Extend equity to developing nations- Second Deputy Speaker urges Prez Obama

Page 9, Jan 30, 2009
Story: Emmanuel Adu-Gyamerah

THE Second Deputy Speaker and Member of Parliament (MP) for Dome-Kwabenya, Professor Mike Oquaye, has called on the new American President, Mr Barack Obama, to help extend equity to the developing nations by ensuring a new world economic order.
“We don’t expect magic just because he is African. But a new equity can assist our rice farmers and help our poultry industry to thrive”, he said.
Prof. Oquaye made the call in a statement on the floor of Parliament to congratulate President Obama on the feat.
He noted that the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) has too many inhibitive technicalities to benefit Africa and called for its revision.
Prof. Oquaye said President Obama’s victory was a victory for both the Black and White races in America since those who voted him to power were both Blacks and Whites.
He called for lessons to be learnt from Obama’s victory by Ghanaians explaining that if ethnocentrism continued to deepen, it might have unprecedented consequences in the country.
“We should learn to open up and vote on issues and principles devoid of tribal considerations”, he said.
Prof. Oquaye called for the holding of elections in early November with the President assuming office in January just as is done in the USA.
He said that would be beneficial since it would give enough time for an inauguration for all Ghanaians and that electoral disputes could also be properly resolved.
Contributing to the statement, the NDC MP for Asawase, Alhaji Muntanka Mubarak, said the victory of President Obama, his age notwithstanding, should be a lesson to Ghanaians.
He said it was unfortunate that references are made to the age of young people seeking political and public offices and called on Ghanaians to look for what people could offer rather than branding them as inexperienced on account of their age.
For her part, the NPP MP for Evalue-Gwira, Mrs Cathrine Afeku, commended President Obama for appointing his former political opponent, Mrs Hillary Clinton, as the Secretary of State.
She therefore called on politicians to learn a lesson from that example and reconcile with their opponents once elections are over in order to unite for the common good of the people who voted them to power.