minister for Energy, Squadron Leader Sowu (rtd), Togbe Sedem, Mr. Abakah Kwansah, Mr. Lee Ocran, and Mrs. Clarke Kwesie former national treasurer of the NDC, now Ghana Ambassador to South Korea.

According to Mr. Ocran, in 2004 he was elected Chairman of a Committee which was mandated to put together a manifesto for the NDC.

".in the course of writing the manifesto, the committee had to research deeply in order to come up with a name... In the course of the research, names such as "A New Direction", "Better Life" and the "Idea Of A Better Ghana" were proposed."Better Ghana" was chosen because the NDC wanted to improve conditions which existed at that time, in order to move from good to better," he added.

Addressing the issue on the 'Gold Paper Review', Mr. Ocran revealed that the concepts within the manifesto touched on only contemporary issues.

He cited an example that if one read about education in their constitution, that person would realize that it was in-line with the 1992 constitution which stipulates that every government had to ensure free "compulsory, universal basic education."