Vice President Alhaji Aliu Mahama on Wednesday observed that effective political and bureaucratic leadership are indispensable to national progress and preconditions for a vibrant private sector development. He credited the ruling New Patriotic Party for pursuing such a policy to promote the economy as the engine of growth. Vice President Mahama made the observation when he opened a three-day Commonwealth Association for Public Administration and Management (CAPAM), underway in Accra on the theme: “Leadership, Learning, Institutes and Public Service.” He called for effective institutions, structures and systems as well as professional managers and leaders to help promote the effectiveness of the public sector. Vice President Mahama noted that successful leaders are those who clearly envision growth paths to prosperity of their countries and people and more importantly chart the path of attaining such goals. “But this greatly depends on public service ethos of stability, effectiveness and efficiency without inhibiting innovative, accelerated and sustainable national development.” He said one of the casualties of the development crises of Commonwealth African countries in the 1970’s and 1980’s was the erosion of the capacity of public service training institutes. Vice President Mahama asked the participants to help to identify practical steps and mechanisms to hit the development mark in respect to the needs of their individual countries. He asked the conference participants to come out with proposals or recommendations that would guide their political leaders at the next Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in Kampala, Uganda. CAPAM, which is a non-profit organization and made up of senior public practitioners, held its first meeting at New Delhi in India in 2005. The organization seeks opportunities for professional links, integrity and professionalism among public servants. Mrs Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi, Minister of Public Service Administration, South Africa and President of CAPAM lauded the historic role Ghana’s first President, Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah played in fighting for the decolonization and political emancipation of Africa. Professor Stephen Adei, Rector of Ghana Institute for Public Administration and Management, host of the conference, said the academic facility had been chosen to run public administration courses for parliamentarians from English speaking countries in Africa. Source: GNA