The former Prime Minister, Dr. Kofi Abrefa Busia, is classified as a leader who had a great vision to develop Ghana.
His vision, which was said to be of policies and programmes that contribute to promoting the holistic development of the country, has been recommended to potential governments.
On Tuesday, July 11, 2023 a symposium to mark the 110th birthday of Dr. Busia was held in Accra, where various speakers, including the Speaker of the 7th Parliament, Prof. Aaron Mike Oquaye, as the chair, spoke highly of the man.
Prof. Oquaye, who in 2018 gave a lecture on Dr. Busia, said on Tuesday that the man fought hard to lead Ghana in the right direction.
According to Prof. Oquaye, one of the greatest “tragedies” that befell Ghana was the “overthrow” of Dr. Busia by Colonel Kutu Acheampong in 1972.
The then government of Dr. Busia was hit with the coup after 22 months in office, following the introduction of its Alien Compliance Order in 1970, the famous Apollo 568 and the devaluation of the cedi, among other things.
MISUNDERSTOOD
The presentation of Dr. George Domfeh, Research Fellow at the Centre for Social Policy Studies, University of Ghana, centered on the economic aspect of the reign of Dr. Busia. According to Dr. Domfeh, Ghanaians did not understand the austerity measures Dr. Busia put in place.
He cited that the devaluation of the cedi, pleading with creditors for debt restructuring and others, were aimed at deepening internal resource mobilisation.
He said that the devaluation of the cedi was due to the exchange rate and the need to allow for foreign inflows into the country.
He described Dr. Busia as “a Capitalist with conscience,” adding that the social intervention programme introduced by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) is in line with the vision of Dr. Busia.
The event was on the theme: “Relevance of Busia’s Ideas to Our Contemporary Society,” organised by the Busia Institute for Rural and Democratic Development.
RURAL PLANTATION
In his presentation, the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Abu Jinapor, said the theme was apt, considering the vision of Dr. Busia.
The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources said that Dr. Busia, while in office, embarked on plantation development, something the world has come to realize: trees and forests hold the key to climate change.
He recalled that as far back as the 1970s, Dr. Busia focused on the plantation of tropical timber, known in science as Tekona Grandis and commonly referred to as Teak.
He said today that teak is benefiting the country immensely, as it is a means of transmitting electricity to rural areas, “thanks to Busia’s farsightedness.”
“At the time, this might have sounded like too far a vision to realize since teak takes about 10 years to mature, but today, millions of Ghanaians are enjoying the fruits of Dr. Busia’s foresight in using teak to transmit electricity.
“The greatest gift we can dedicate to the memory of Dr. Busia is to demonstrate our commitment to the green society he yearned for through good stewardship, the preservation of the environment, and the planting of trees, Mr. Jinapor stated.
WOMEN ISSUES
The Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, Dr. KwakuAfriyie said that Dr. Busia was one of the first people to realize the women’s issue and put it at the forefront of the nation’s development.
He cited compulsory maternity leave and the introduction of family planning to “protect the health” of women, adding that these should not be ceded to “political leftists.”
RECOMMENDATIONS
The MP for Okaikoi Central, Patrick Yaw Boamah, who in his presentation outlined the outstanding ideas of Dr. Busia to consolidate Ghana’s democratic credentials, proposed reforms in the country’s procurement process.
According to him, there are provisions in the Public Procurement Act that have raised concerns with anti-graft agencies, who argue that the purpose of these provisions has not been respected by governments.
He also proposed a “comprehensive” infrastructural development policy to meet modern trends, explaining that that policy would guide the way to infrastructural development.
The MP also proposed “robust legislation to meet the growth of Artificial Intelligence,” arguing that it has broken into the daily activities of mankind.
Gracing the occasion were also the Paramount Chief of Asante Asokore, Dr. Nana Susubiribi Krobea Asante and Dr. Kwabena Osei Adubufour, Senior Aide to former President Kufuor, who represented him.
Others include Peter Mac Manu, Prof. Ameyaw Ekumfi and students from the Achimota School.
