Let's stop the blame game - Palmer-Buckle

Page 25: June 27, 2008.
Story: Albert K. Salia
THE Metropolitan Archbishop of Accra, the Most Rev Charles Palmer-Buckle, has said Ghanaians must stop attributing the country’s developmental challenges to any particular government or individual.
He said every actor in the country’s political history meant well but things might not have gone the way those actors intended.
It was, therefore, important, he said, that Ghanaians looked at the country’s past and discussed it dispassionately, since the blame game would lead the country nowhere.
The Most Rev Palmer-Buckle was speaking at the launch of a book, “Ghana: Governance in the Fourth Republic”, in Accra on Wednesday.
Published by the Ghana Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana), the 415-page book, written by 12 Ghanaian scholars, covers a broad spectrum of governance issues.
It comprises 14 chapters grouped into five parts, namely, the traditional, cultural and ethnic context; political processes; civic engagement; the State’s capacity to deliver and the State and security.
The writers assess the extent to which Ghana’s Fourth Republic measures up to good governance practices, as well as challenges to consolidate what has been achieved.
The Most Rev Palmer-Buckle said what had happened in the past were important historical building blocks which were difficult to wish away.
He said the conduct of some social commentators, whom he referred to as “radiocrats” trying to justify some regimes and denigrate others, should be a thing of the past.
Touching on the forthcoming elections, he said Ghanaians must also not allow politicians and political parties to make the elections a “do-or-die” affair.
“It is Ghana that must win the elections and not any political party or individual,” he stated.
The Most Rev Palmer-Buckle said the whole world was looking at how Ghana would acquit itself at the elections.
According to him, Ghana acquitted itself very well at the dawn of independence without bloodshed and “it will not happen in December”.
The Archbishop said Ghanaians must prove to the rest of the world that the country, and for that matter Africa, was capable of doing anything without the help or influence of the outside world.
He said Ghana was a blessed country and had what it took to improve upon its present status.
He said the theme for the country’s Golden Jubilee celebrations, “Championing Africa’s Excellence”, must continuously remain in the minds of Ghanaians in their daily activities.
The Chairman of the APRM Governing Council, Rev Prof S. K. Adjepong, who launched the book, noted that since its inception five years ago, the APRM had added value to Ghana’s governance processes.
He said Ghana had reached a point in its political history when it must begin to craft a new history, instead of succumbing to history.
He described the book as a good legacy that had been bequeathed to Ghanaians.
The first copy of the book was auctioned for GH¢2,000.