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| Let’s Uphold Ghana’s Democracy – Prez. Kufuor |
3/9/2008 |
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The President, H.E. John Agyekum Kufuor has advised Ghanaians to draw lessons from the country’s political history to strengthen governing institutions within the political system to safeguard the fourth republic.
These institutions, which include the Commissioner for Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), the Serious Fraud Office (SFO), NGOs, and the media, provides checks and balances, which are essential for upholding democratic governance in the country.
President Kufuor said these in an address to commemorate Ghana’s 51st Independence Anniversary at the Independence Square in Accra last Thursday.
The President observed that under democratic governance nations develop in an atmosphere of freedom, adding that citizens work together to give meaning to unity in diversity and ensures that the rule of law and respect for fundamental human rights prevails.
This, the President said, will protect and advance the nation’s democratic and economic evolution as well as the welfare of the people and provide mutual trust that gives hope to society for a brighter future.
“The platform is strong, set and ready for accelerated growth”, he said, adding that all requisite assets to achieve a middle-level income status within the next decade are in place.
These assets, the President explained, include a fast improving human resource base that was further nurtured through the New Educational Reform Programme, which places emphasis on science, technology and ICT, the critical tools for mainstreaming the country into the global world.
The educational reform, President Kufuor added, was designed to provide equal opportunity to all Ghanaian children through government-sponsored Free Compulsory Universal Basic Education (FCUBE) from age four to 16.
The health delivery system, described by the President as “all-embracing and forward-looking”, based on the concept of prevention was another programme designed to enhance human resource base of the country.
According to the President, the programme promotes preventive measures within communities to keep endemic diseases such as malaria and diarrhoea at bay, whiles encouraging the adoption of appropriate life-style to minimize risk of diseases such as diabetes, hypertension and HIV/AIDS.
He said the National Health Insurance Scheme introduced by government has facilitated access to healthcare, and the scheme has already attained 50% nationwide coverage.
Private Sector Development, with its salient features of entrepreneurial development and co-operatives, according to the President, was another important agency for improving human resource base of the country.
"These developments led to a more diversified economy through modernized agriculture, value addition to primary products and efficient management of enterprises" he added.
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