Prof. John Gatsi
An economist and Head of Economic Department of University of Cape Coast (UCC), Prof. John Gatsi is worried over the alarming rate of government wasteful investments.
In a discussion with Awake Business, Prof. Gatsi said it is time parliament must consider auditing all government abandoned projects.
Though Prof. Gatsi admitted that “Governance is indeed very complex and undulating”, he is of the view that “there are dynamics from government agenda [ads1]and the needs of people” and “when government programs and action plans do not respond to short, medium and long-term dreams of citizens, they lose hope and do not trust government policies.”
Citing some of the abandoned projects such as Legon hospital, Bank of Ghana Hospital, Housing projects, roads etc that are left to deteriorate, Prof. Gatsi asks “What is going on? Does it mean we sought authorization from parliament to borrow to undertake wasteful investment?
Read the full discussion:
My discussion with Prof. John Gatsi:
Unbalancing Government Promises with Legitimate Demands of Citizens Is Dangerous: It is time for Parliament to audit abandoned projects
Governance is indeed very complex and undulating. There are dynamics from government agenda and the needs of people. When government programs and action plans do not respond to short, medium and long-term dreams of citizens, they lose hope and do not trust government policies..
When we were children, our parents taught us to make judicious use of resources and ensure that resources and investment be it food, farm produce etc do not go waste. The consistent impunity with which national investments are made to go waste is alarming. There are many markets built which are not being used for the purpose for which they were built. Legon hospital, Bank of Ghana Hospital, Housing projects, roads etc are left to deteriorate. What is going on? Does it mean we sought authorization from parliament to borrow to undertake wasteful investment? Why is parliament not engaging in an audit of all projects for which loan authorization was given but such projects are left to deteriorate? Why as a people don’t we want to ensure that a new government must provide justification approved by parliament as to why projects started by past government should not continue especially when more than 50% of such projects are left to worsen the plight of people directly or indirectly linked to those projects?
During electioneering campaign, politicians give all promises including the provision of sustainable jobs, fight against corruption, a continuation of key strategic ongoing projects. If government engages in something so different that programs are not balanced with legitimate demands of people, then the logic inherent in governance must be questioned. Responding to legitimate questions of poor governance in a manner described as vile, vitriolic, vulgar and venomous then something is wrong.
Source: AwakeAfrica.com | Efo Korsi Senyo