Professor Ernest Aryeetey has said that late former president Jerry John Rawlings’ governance style was deeply shaped by anger, leaving little room for inclusive dialogue and long-term consensus building.
The former University of Ghana Vice-Chancellor recalled experiencing Rawlings’ early days in power firsthand while doing his national service.
“When Rawlings came, I saw it all, the anger in him drove everything that he did,” he said in a conversation with Bernard Avle on Channel One TV monitored by Lovinghananews.com.
He explained that this emotional intensity influenced the policies of the PNDC era, where decisions were often reactionary rather than consultative.
“There wasn’t much room for stakeholders with different interests to sit down and negotiate.
“What kind of policies we pursued depended on how people interpreted Rawlings’ anger and what it would mean for them personally,” he remarked.
Aryeetey cautioned that building a nation on such foundations limits progress.
“When you build a nation on that basis, you’re not going to get the best,” he said, adding that although some positive steps were taken during Rawlings’ tenure, many opportunities for transformation were missed.
He concluded that Ghana’s current political and institutional challenges partly stem from the absence of genuine dialogue and participatory governance during those years.
“Some people think the nineteen years he had was a missed opportunity, and I tend to agree,” Prof. Aryeetey reflected.
Source:Lovinghananews.com
