<<Print>>

The Co-ordinator of Human Security at the Office of the President, Brigadier-General Joseph Nunoo-Mensah (retd), has stated that the country will make huge savings if the wastage and indiscipline in the economy are addressed. He said the savings thus made would enable the country to invest in productive areas of the economy such as agriculture as well as education. Brigadier-General Nunoo-Mensah made the observation at a ceremony in Accra last Saturday at which an honorary doctorate degree in Humanity was conferred on him by the Pan African Clergy Council and Bible Seminary. Economic challenges In an address, Brig-Gen Nunoo-Mensah expressed his conviction that the application of the seven-year development plan, drawn under the country�s first President, Dr Kwame Nkrumah, would make the country overcome its current economic challenges. He said the then planning commission under the President, identified all the bottlenecks in the economy and prescribed various measures to address them, adding that �unfortunately, we threw away the opportunity after the overthrow of the Nkrumah regime�. Brig-Gen Nunoo-Mensah expressed worry about the rampant industrial action in the country, in particular strikes by university lecturers and the financial demands by the Ghana Black Stars during the World Cup and described the country as �morally sick� and needed �urgent treatment�. �Ghanaians help others to cheat our country. In the face of this moral decay it will be difficult for us to make any headway in our economic recovery programme,� he said. Modest lifestyle Brig-Gen Nunoo-Mensah called on the country�s leaders to do away with ostentatious lifestyles �and lead by example for the rest to follow�. Most people, according to him, are losing faith in the ability of their rulers to solve their problems. �Our leaders know what to do but lack the moral courage and the political will to deal with some of the recurring problems facing us,� he added. Nonetheless, he expressed confidence that the country would overcome its current difficulties, stressing, however, that Ghanaians would first need to change their attitude towards nation building. The Administrator of the Pan African Clergy Council and Bible Seminary, Rt Rev Frank Akakpo, said honorary degrees from the seminary were awarded to individual Christians who had made significant contributions to the church, society, and the nation in their field of endeavours. The ceremony was attended by former President Jerry John Rawlings, some ministers of state, members of the clergy and Members of Parliament.