After more than three decades of uninterrupted constitutional rule, Ghana stands as one of Africa’s proudest democracies. Yet, beneath this democratic veneer lies a disturbing paradox: our national development remains shackled to the transient whims of political manifestoes.
Every four years, the country pauses to listen to lofty promises, well-crafted slogans and colorful campaign documents only to wake up, post-election, to the same cycle of unfulfilled pledges and abandoned projects. How long will Ghana continue to mortgage her future on the altar of political manifestoes?
Since 1993, successive governments have come and gone, each armed with its own set of promises, often tearing down the very foundations laid by its predecessor. Roads, hospitals, schools and factories — all victims of political change — are left to rot midway because they were not “our” projects. This piecemeal approach to development has created a culture of policy discontinuity and waste that no serious nation can afford.
Yes, political manifestoes are important; they are the social contracts between the governed and those who seek to govern. But Ghana’s overreliance on them as the primary blueprint for development has become a national tragedy. The lack of a binding, long-term plan has left our economy vulnerable to the short-term thinking of electoral politics.
The results are high unemployment, economic instability, corruption, infrastructural decay and an environment ravaged by illegal mining, all symptoms of a nation chasing four-year political cycles instead of a 40-year vision.
Ironically, Ghana already has a 40-Year National Development Plan, painstakingly crafted by the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC). Yet, because the NDPC operates only as an advisory body, successive governments treat this plan as optional reading material rather than a national covenant. What kind of serious country treats its own future as a suggestion?
We cannot continue like this. The Chronicle holds the firm view that Ghana, at 68 years of independence, must rise above partisan experiments and commit to a legally binding national development framework one that no government, regardless of political color, can ignore. Parliament must have the courage to make such a plan the law of the land, insulated from political tampering.
Our leaders must stop governing by manifesto and start governing by vision. Political parties should align their manifestoes with a single national plan — not the other way around. Only then can we build continuity, attract sustainable investment, and deliver real progress to the people.
The time has come for Ghana to move beyond promises and politics. If the Fourth Republic is to mean anything more than peaceful elections, it must produce measurable development. Ghana must break free from the altar of manifestoes — and finally rise to the altar of nationhood.
