A Financial Expert of the Institute of Local Government Studies, Dr. Eric Oduro Osae, has called on Ghanaians to hold politicians accountable and push for Parliamentarians to put the Executive on its feet, to produce a budget that is socially inclusive and responds to the true needs of the average Ghanaian as well as ensures that the inequality gap is breached.
“In this country we know where the poverty areas are because we have the poverty map but unforgettable we don’t see it reflecting in our budget.” he said.
Dr. Eric Oduro Osae made the point at the launch of an Inequality Research Report on “Building a more Equal Ghana”.
According to Dr. Oduro Osae the fair distribution of resources and ensuring that poverty is targeted from its base is about prioritizing social spending .
He added that Ghanaians should take responsibility for their actions because in politics or in a Democratic governance majority carries the vote, so taking responsibility does not mean one should sit idle and think that nothing can be done.
Dr. Oduro Osae said Ghana’s 1992 Constitution makes provision for a Local Governance Act. Under the Local Governance Act, there is the “recall provision” where if an elected member of Parliament, or an Assembly Member is not bringing the needed development or not functioning as required the “recall provision” can be activated to remove call the MP and elect a new one.
“If a government is not breaching the inequality gap vote that government out of power and bring a new one. If we start doing that, politicians will start taking us seriously” Dr Oduro Osae said.
Dr. Oduro Osae posited that politicians capitalize on poverty to enrich themselves “you elect somebody to lead you and within a twinkle of an eye enriched himself, look at the number of cars and you the person who elected is still walking and not able to get 10 Cedis to buy food to eat invariably you have looked for job for somebody’s mother and father.”
He concluded by calling for effective public spending, reducing political expediency and ensuring economic efficiency and also the management of public resources, reducing corruption and to ensure that laws of this country work by sanctioning people and naming and shaming all those who misuse the country’s resources.
Story by: Mabel Adorkor Ananng
