Former Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister, Emmanuel Habuka Bombande has said that Ghana has reneged from an assertive engagement which would have promoted good governance and ensured that the citizens truly benefit from good leadership.

He said this in an interaction with JoyNews’ Ayisha Ibrahim on Friday, October 23, where he noted that the country is less committed to the tenets that form the foundation to promote national development.

According to the UN Senior Mediation Officer, the failure to reach a consensus on electing leaders at the district level clearly exemplifies an absence of leadership at the service of the people.

Mr Bombande was speaking to the state of general insecurity in the country, following several recorded acts of violence in the leadup to the December 2020 Presidential and Parliamentary election.

"It all revolves around leadership. And leadership is very important in whatever we do. How leadership is exemplary and able to serve with respect and humility is important. You can see in our own context and spilling across to the entire West Africa Region that things are not good," he said.

He, however, acknowledged that popular participation in matters of public interest and the accountability demanding duties of the citizenry is a major repression to threats of violence.

The conflict resolution professional also noted that the efforts of the media, CSO's and peacebuilding and mediation experts at preaching strategic deployment of security personnel during the EC's voter registration exercise were cause for minimal record of violence.

"I'm sure Ghanaian's will appreciate that the way we were able to speak in unison and purpose influenced the decision about how to continue to use the Ghana Armed Forces.

"If we had not been outspoken, only God knows what human rights abuses would have occurred, and the tension we feel today could have been ten times worse" he added.