A leadership expert, Richard Kuunaah has suggested that political parties must see the need to come together and develop national policies that will be critical to the country's development.

According to him, national policies are far better than party manifestos, which create room for political parties to deceive the people of Ghana in election years.

He suggested this in an interview with JoyNews after a leadership conference in Sunyani in the Bono region.

Mr Kuunaah said both the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) have failed Ghanaians on their party manifestos, and it does not augur well for the advancement of society.

What, to him, would bring positive change in the country is the drawing up of national policies and allowing the political party that would be in government to follow, adding that "with national policies in place, it does not matter which political party wins the election".

Mr Kuunaah, also the Executive Director of GHANECare, a Non-Governmental Organisation, further said either the NDC or the NPP could easily follow the national policy to take Ghana to a higher height whenever they are in government.

"I can recall, for instance, that on education, when the NPP wanted Senior High School (SHS) to be four years, the NDC wanted it to be the current three years, which offered students, parents and guardians and does not help society to grow.

The state could have a national policy on education, agriculture, employment and other disciplines which no political party in government can avoid," he explained.

He, however, advised all religious bodies and civil society to join hands with all political parties in the country to endorse national policies for the betterment of all.

On the illegal small-scale mining (galamsey), Mr Kuunaah stated that "it is time for every Tom Dick and Harry to rise and tell the perpetrators that enough is enough that cannot continue to destroy our environment with impunity".

He said the current NPP government must be firm and act without fear or favour to stamp the galamsey menace.

Mr Kuunaah argued that there is a need for all churches to pray for the nation, emphasising the biblical duty of the church to pray to support the nation's development, especially in helping the government to resist the looming energy crisis.

He said everybody, including religious leaders, has the right to be bold in advising the government, particularly in the face of daunting odds, and offer constructive criticism of government policies.