Osabarima Kwesi Atta II, Omanhene of Oguaa, has commended the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC) for its nationwide consultations to allow Ghanaians play an active role in the preparation of a long-term national development plan.

He said the involvement of citizens and political party representatives from the beginning of the process would enable them to own and protect the eventual plan.

“Political party manifestos, going forward, should in future be tailored to the overall national plan for consistency in development,” he said, adding that Ghanaians would hold governments accountable should they stray from the plan.

However, he said the plan should also be made flexible to allow for changes when the need arises.

Osabarima said this during the Central Regional consultative forum held on 16/17 November, 2015 in Cape Coast which was the eighth regional consultation.

Speaking on behalf of the Regional House of Chiefs, the Omanhene declared support for the process, adding that such a plan for Ghana should have been developed about 20 years ago.

Mr Aquinas Tawiah Quansah, Regional Minister said "evidence around the world shows that countries that have achieved spectacular successes in development and high growth did that through consistent long-term plans," and therefore commended the NDPC for spearheading the all-important national assignment.

According to the Minister, development planning is not new to Ghana, however, he suggested that the plan, when completed, should be entrenched in the Constitution so that it becomes binding on any political party that assumes office.

He noted that successive plans have not been fully implemented due to political instability and the tendency of new governments to abandon the plans of their predecessors.

Mr Tawiah Quansah called on Ghanaians to dispel any feeling of hopelessness and cynicism as far as the nation’s development is concerned, adding that “people should be inspired by the "patriotism and sense of purpose that energised our forefathers to forge the legacy that we have inherited and build on them".

According to Dr Nii Moi Thompson, Director General of the Commission, the persistent nature of some of Ghana's problems in the area of education, sanitation, corruption and other social vices is a reflection of a lack of a long-term thinking.

He quoted a newspaper headline from 1968 that said "Poor sanitation threatens lives in Accra", and pointed out that the situation persists not just in Accra but in other major cities around the country.

Dr Thompson said: "The future we desire to have will not by itself take place, we have to craft, sculpt it, dream it, plan it and live it."

He said no country has been able to develop itself by deliberately and systematically depriving its citizens the opportunity to improve themselves.

"We often talk about adding value to raw materials but we fail to think of adding value to our human resources. It is the ultimate resource but because of lack of proper planning, we have failed to do precisely that."

The Director General explained that large numbers of students who make it to secondary school do not get admission into tertiary institutions, a situation which could be attributed to failed and visionless educational policies.

He stressed: "No political party can develop the infrastructure we need nationwide within four, eight or even 12 years; therefore we need a non-partisan long-term view.”

Participants at the forum included officials from decentralised ministries, departments and agencies; civil society organisations; students; chiefs from the region and the six main political parties: Convention People's Party, Great Consolidated Popular Party, National Democratic Congress, New Patriotic Party, People's National Convention and Progressive People's Party.

After the opening session, groups were formed to exchange ideas for inputs into the long-term national development plan.

Socio-economic, environmental, institutional development/governance; as well as issues about Ghana and the international community were discussed.

NDPC also organised another forum on the University of Cape Coast campus for students to share their aspirations, dreams and vision of Ghana's development agenda for the next 40 years.