The Annual Harmattan School has opened at the University for Development Studies (UDS) to discuss critical issues on governance and sustainable development.

This year’s Annual Harmattan School, which is the 19th edition, will focus on the impact of inconsistent governance in Ghana’s development, highlighting the importance of continuity in policy as a pathway towards the realisation of the country’s full potential for self-sufficiency and global competiveness.

The two-day event, organised by the Institute for Interdisciplinary Research (IIR) of the UDS, wil feature insightful conversations as well as provide the platform for in-depth discussions on how the country could develop sustainably by addressing the issue of abandonment of national development plans, policies, programmes and projects by successive governments.

It is organised in collaboration with the Environmental Protection Authority, Norsaac, Ghana Developing Communities Association, amongst other partners on the theme: “Changes in Governments and National Development: Discontinuity in Continuity”.

Participants included representatives of civil society organisations, public institutions, and students amongst other stakeholders.

Professor Seidu Al-Hassan, Vice-Chancellor, UDS, speaking during the opening of the event in Tamale on Wednesday, said it was structured to promote constructive engagement to influence government policy directions.

Professor Al-Hassan said the issue of partisanship and lack of accountability by successive governments had largely contributed to the discontinuity of critical projects and programmes.

He proposed the establishment of a long-term development plan for the country, saying it must be backed with political parties’ commitment to ensure its implementation.

Professor Mamudu Akudugu, Director of IIR, UDS said the issues for discussion was grounded in the fact that since independence, the country had seen multiple national projects initiated with great fanfare only to be halted or abandoned by subsequent governments.

He said such a practice did not only lead to waste of resources but also stall economic progress and undermine public trust in leadership.

He said the event would focus on key sectors of the economy such as education, health and agriculture as part of efforts to draw government’s attention to the need for continuity in development.

Professor Akudugu said, “The 19th edition of the Harmattan School aims to create a platform to interrogate issues around continuity in development planning and policy interventions for the socioeconomic transformation of the country beyond another exchange of power between political parties.”

Mrs Sophia Akuffo, a former Chief Justice of the Republic, who delivered a keynote address at the event, bemoaned the issue of uncompleted projects by successive governments, saying such a practice impeded sustainable development and deny the citizens access to quality services.

She called for the enforcement of laws to stop the misuse of state resources in projects, which would be abandoned by succeeding governments.

Mr Ali Adolf John, Northern Regional Minister, whose speech was read on his behalf, said the issue of discontinuity and abandonment of uncompleted projects in the country had been a long-standing challenge that had adversely affected the effective delivery of key services.

He gave assurance that the government would prioritise the completion of some of the major projects began by the previous government to address the infrastructural gap in the country.