“There Is Nothing New Under The Sun…”-Ecclesiastes 1:4-11

The politicians are in their elements and criss-crossing the entire length and breadth of our dear country including areas they probably would never dream to be. In fact, the joke is that in seasons like this, the politicians will respond to all invitations to grace occasions everywhere including outdooring of new babies and ‘taflatse’ commissioning of public places of convenience.

I have been listening to them critically as well as reading their Manifestos. Something has caught my attention. The NDC and NPP have in their manifestos promised to set up Savanna belt, Coastal, Western, Central, Eastern and Middle Belt Development Authority etc. They all say, the purpose is to accelerate the development.

That is what has caught my Bible knowledge above. King Solomon was probably prophesying about this moment. Let’s back track to the 70s in Ghana and if you were not born from the 80s would recall the period of all the Regional Development Corporations: We had Voradep for Volta Region, Redecash for Ashanti, Bardec for BA, Ceredec for Central, Weredec for Western, Noradep for Northern Region, Uradep for the then Upper Region before it was split into Upper West and Upper East.

These regional development corporations were mandated to see to the facilitation of the acceleration of the various regions. They set up farms, bakeries, guest houses to boost tourism and the hospitality industry among others. Infact, Voradep went ahead to become a football brand in Ghana’s top tier football.

Like all other state institutions, these regional development corporations started collapsing one after the other at the apogee of the economic decline of our country. Their factories, guest houses, farms among other investments were run down from the 80s and eventually gave up their ghosts. The few which were divested may probably have survived.

These are the ideas which our parties are recycling today and making it sound like they are some great and fresh ideas. One wise crack from our elders is; ‘if you don’t know death, look at sleep’. Long before this time, I saw the SADA concept as recycled from the concept aforestated and was therefore least surprised with the initial hiccups which has given that brilliant idea the bad name hanging around the necks of its originators.

My question is, how convinced are we that all the promises in these manifestos will be rolled out and sustained and not go the way of the previous ones? Truth is that, our dear nation hasn’t got a great history of the maintenance of state enterprises. The obvious reason is because of patronage in the appointment of the managers.

I can prophesy with my eyes opened that if  CPP, NPP, NDC or JOY wins elections  2016 and decides to implement this recycled idea and do not look for qualified and competent managers from within or without their parties but go the way of the past, they should expect their demise sooner than later.

It’s not wrong to recycle ideas but they must be run better than the original. That is, if the lessons from the past will be made to be the meaningful sign posts.

By Kojo Ackaah-Kwarteng

Head of Station, Onua 95.1 FM