The independent presidential candidate in the last general elections, Alfred Kwame Asiedu Walker, has lauded the youths in the country for demanding accountability from the government.
He said, he was very excited and in full support of the “FIX THE COUNTRY” campaign launched on social media by the youths to push the government of the day to do the right thing in fixing the many challenges that are making life unbearable for the citizens.
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For about two weeks now, youths across the country have been using social media, especially Twitter and Facebook, to mount pressure on the government to, as a matter of urgency, find solution to the numerous social-economic challenges that are drowning the country.
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They have complained about unemployment, erratic water and electricity supply, poor roads, amount others.
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But for a court injunction secured by the police, the youths were poised to hold a massive street protest on May 9, to further drum home their demands.
The campaign has forced the government, through the ministers for information and economic planning, to address the country on efforts being made to address their concerns.
Mr. Asiedu Walker, admonished Ghanaian politicians to stop deceiving the citizens with what he called suger-coated promises.
He said, “the propaganda is enough in this country. The suger-coating of issues must stop. We must be honest with the people”.
He observed that, for the citizens to decide to hit the streets, it showed the level of frautration and loss of confidence in the government.
Mr. Walker further questioned the honesty of the government in subsidizing utility bills as a way of alleviating the economic hardship in the country, occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic, only to turn around few months later to push the cost on the citizens.
In suggesting solution to the economic hardship in the country, Mr. Walker reiterated the call he has always made about homegrown solutions.
He maintained that, until leadership stopped depending on donors and used the many natural resources to develop the country, Ghana would hardly make any progress; explaining that, with COVID-19 affecting the whole world, including our donor countries, it would be difficult for those countries to continue giving to us, when they have their citizens to save from the ravages of the pandemic.
“It is for some of these things that I have always called for homegrown solutions. Ghana has so many resources that we can depend on, instead of relying on foreign direct investments and foreign donors to solve our problems; which has never happened”. Ghana must solve it’s own problem. Certainly, we are capable”, he stressed.
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He added that, the economic challenges brought about by the pandemic was a wake-up call for the country to start developing its foreign reserves and industries to, not only provide jobs but also give hope to the citizenry.
Mr. Asiedu Walker also condemned the government’s current approach to fighting the illegal mining menace.
He said, chasing citizens with guns and burning escalators and other equipment was not the right way to go.
He recommended that such equipment should be seized and given out to the various Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies for use.
He further stated that, there was a need for government to dialogue with miners and to encouraged them to form cooperatives.
He continued that, since all the citizens wanted was job to put food on their tables, government must institute very good policies that would allow citizens to mine legally in ways that would not result in destruction of the country’s forest reserves and water bodies.
Mr. Alfred Kwame Asiedu Walker made the comments in an interview with this reporter when he (Mr. Walker) paid a visit to the family of the late Lieutenant General, Emmanuel Eskine in Accra on Monday, May 10.
Lieutenant General Emmanuel Alexander Erskine was a Ghanaian soldier and politician. He was a Chief of Army Staff of the Ghana Army.
He was also a commander of the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO) and the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).
He died on May 7, 2021 at the of aged 86.
Mr. Asiedu Walker who is related to the late military man maternally, was there to condole with the family.
He paid glowing tribute to General Erskine for his dedicated service to Ghana and the world as a whole; and charged the youth to emulate such good examples.
By Benjamin Nii-Lartey Ayiku || ghananewsonline.com.gh
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