Many families in Ghana are faced with poverty
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13th May, 2010
Poverty, A Threat To Democracy - Experts
Three experts in security, labour and international affairs issues have affirmed that poverty pose a threat to the country’s growing democracy.
The three, Kofi Bentum Quantson, a former Director of the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI), Dr Yaw Baah, Deputy Secretary-General of the Ghana Trade Unions Congress (GTUC), and Dr Vladmir Antwi-Danso, Senior Research Fellow of the Legon Centre for International Affairs (LECIA), said this at a roundtable organised by the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) in Accra on Tuesday.
The programme, under the theme: ‘Poverty- A threat to Constitutionalism and Multiparty Democracy in Ghana,’ formed part of activities marking the 10th annual National Constitutional Week of the NCCE.
The experts generally defined poverty as the absence of opportunities, insecurity, exclusion and economic deprivation.
They, therefore, suggested that government should increase investment in education and create more jobs for the people.
Mr Quantson argued that “poverty drive otherwise decent people into crime.”
He said there was linkage between poverty, protection of the national resources, and the provision of the wellbeing of the people, social stability and national security.
The former BNI director said for the nation to benefit from the blessing of multi-party democracy, there was the need for the prudent management of the country’s natural resources, emphasising that it was one of the avenues to reduce poverty in the country.
He said pillaging and looting of the country’s resources by a section of the society for their selfish interests was tantamount to subverting the people’s human security and by extension, national security.
Mr Quantson entreated the NCCE to embark on security education campaigns to sharpen their national security consciousness and motivate the people to take active part in the protection of the nation.
Dr Baah said there was a link between poverty and chaos, adding that constitunalism and multi-party democracy thrive in a country where poverty was less.
The Deputy GTUC boss argued that poverty could be eradicated if people were opened to opportunities, and called for social intervention programmes, such as cash transfers, for the vulnerable and the poor in society.
Dr Antwi-Danso explained that constitunalism and multi-party democracy were means for mobilizing of resources for the advancement of society, adding that the two drove poverty away.
He said “Poverty had been misconstrued to mean economic deprivation. It is a composite term connoting vulnerabilities,” adding that using bribes, handouts and temporary reliefs would not reduce poverty unless education.
The Senior Research Fellow called on stakeholders particularly, the media to help in the public education of the citizens.
Ambassador Larry Farhan Bimmi, chairman of the NCCE who set the tone for the discussion, asked several rhetorical questions.
He asked whether the country’s economic paradigm needed to changed and why the nation had not dealt seriously with corruption.
Mr Paul Victor Obeng, Chairman of the National Development Planning Commission, who chaired the programme, said multi-party democracy was about the competition of ideas.
He encouraged the citizens to effectively participate in the multi-party democracy of the country.
The three, Kofi Bentum Quantson, a former Director of the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI), Dr Yaw Baah, Deputy Secretary-General of the Ghana Trade Unions Congress (GTUC), and Dr Vladmir Antwi-Danso, Senior Research Fellow of the Legon Centre for International Affairs (LECIA), said this at a roundtable organised by the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) in Accra on Tuesday.
The programme, under the theme: ‘Poverty- A threat to Constitutionalism and Multiparty Democracy in Ghana,’ formed part of activities marking the 10th annual National Constitutional Week of the NCCE.
The experts generally defined poverty as the absence of opportunities, insecurity, exclusion and economic deprivation.
They, therefore, suggested that government should increase investment in education and create more jobs for the people.
Mr Quantson argued that “poverty drive otherwise decent people into crime.”
He said there was linkage between poverty, protection of the national resources, and the provision of the wellbeing of the people, social stability and national security.
The former BNI director said for the nation to benefit from the blessing of multi-party democracy, there was the need for the prudent management of the country’s natural resources, emphasising that it was one of the avenues to reduce poverty in the country.
He said pillaging and looting of the country’s resources by a section of the society for their selfish interests was tantamount to subverting the people’s human security and by extension, national security.
Mr Quantson entreated the NCCE to embark on security education campaigns to sharpen their national security consciousness and motivate the people to take active part in the protection of the nation.
Dr Baah said there was a link between poverty and chaos, adding that constitunalism and multi-party democracy thrive in a country where poverty was less.
The Deputy GTUC boss argued that poverty could be eradicated if people were opened to opportunities, and called for social intervention programmes, such as cash transfers, for the vulnerable and the poor in society.
Dr Antwi-Danso explained that constitunalism and multi-party democracy were means for mobilizing of resources for the advancement of society, adding that the two drove poverty away.
He said “Poverty had been misconstrued to mean economic deprivation. It is a composite term connoting vulnerabilities,” adding that using bribes, handouts and temporary reliefs would not reduce poverty unless education.
The Senior Research Fellow called on stakeholders particularly, the media to help in the public education of the citizens.
Ambassador Larry Farhan Bimmi, chairman of the NCCE who set the tone for the discussion, asked several rhetorical questions.
He asked whether the country’s economic paradigm needed to changed and why the nation had not dealt seriously with corruption.
Mr Paul Victor Obeng, Chairman of the National Development Planning Commission, who chaired the programme, said multi-party democracy was about the competition of ideas.
He encouraged the citizens to effectively participate in the multi-party democracy of the country.
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