By
Iddi Yire, GNA
Accra, Nov 30, GNA –
The 71st Annual New Year School and Conference (ANYSC) slated for
January 13-16, 2020, on the theme “Ghana Beyond Aid: Challenges and Prospects”,
has been launched in Accra.
The ANYSC, which is
being organised by the School of Continuing and Distance Education (SCDE),
University of Ghana, would be officially opened by President Nana Addo Dankwa
Akufo-Addo on January 14, 2020.
The launch of the 71st
ANSC was performed on behalf of the Senior Minister Mr Yaw Osafo Maafo by Madam
Catherine Afeku, a Minister of State at the Office of the President, assigned
to the Office of the Senior Minister.
In a speech read on
his behalf the senior minister said: “There is no ambiguity about the fact that
Ghana is a resource-rich nation in a connected ecosystem to easily facilitate
any high profile development agenda.”
“Added to this is
the considerable endowment of human capital with the education, training,
skills and techniques to frontally drive our development agenda.”
He noted that yet
the best had so far not been achieved as far as development was concerned,
hence, a huge development gap compared to other societies with absolutely less
resources with whom Ghanaians started their respective nation building
processes.
“When we as
Ghanaians apply this abundant human capital to effective use, harness these
resources well and deploy them creatively in a transparent manner, we all stand
the chance to catalyse Ghana’s economic development rapidly,” he said.
“The sad story is
that after 62 years of independence, Ghana is still seen as having great
potential to advance economically and yet not managed to do so with the speed
and the resolve expected.”
He said aid had
played an important role in the nation’s development; however, as a country,
they need more than aid to expedite economic transformation to the desired
level.
He said through
Ghana Beyond Aid, they were seeking to find collectively, practical ways of
unleashing the embedded potential of the people of Ghana, so that they could
together become a “prosperous and self-reliant nation that is in-charge of her
economic destiny; a transformed Ghana that is prosperous enough to be beyond
needing aid, and engages competitively with the rest of the world through trade
and investment”.
“Ghana Beyond Aid
is, therefore, a national and non-partisan call to harness effectively our own
resources and deploy them efficiently for rapid economic and social
transformation,” the Senior Minister stated.
“We should
vigorously maximize revenue generation from domestic sources and marshal forces
to clamp down on all forms of corruption. There is the need for a renewed
mindset and resolve to break the cycle of dependency, especially, through
modernization of agriculture and accelerated industrialisation.”
He said Ghana Beyond
Aid was not anti-aid or aid rejection; “it is rather about being more efficient
and effective in how we mobilise and use our resources”.
Professor Michael
Tagoe, Acting Provost of the College of Education, University of Ghana, said:
“As a nation, Ghana Beyond Aid will be meaningless or a mirage if we do not
change our attitude towards work, corruption, protection of the environment and
maintenance and preservation of national assets.”
“We need to
inculcate in our children and the youth the spirit of patriotism and high
values and aspirations. We must all have a service mentality, and must be
willing to serve our country in all aspects of endeavour.”
Prof Olivia Kwapong,
Acting Dean, SCDE, University of Ghana, said: “As a nation one of the best
things that could ever happen to us is to be self-sufficient and manage the
abundant resources that surround us to meet our needs (not wants) and even be
able to support other countries who are in need.”
Nana Ato Arthur, the
Head of Local Government Service said for the country to be able to attain the
Ghana Beyond Aid Agenda, there was the need to strengthen the local government
system, especially grass root democracy.
GNA
