A few weeks ago, I had the real opportunity to hear a Ghanaian politician, who was very passionate and nationalistic, and was imbued with a sense of duty to his motherland that he offered to right some wrongs in the country’s political landscape. He said the overall political direction in Ghana was seriously fraught with severe malaise, and that it was time to institute a new and dynamic policy directions on how best politicians can better serve Ghana.

The gentleman’s name is Dr. Arthur Kobina Kennedy who lives and practices medicine in the United States of America and is contending for the leadership of the New Patriotic Party for the Presidency of Ghana in 2008. New mandates and new personalities will be sought for political leadership of the country at that time. He was speaking to a cross-section of friends and supporters in Toronto at a fundraising dinner.

He says he wants to make a difference in Ghana’s politics and would abandon the hideous status quo of inefficiency, tardiness, corruption and putting square pegs in round holes in such a blatant abuse of power and nepotism. He said these are some of the ills that have combined to make life too difficult for the citizens to have a meaningful life worth living.

“I would bring due diligence and integrity to the system and ensure that we do register real economic growth in Ghana since after independence. Problems with disease and entrenched poverty, despair and corruption should be stymied and controlled to bring hope to the millions of those who are left-out of their proper share of the national pie”, he emphasized.

Dr. Kennedy said Ghanaians should hope for a better tomorrow and that the dynamism of Ghanaians should be released and channeled in substantive and productive endeavours so that prosperity would have a greater character and carry a promise to our generations to come in future. He hopes to include all citizenry and the dedicated peoples of Ghana for a responsible government.

He talks of reforms of our institutions, such as the judiciary, legislative and the executive branches of governments to promote greater ideas of better and vibrant policies that will take care of peoples’ needs so as to create in the people, a sense of confidence and a moral obligation to ensure that transparency in government becomes the norm.

He was of the view that Ghana needed good and best talents to turn the nation around for prosperity, real economic development and a renewal of leadership skills to move the country forward in stride.

Dr. Kennedy said most nations in Asia were like Ghana at independence but now all of them are better than Ghana economically because of good policies and good visionary leadership and intoned that “we can do better”. In order to move the country forward, he would embark on five main objectives to move and sustain the country and these are: • Making the government work for the people, including law and order • Putting people to work. • Making a place at the national table for diasporans. • Revamping our health system. • Application of modern technology.

To do all this, Dr. Kennedy said Ghana needed men and women with new ideas, new ethics, new attitudes, new perspectives, and new set of skills. He said that the Presidency would need men and women with ideas, vision and integrity. To this end, Ghanaians should be prepared to formulate workable policies in all areas of developing the economy and the over-all administration of our institutions and procedures.

“We should have a results-oriented government which knows the difference between talk and action. A government that knows that leaders who ask for sacrifice from the people must demonstrate that they are making the same sacrifices, that they demand of others,” he said.

Lastly, he said Ghanaians need a united country and people who will lift us up and lighten our burdens and lead us to expansion and making Ghana a place of zero-tolerance for corruption and ineptitude and a respect for national discourse devoid of bickering and name calling.

Most people have been impressed with the direction of Dr. Kennedy’s campaign because it speaks to the issues that are pertinent to Ghanaians and so far have not found anybody to champion their cause of creating a better government. What Ghana need is a selfless and duty conscious people who would eschew corruption and inefficiency in government officials.

Ghana is moving forward and in the process is looking for integrity, truthfulness and a sense of purpose to put Ghana on right footing for future growth. We have a country that is endowed bountiful natural resources and able human resource and we should have a government, which can harness both for prosperity for the country.

The whole country need to have a change of heart and be part of the body politic that is dynamic and ready to make changes to the country’s political and economic systems. The reality is that most people I have spoken to are of the view that Dr. Kennedy should and will include people from all walks of life and from the Diaspora in decision making about the administration, governance of the people, the national coffers and engage all and sundry in the formulation of policies.

Some Ghanaian politicians usually frown on people who live in overseas, who come to offer Ghana, strategies and suggestions as to how things are done better else-where. The native politicians viewed their foreign counterparts as interlopers and would not cede any of their fiefdom to them. This is an archaic fear, which does not have any place in our zeal for a better Ghana. We need to include people whose training and work experience from abroad can revamp mechanisms of state and economic machinery for a substantive prosperity that will serve all generations to come.

At the moment there are not enough jobs to go around and the youth is so desperate to get out of the country to seek their fortune elsewhere and better their lives. Most people are of the view that Dr. Kennedy, if he wins the nomination and the subsequent election, will move quickly to rectify and correct the imbalance between the rich and poor by making decisions which will attract investment for jobs and security of life for the millions of unemployed who are desperate for some one to come their aid.

At the moment Ghana needs someone of Dr. Kennedy’s stature with vision and the acumen to execute political initiatives that will open new directions to Ghana’s economic and political future. We all have to forgive the past and position ourselves for a better tomorrow. Get united and support a worthy cause that will bring transparency and prosperity to all. The country will need several people who will have ideas that will translate into a better life for all.

It is viewed that support for Dr. Kennedy is a needed necessity for victory because there is a general consensus that Ghana need people who will not let Ghanaians down like those who have gone before. Most people believe Dr. Kennedy can be an effective leader who will translate his vision into reality. United Ghana is wanting. Let us unite and support him for his vision of compassion, understanding and justice for all.

We need people who are willing to be accountable for their actions and would be subjected to honest appraisal of their portfolios, work product, for corruptive practices and nepotism and other nefarious activities. If we want a change that will usher in a new lease on life for all, we need to open our minds and hearts to people who do not have any baggage, which will hinder their political leadership, comportment and their sense of propriety and for the common good.

(Kwasi O. Opoku-Agyemang is a freelance journalist who lives in Toronto, Canada.)