Journalists, CSOs Schooled on Public Policy

Journalists, members of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) across Ghana and Africa have been taken through importance of Public Policy over the weekend in the Eastern Regional capital, Koforidua.

The three day training program brought together experts, market players and policy think tanks to deliberate on the importance of public policy in their work.

A conservative right wing thinker and a public policy advocate, Mr. Nii Tackie Oblie Terflondon took journalists on why public policy is important to their work. He encouraged expecially the media to indulge in more issue and case base advocacy to cause a change in communities and the country as a whole.

This for him, would go a long way to bring changes and a new way of governing in the body politics.

Citing various examples on why journalists in Ghana and Africa must take public policy seriously, the policy think tank expert was optimistic this would help media practitioners gain knowledge on how to hold people in athourity accountable and to foster development in the country.

Mr. Ebenerzer was quick to add that “the surerest way of holding public officials accountable is by understanding the issues and where to table them for right answers”.

Mr. Ebenerzer emphasized on the need to hold politicians accountable at the end of their stewardship.

For him, delivering on mandate by ways of building schools, roads, hospitals and market deserve no commendations from the citizenry since that was the reason they were voted for.

“Why should we applaud politicians or ministers and president for building our roads, schools, hospitals and market since it was the tax payers money that was used to put up those infrastructures”.

“Politicians are not doing any favour to the people if they build schools, hospitals, roads and market because it is their rights and the social contract with the government”, he added.

Delivering his lecture on understanding the liberal framework  within the realms of public policy formulation,  Mr. Oblie stressed lack of understanding of political party ideology by it’s followers which turns to deviate from it’s manifesto promises to satisfying party foot souldiers.

To him, any political party without ideology can’t be trusted in body politics adding that “politicians who do not represent an ideology simply lost its way in political arena”.

One could believe that most  Ghanaian or African youth only follow political parties without understanding their ideologies.

By: Iddrissu A. Jara