1830 Ghana's development agenda is under the stethoscope in the Joy Debate Series, third edition, at the Alisa Hotel currently ongoing. The debate powered by Joy FM's Thought Leadership desk is on the motion "Ghana's 40th Development Agenda is not feasible."Two of the best brains in the country have been elected to spar on this all important topic which comes in the wake of the launch of the 40 years National Development Plan.Kofi Bentil a lawyer and the Vice President of IMANI Ghana will speak for the motion whilst a Commissioner at the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC), Prof. Agyemang Badu Akosa will speak against it. Get ready for a thought provoking debate.

1835 Opening Remarks by Moderator

The moderator of the debate is Prof Kojo Ewudzi named the Scholar of the year in 1957 with a long list of academic credentials takes over.He says Ghana has a long history of planning; The first in the world to draw a development plan and was championed by Governor Guggisberg in 1927. He was able to carry through his plan for seven years until he was transferred. Korle Bu Hospital, Takoradi Harbour and other major projects were undertaken as a result. Since then there has been others plans- GPRS 1-4. After his remarks, he introduces Bentil who will speak for the motion. 

1837 Modalities for the Debate

Kofi Bentil will begin with his opening remarks and will have ten minutes; Akosa will then come with his opening remarks for 10 minutes. Bentil will return with a summary for ten minutes and so will Akosa. Moderator will then come in with questions to the debators after which the floor will be opened.

1840 Bentil's Opening Remarks

This is not an argument that says we should not plan; Indeed we have plans but our challenge is that we don't execute our plans. We need a short term strategy to execute and not a long term plan.

We should not run after the populist sentiments. After Kwame Nkrumah no leader has been able to achieve any of the plans.

The reasons why we have not achieved the many plans are the plans are mostly convoluted. It's okay to dream but planning is a different ball game which does not need 40 years to plan.

The envy list of Ghana, ie Malaysia, Singapore all have dreams but all of them have series of five year development plan.

They have a dream but a dream is not a plan. It is not feasible economically because we cannot tell how the economy will shape up in 20 years. 20 years ago we did not have facebook, twitter and many of these social media. Our problem is not planning it is the execution. We have current issues which need to be dealt with now.

People died from cholera only months ago and we need to solve that now and get a short term five year simple plan to address some of these challenges.

A five year plan should say that in five years we should have dealt with issues of energy; in five years we should have solved our water problems; in five years our poor education will be fixed.

This is smart and not a vague 40 year plan. The National Development Planning Commission wants to make the 40 year plan binding on all governments but we all know that will never happen.  We need an implementable five year cyclical plan and not a 40 year plan.

1850 Prof. Akosa's Opening remarks

From 1957 to 1966 Ghana grew exponentially because there was a plan that was implemented. If this long-term plan was to end the energy crisis or education everybody would have applauded. But somehow some people think we can’t do two things at the same time. There is no plan at the moment but NDPC wants to talk to every Ghanaians interested in dreaming about Ghana’s future in 40 years. The plan would be binding but we are saying every political party should look at it. And really the manifestos of political parties are not really different. It is “cut and paste” manifestos.

Even when Akosombo was being built there will always be people who said no.  For once we are saying let us begin to construct Ghana for the next 40 years. He recounts that an American think-tank has planned the next 30 years. He said 30 years on the next challenge in the world is water and American is planning on producing and keeping water for the next 30 years. What has the 5-year short-term plans like the Ghana Poverty Reduction Strategies in the recent past achieved?  Only a few kilometers of roads and some CHIP compounds, he says. He says he may not be there in40 years but the man who drew the Westminster Abbey the pride of the UK did not live to see it. Today people marvel at the intricate architecture. 

Let’s dream big, he challenges. Don’t let us not belittle ourselves. He argues that Ghana@ 100 does have to be a straight 40 year plan, it could contain phases of 5 years. Ghana should ditch linear growth and aim at exponential growth, he says.Stop thinking that 40 years is too far away. 40 years is a very short time. He is now 60 years but when he was 10 years, 40 years looked far away.

1900 Bentil Rebuttal 

For a country that suffers cholera is a national disgrace. That will not be solved with a 40 year plan. The point is to ensure we have a short term plan that will be acceptable by all. One that people will identify with and work along. The thinking that went into the previous plans has been suspect. We need short term strategic national goal. A plan that will start but will not be finished is not a plan worthy to follow. It will never be done and that has been the story of Ghana.

If we give ourselves ten years we can build gas pipelines across the country. Give me a plan that says in five years there will thermal plants in the Central Region that will solve the dumsor challenge and the taxi driver there will be ready to support that plan and not a vague 40 year plan. Our problem is that the leaders have abdicated their responsibilities. We need to put people in place to fix our challenges; we have what it takes to fix our problems in at most 20 years and not 40 years.

Akosa rebuttal

There will be cynics in everything we try to achieve. Our political cycles are too short for effective 5-year plans. What can a president substantially change things in the country. Ghana’s democracy is too polarized. We are not learning the kind of democracy from those who taught us. In UK, the Queen examines the speech of the Prime minister and gives it to the opposition and they agree on the language in the speech.

Not so in Ghana. The opposition in Ghana will oppose any good idea just to implement it when they get the chance to be in power. Of course the 40- year plan can contain Kofi Bentil’s suggestion of five year plans. What will end in three years in the 40-year plan will be achieved in three years. Water doesn’t have to be solved in 40 years. It can be solved in the first 5 –year plan for example.

“I just don’t see the point. It is just being cynical” to be questioning the feasibility of a 40-year development plan. Americans are planning on producing water for the next 30 years. “I wish this is what IMANI will do. Do that!”.

People will be consulted widely. Maybe IMANI thinks it has all the wisdom in the world.

MODERATOR TAKES OVER WITH QUESTIONS TO DEBATORS