Managing Editor of Insight Newspaper, Kwesi Pratt Jr., has said Ghanaians do not need a ‘macho’ president to solve the nation’s problems.
He said presidents are elected to solve social problems and not to demonstrate stamina to the citizenry.
Reacting to claims by some persons in government that the length of President Mahama’s State of the Nation Address delivered Thursday, which lasted three and half hours, is a demonstration of his stamina, Pratt said “you don’t need a macho man to do that.”
He criticized the claim saying that only detracts from the substance of the President’s address.
President John Mahama gave a three-and-half- hour state of the nation address to Parliament on Thursday detailing progress in the health, education, economy infrastructure.
His presentation has triggered mixed reaction from sections of the public.
Contributing to the debate on Radio Gold’s Alhaji and Alhaji, Pratt did not mince words in heavily criticising the stamina chorus being sang by leading members of the governing party.
He went further to complain about the manner the agriculture sector of the nation has been handled.
He said Ghanaian farmers no longer prepare their own seeds as was the case some years ago, but now depend on imported seeds.
Pratt described the farmers’ dependence on seeds from Monsanto among others as “frightening and shocking.”
“You cannot insist on food sovereignty when you have no capacity to prepare your own seeds”, he said.
He intimated the nation’s dependence on imported seeds “undermines national sovereignty in a most significant manner.”
Also, he berated government’s handling of the natural resources of the nation saying “we ought to be deeply worried about it.”
He said resources such as rivers, part of the sea considered national territory of Ghana, human beings, minerals, and forests must be guarded with the interest of the citizen s in mind.
Pratt also commended government for the length of roads constructed and for those under construction.
However, he spoke against government’s awarding of contracts to foreigners when local contractors could execute the same projects.
“You are using national resources to create worth in some of these countries”, he said.
He advised government to find a way to build local capacity through awarding of contracts to local firms to maximize full returns.
Source: Ghana | Myjoyonline.com
