As is usual with every passing year, Ghanaians will be looking forward to the New Year, 2024, with a lot of hopes, expectations and optimism, but also with a little tinge of concern.
And that is understandable. For a country that is preparing for a crucial election, it is natural for the people to be apprehensive about this year.
Undeniably, the last few years have been quite challenging on many fronts, with Ghanaians heaving a little sigh of relief with the just ended year.
However, in this year, 2024, there are a few things that Ghanaians, would like to see happen in their country to reassure them that their hope in a better Ghana is not in vain.
Of important of all, is the organization of the 2024 Presidential and Parliamentary elections by the Electoral Commission.
More Read
Ghanaians want a more independent EC, starting with the mode of appointing its officials in order to exclude those with partisan leanings.
The fallouts of the 2012 and 2020 presidential election petitions and court proceedings, especially the 2020 election petition brought by the former president, John Dramani Mahama and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) afterwards have left much to be desired.
It is increasingly becoming the case that, the mandate of the people expressed through their votes is often sacrificed on the altar of legal technicalities.
There have been assurances and reassurances from President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, who said he wants 2024 to be peaceful.
It is the expectation of Ghanaians that, he will live up to his word and the Electoral Commission, will also supervise a free, fair and transparent election.
Secondly, Ghanaians want, policing and military operations underpinned by good intelligence gathering and usage with the aid of surveillance technology, not the analogue reactive one that the country is currently witnessing.
On the economy, Ghanaians want their back-breaking yoke of hardship to be lessened. The Inflation rate for December 2023 of 23.2%, is still high using the Bank of Ghana’s benchmark range of 6% to 10%; the cost of some goods still remains high on the shelves
Ghanaians want their elected and appointed officials to lead by example: they cannot be telling suffering Ghanaians bearing the brunt of the present economic policies to make more sacrifices when they themselves are living extravagant lifestyles and engaging in wasteful spending of public resources.
Ghanaians, also want their Members of Parliament (MPs) to be alive to their duty of oversighting the executive, not a rubber-stamp one that is in cahoots with the executive to the detriment of the citizenry.
Ghanaians, don’t want the government to engage in more borrowing and the unproductive application of the borrowed funds.
