attitudinal change

(Ghanaians need attitudinal change - Sai Cofie)
THE Minister for Information and National Orientation (MINO), Mrs Oboshie Sai Cofie, has stressed the need for a dramatic attitudinal change in the entire Ghanaian citizenry for accelerated development.
She said, as the government played a facilitating role in behavioral change, each individual must also contribute his or her quota to the drive towards change of attitudes.
Mrs Sai Cofie was addressing students of the Legon Centre for International Affairs (LECIA) as part of a series of weekly lectures on the theme: “Citizens Input Towards Attaining Easier Socio-economic Development” at the University of Ghana.
She described the participation of the citizen in the country’s socio-culture development not only as a constitutional issue but also a political right since the 1992 Constitution empowered the people to take the destiny of the nation into their own hands.
The minister expressed the government’s belief that the constitution must be the starring point for any discussions on citizens participation in policy formulation and socio-economic development, adding: “citizen’s participation is an integral part of Ghana’s democratic process”.
She, however, cautioned the people not to take the current democratic dispensation for granted because people fought for it. She reminded Ghanaians to help sustain the democratic dispensation by making efforts to understand the constitution and promoting the various rights and responsibilities that came with it.
Mrs Sai Cofie expressed the belief that the people would fully participate in the socio-economic development of the country, if existing mechanisms for ensuring quality of life in “respect for all citizens in this country” were enforced.
She said the MINO was aware of the key role education played in the implementation of coherent and forceful political systems, social, cultural and moral reforms through which it hoped to achieve positive results on the National Orientation Programme.
Touching on gender parity, the minister said women representation in national affairs was increasing at all levels of governance including the district councils, parliament and the cabinet and called for its inclusion in the school system to instil confidence and knowledge in all children.
Mrs Oboshie Sai Cofie said the media constituted the most important channel through which the people could voice out their feelings and that “Ghanaians have enjoyed unprecedented freedom of information and expression over the past six years”.
She said giant strides had already been made to pass the Freedom of Information Bill into law, and that other legislations were also being considered to strengthen the public communication sector to make the media even more accessible to the people.
Mrs Oboshie Sai Cofie explained that the five pillars of the National Orientation Programme, which addressed much wider concerns, covered every facet of life, and were meant to accelerate development.
A former diplomat, Ambassador Kobina Sekyi, called on Ghanaians to take responsibility for their actions since that was the only way to create a disciplined society.