Let�s Visit Our Past - Samia

AS PART of the celebration of its 65th Anniversary, the Convention�s People�s Party (CPP) is calling on Ghanaians to as a matter of urgency visit the past which to them can help in the socio � economic development of the country. According to them, the Senchi Consensus (SC) does not relate to the economic development of the country, adding that the SC failed to explain solutions that should be guided by the development policy of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government which includes past policies. Speaking at a press conference to present their position on the SC that was developed at the National Economic Forum (NEF) which was aimed at addressing the current economic and financial difficulties of the nation, the chairperson and leader of CPP, Samia Yaba Nkrumah has stated that the NEF and SC were an implicit admission of the failure of the development policy the NDC government expounded in its electoral manifesto. She questioned the basis of the SC and pointed out that any scientific approach to the solution of the current prices should take into account the economic development history of the nation for an examination of past development polices and their respective achievements. Miss Nkrumah said �the development policies of past regimes were characterized by a betrayal of responsibility for colonial freedom and loss of national sovereignty for an independent determination and pursuit of our development aspirations. �The SC showed a deceptive and feeble commitment to a transformation of the structure of the economy which is rooted in the development policy framework of neo- liberalism and was therefore anti- people, anti- poor and definitely not in the interest of the nation.� According to her, CPP government of the first republic covered every area of human need �from atomic reaction to rattan production.� She said these investments in food security export and import substitution manufacturing in diversification of the agricultural export commodity sector were guided by the Nkrumahist Development policy guideline of reconstruction of the colonial economy that it inherited. On his part, the head of CPP Shadow cabinet, Prof. Agyemang Badu Akosa indicated that leadership since 1992 has not been bold enough to work for the country, adding that over 80 per cent of people in the country are poor, but still prefer to vote NDC and New Patriotic Party into power. He noted that the CPP gave opportunity to people to go to school, but it is not the same now. �If you are elected to office as a government official, you do not turn back to milk the country and so if you want to change your destiny, change your mind to CPP,� he charged. Prof Akosa further warned Ghanaians to not to allow themselves to be used because the political class do not seek the welfare of the people, but rather look after themselves, adding that blacks should be given the maximum respect. The party, therefore, advanced a list of development policy alternatives to the SC for the growth of the economy that included a review of the policies of trade liberalization, exchange rate, fiscal and monetary policy exchange and interest rates and a proactive role for the central bank in development.