Learn How To Bow Out, Face Election Defeat

The Great Consolidated Popular Party (GCPP) has challenged Ghanaians to learn how to bow out and face defeat in an election as a path of honour in pursuit of democratic excellence. On the occasion of Republic Day, which falls today, the chairman and leader of the party, Dr Henry Lartey, said it was imperative for all Ghanaians to strive to become the Black Star of Africa in all endeavours. According to Dr Lartey, Ghanaians had failed to domesticate the economy and to lead Africa into a new era of prosperity. As the first Black African nation to achieve independence, he said, Ghanaian sovereignty brought with it the challenge and responsibility of proving to the world that �the Blackman is capable of managing his own affairs.� He, however, said � yet 53 years later, in the midst of abundance in both human intellect and God-given natural resources, the country prefers to go cup-in-hand knocking at the doors of other nations soliciting for help which will never be forthcoming.� In Dr Lartey�s view, it was the dreams and hopes of ��our founders that we Ghanaians would be a Black Star leading the people of this continent towards a powerful and united Africa��. This, according to the GCPP leader, was the reason why the founding constitution of the First Republic of Ghana had a clause which stated that Ghana would surrender its sovereignty to the United States of Africa. He quoted the constitution as stating that, �the union of Africa should be striven for by every lawful means and, when attained, should be faithfully preserved,� and �that the independence of Ghana should not be surrendered or diminished on any grounds other than the furtherance of African unity� (Art. 13. ). Dr Lartey, however, stressed that dreams and hopes were not the only ingredients in building a nation, rather, the economy was where those dreams must be organised, supported and developed. According to Dr Lartey, the party�s founder, the late Dan Lartey, sought to re-awaken the spirit of unification and economic empowerment through the implementation of �Operation Feed Yourself�. He said through this policy, the concept of domestication was introduced which meant �Eat what you grow and grow what you eat, feed your industry and export what is left.� Dr Lartey said this principle had still not been embraced by any government even though it had successfully turned India, Brazil, and China into economic power houses on the global stage. ��Has Ghana been able to implement another solution to the problems that confront our people socially, economically and politically��? Dr Lartey asked. �� In 2013, we still have problems with housing, sanitation, water, education, food, and electrical energy�which are necessary to support our industries,�� he stressed. �The GCPP believed that much remains to be done and the only solution to the country�s problems is to implement the domestication concept�, he further stated. ��Citizens of Ghana, the time has come to break free of the past which divides us: it is time to put an end to the killing and the violence, the hatred and the bad-blood that exists among our people.��the stated In the midst of our growing democracy, Dr Lartey urged Ghanaians to become refined in their methods and remain committed to a path of reconciliation both politically and socially. He said it was time for a renaissance among Ghanaians, saying �it is time for a sustainable renaissance in Ghana and in Africa as well as a sustainable renaissance of economic, cultural and political empowerment that will last from one generation to the next.� Dr Lartey said in this global economy, based on computers and high technology, electrical energy was one of the most important and valuable commodities in the world today and observed that Africa had abundance of energy in the form of the sun, wind, and other renewable sources. He, therefore, urged Ghanaians to apply the principles of domestication towards these resources so that the country could produce sustainable energy�� for ourselves and the world.��