Dr. Mohammed Sumaila Asaah, a lecturer and conservation agriculturist, has explained to A1 Radio’s Mark Smith that the processes leading to the formulation of the 5-year regional development plan have begun.
The strategic plan is expected to give the region an identity while charting a path for sustainable development.
“Development is what we call eclectic. We have to pick up knowledge from different areas. Development is not one thing that is standing there. It is about changing things that are undesirable into a desirable situation. Who determines what is undesirable? It is society. The society would determine what is better.”
Dr. Asaah explained that a previous plan was started but the process was truncated.
“This whole exercise we are starting now was started before, but the process couldn’t end. Some of us felt bad about that because, at any point in time, as a group of people, we need to be unique. The Upper East Region can never be the Northern Region. The Upper East Region cannot be the Ashanti Region because the social identity, economic profile, and all the other factors are different. For that matter, the aspiration of the people of the Upper East Region is different.”
Because of the differences, Dr. Asaah said it explains the reason for the formulation of the new 5 year development plan.
“We have to sit down and consider certain things. So, for instance, in the area of education, we can all talk and complain about what is not right. That is the current situation. So we would examine it and then consider what is desirable.”
The process of formulating the plan, Dr. Asaah said, is going to be extremely participatory. Political leaders, traditional leaders, the youth, the business community, et al., would be relied on for the formulation of the plan.
“This whole process of developing a regional outlook would consciously consider all of these thematic areas, and we would bring those who have really lived and worked and have several years of experience,” he said.
Source: A1radioonline.com|101.1MHz|Mark Kwasi Ahumah Smith|Ghana
