ISLAMIC SCHOLAR ADVICES POLITICIANS (NSEMPA, PAGE 10)

By George Ernest Asare, Kumasi

AN Islamic scholar resident at Aboabo in Kumasi, Alhaji Baba Atta, has expressed concern about the incessant attacks and insults heaped on past governments as soon as they leave office.
Speaking to Graphic Nsempa when he called at the Kumasi office of the Graphic Communications Group Limited (GCGL), Alhaji Atta pointed out that discrediting immediate past governments and labelling then as corrupt without considering any of their achievements was counter productive and could go a long way in discouraging the youth who had the desire to contribute to the socio-economic development of the country.
Explaining further, he said “I was very disturbed when immediately after the NPP government took over the reins of governance from the Rawlings administration, the leadership of the new regime told Ghanaians that they had inherited trillions of cedis as debt from the NDC without explaining what the money was used for”.
“I think the NPP government ought to have told Ghanaians the number of schools they also inherited, the number of bridges they built to facilitate road transport, the length of asphalted roads they constructed that enhanced the transportation of goods and services during that period, as well as the number of students who benefited from scholarships during the Rawlings regime, as a way of building their capacity.
That enabled them to contribute more meaningfully towards socio-economic development of the country, among others,” he stressed.
Explaining further, Alhaji Atta stated that as if by coincidence, the NDC government was also labelling the immediate past government as corrupt and saying they inherited billions of cedis as debt “without telling us what the money was used for”.
According to the 75-year-old Islamic scholar, his careful observation during the reign of the NPP government indicated that a lot of development projects were initiated.
“These are some of the things that our politicians should consider when they assume leadership position and make the public aware, but not condemn their opponents as if they did not play any significant role as politicians”.
Alhaji Atta also called on politicians to be patriotic by considering what they could offer the country when given the opportunity.
That, he said, would enable them leave a mark and a legacy for themselves for the present and future generations to appreciate.