Think intensively to attain modern dev -Prof. Adei tells leaders

Prof. Stephen Adei, a former rector of the Ghana  Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA), has said leaders must act intentionally and think intensively if they are to attain development.
In his view, successful and long-term development plans depended largely upon continuous commitment to national development and policies.

Prof. Adei made the observation when he delivered a paper on the theme’’ Long Term Development Agenda for Ghana; the Role of National Development Planning Commission (NDPC)’’ at the Institute of Economic Affairs Constitutional Review Series in Accra on Wednesday.

He said Ghana’s experience with regard to long-term development plans clearly demonstrated the power of strategic plans and sustained long-term policy.

He explained that Guggisberg’s 10-Year Development Plan (1919-1929), Nkrumah’s 10-Year Development agenda (1951-1961) of sustained liberal economic policy stood as: “the golden ages of Ghana” , periods of major economic strides in Ghana had been driven by such plans or consistent policies:

Prof Adei said the major element in all the plans  had to do with clarity of vision, articulation of agenda, consistent policy implementation and commitment of national leadership.

He observed  that Guggisberg’s plans; the Economic Recovery Programme (ERP);/Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP) and Ghana Poverty Reduction Strategy (GPRS) epochs showed that even externally imposed de facto long-term plans and policies had greater impact than muddling through with short-term party manifesto driven agenda.

Similarly, Prof. Adei said  Acheampong’s  5-Year Development Plan and Ghana’s Vision 2020 showed that without commitment even medium to long-term plans had  little or no impact, saying that modern development was intentional and well thought through.

According to Prof Adei the complexity of nation building within the context of  globalisation with its “discontents” required high level of analytical capacity to succeed, and that all emerging nations had developed national think tank capacity that guided and coordinated national development.

He said the nerve center of this capacity may be located within a strategic ministry or  in a semi-autonomous academic institution  or as increasingly the  case, in a national economic bureau or commission like the NDPC.

Prof Adei therefore urged the Government not to reject outright recommendations made by the Constitutional Review Commission  to make  the National Development Planning Commission  an independent body insulated from undue interference by government.

He said Government explanation that the independent body’s  development plan could have the effect of the command model of development planning and   that the hands of successive government would be tied to ideological interest and policies of particular political party could  not be entirely the case

‘’There is therefore no contradiction between an entrenched National Long Term Development Plan (NLTDP) and the government positions for each administration in the manifesto to indicate how the regime will contribute to national visions and goals.’’ he stressed.

He further said an  independent  NDPC and its National Long-Term Development Plans (NLTDP) was not inconsistent with successive governments having ideological interests and policies

Prof Adei said the way forward was to entrench the NDPC and the formulation of national long-term perspective to drive medium to short term policies but allowing each government to come up with medium long-term plans as to how it intended to prosecute the national vision.

Prof Adei said  even though  national long term planning was not part of issues selected  by the CRC for the consultative process there was spontaneous submission of demands by Ghanaians.

By Abdul Aziz/Daily Graphic/Ghana