Ivor Kobina Greenstreet
The 2016 flag bearer of the Convention People’s Party (CPP), Ivor Kobina Greenstreet, has stated that the PDS saga ‘is a true policy crisis’ which, beyond threat and disappointment, provides an opportunity for rethinking the fundamental economic direction of the country.
He argued that it is an opportunity to “Reclaim Ghana” based on a strategic mobilisation of the Ghanaian spirit and all its competitive advantages.
In an interview with DAILY GUIDE, Mr. Greensteet said Ghana should focus on the quality as well the gross sum of economic growth.
“Instead of always hyping economic growth that only benefits a few, what we need rather is a strategy of growth which galvanises the society within terms of new approaches to growth such as the Developmental State which would expand the economy for the welfare of all and improve the standard of living for all Ghanaians in a meaningful way. We need a Development Economy, a Development State and a Development Constitution. We sold Ashanti Goldfields, Ghana Telecom and other strategic state assets under firehouse conditions,” he bemoaned.
He said that South Korea, China and India, with fast growing economies, had carefully implemented interventionist policies. Continuing, he said East Asia, Taiwan, Malaysia, Singapore and other countries had various forms of state-led intervention policy directions that had been applied in different ways to suit their individual circumstances. That is the important discussion we must have if we are to “Reclaim Ghana” and make the promise of “Beyond Aid” more than an empty slogan. We have the mental capacity to collectively think outside the box, Ghana can make it, he stated.
“Coming from the Nkrumaist party, I support the Beyond Aid argument in broad strokes. It is a logical outcome of the necessary fight against neocolonial imperialism especially when it is tactically construed to include a rights-based approach to development which recognises the righting of historical injustice,” he said.
“I also take the President’s invitation to us to assume active citizenship seriously. I have already begun a process of strategic conversations, strategic scenarios, strategic solutions and strategic planning towards contributing to the thought bank for acquisition of the features of a winning nation. The time has come for us to critically discuss the meaning of our political as well as economic citizenship seriously. It should not just be a matter of transferring state assets to private Ghanaian hands…” he concluded.