University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) has expressed worry over how the Government of Ghana has refused to seek the opinion of an academic who was mentioned as one of the members of the economic management team, neither has he been invited into any meeting before.
The University of Ghana branch President of the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG), Dr. Samuel Nkumban told Alfred Ocansey on 3FM Sunrise that UTAG is of the considered opinion that many of the times that we have had to go to the IMF, the involvement of local experts has not been typically sought by government.
“I’m very much aware of one of our academics whose name was announced as part of being on the economic team, he has not been consulted, he has not been invited to any meeting before and so if we have such information going around then it becomes very difficult to say that we are serious about what we say to the people that we want to do for them. That is what has to change” he emphasized.
Moreover, there are local experts of international repute who should be engaged to solve the problems of our country in terms of the economic service as well as any other field of study as far as development needs are concerned.
The association dispels the assumptions that the professionals within the field of government who are holding appointments are sufficient in terms of what the needs of our country are. ‘’We think otherwise that if it were the case that they were sufficient, we wouldn’t have to be going back and forth” Samuel Nkumban said.
He iterated that nearly every five years Ghana goes to the IMF literally begging and UTAG thinks that it’s about time we reconsidered our position as a country, and look at home grown solutions using home based experts as well as ensure the implementation of such recommendations and resolutions.
“Government knows what to do, that is the home grown, we know exactly what our problem is and the solution to the problem. It is just the will to do it that is not there because it is not going to serve our political interest. So, how then are we going to have a home grown approach to the problems we have created ourselves when there is no will to actually do what we know is right?” Mr. Nkumban inquired.
According to the UTAG leader, Ghana is facing this challenge because we are preaching the fact that we want to develop our country and we are making promises, yet we lack the will to do that. Then of course it’s more like using a broomstick to brush the surface of water, there won’t be any impact and so it’s about time that those who wield the political power and are in the position to make the decision listen to the ordinary Ghanaian.
The University Teachers Association of Ghana argues that Ghana has gone to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) 17 times and clearly the Ghanaian people are saying that this is a reflection that we are not learning from our mistakes.
“Leadership is not learning from their mistakes over the period and that should be of concern to you. This is the reason for which we are saying let us get together as a country, we have the experts, let us engage research persons” he told 3FM Sunrise.
By Samuel Afriyie Owusu|3news.com|Ghana