Ghana ripe for An Arab Spring; put a vulnerable’s register ahead of a voters’ register – Okudzeto Ablakwa claims

Ghana ripe for An Arab Spring; put a vulnerable’s register ahead of a voters’ register – Okudzeto Ablakwa claims

Former Deputy Education Minister under the leadership of John Dramani Mahama, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa says Ghana is headed for an Arab spring if the country does not immediately usher in a new economic paradigm anchored on social justice and genuine empowerment of the masses.

Ghana as part of the reasons why the country lifted its partial lockdown regardless of the fact that the virus still persists is the fact that a number of citizens complained about the financial stress the lockdown put them through.

The government during the period had to feed 400,000 people with three square meals and that had an economic toll on the country.

Reacting to this, Okudzeto Ablakwa noted that equity does not exist in Ghana and that will be the fall of the country because the citizens have over the years not been given priority.

“We should not think we are far from an Arab spring scenario if we do not immediately usher in a new economic paradigm anchored on social justice and genuine empowerment of the masses”. He said.

He argued that the urgency with which some political parties want the voters register to be updated, such energy should also be invested in getting data on vulnerable people in the country and work towards ensuring that their conditions are made better.

“The zeal and verve we employ to have Ghanaians captured on the voters’ register should rather have been channeled at registering our fellow citizens who are vulnerable and marginalized. In other words, let’s put a vulnerable’ register ahead of a voters’ register for that is the true measure of any worthy society”. He noted.

READ HIS STATEMENT HERE:

Stark realities and hard truths that have come to the fore about our Republic which we need to honestly confront:

1) Our economy is not as robust as it is made to appear.

2) We cannot take care of our vulnerable compatriots beyond three weeks.

3) We are not as organized and efficient even in targeting the poor for support as a modern state should be.

4) The prescriptions of experts don’t matter very much particularly in election years.

5) Lack of reliable data remains a national catastrophe.

6) Our neo-liberal economic paradigm is leaving far too many folks behind.

7) If so many have no savings to depend on for a few days then what are they leaving behind for their children?

8)Our notion of national priority projects demands a total and urgent rethink.

9) The zeal and verve we employ to have Ghanaians captured on the voters’ register should rather have been channeled at registering our fellow citizens who are vulnerable and marginalized. In other words, let’s put a vulnerable’ register ahead of a voters’ register for that is the true measure of any worthy society.

10) We should not think we are far from an Arab spring scenario if we do not immediately usher in a new economic paradigm anchored on social justice and genuine empowerment of the masses.

11) We should be more ruthless in dealing with corruption and waste in the public sector.

12) The pursuit of political power should not be about achieving individual ambitions. It should be a sincere desire to create opportunities for the thousands and millions out there who need and deserve a helping hand to live in dignity.

This is a time for sober reflection, particularly for the entire political class in all the political parties who must quickly recognize that long before the novel coronavirus hit our shores, debilitating and widening economic inequality has been waiting on us for a vaccine.

–: Source: MyNewsGh.com