VP Taylor Wants Liberia Emulate Ghana

By Alex Yomah
The Liberian government through Vice President Jewel Howard Taylor on March 6, 2020 joined the Republic of Ghana to celebrate its 63rd Independence Anniversary in Liberia-while calling on African nations including Liberia to emulate the legacy.
Speaking during program marking the Cocktail reception to commemorate the 63rd Anniversary of the Independence of the Republic of Ghana, VP Taylor said as Liberia joined the Republic of Ghana in reminiscent of his birth anniversary, call on West African countries to be united and work together in oneness.
She said Ghana is moving faster in the African continent because its legacy is based on nationalism and patriotism.
“Nationalism and patriotism, the brain of the citizenry of the Republic of Ghana had. They understood earlier as a result of struggle for independence that there was only one Ghana; and that the Ghanaians have only one country; and that in order for that one country to remain civil and productive; they had to work together,” VP Taylor explained.
She emphatically said nationalism and patriotism is a gift that the Republic of Ghana has of which the Vice President maintained that African leaders must emulate.
Madam Jewel Howard Taylor said in the last 20 years, Ghana has consolidated; improved the democracy; provided the enabling environment for the wellbeing of citizens and country.
“Ghana has set up a working example how simply a nation can be run; it is now our prayers that we will emulate Ghana’s steps in the last 20 years so that we can get on par with,” she motivated attendees.
speaking earlier, Ghana’s Ambassador E-B. Asare-Asiedu gave a brief history of his country; and what propelled Ghana to leap-frog as a fastest growing country in Africa and the world at large.
Amb. E-B. Asare-Asiedu said, 63 years ago, on March 6, 1957, Ghana became the first African nation, to gain independence from European colonial rule in general and British colonial rule in particular.
According to him, conscious of the harm balkanization and colonial domination was inflicting on the continent of Africa, Kwame Nkrumah in the declaration of the independence of Ghana, set a strong foreign policy agenda that waged an unrelenting war against imperialism and colonialism when he chanted the mantra; “The independence of Ghana is meaningless unless it is linked with the total liberation of the African continent”.
He said, in keeping with this charge, Ghana committed enormous resources; human material and monetary in ensuring that colonialism in its raw form was defeated and the continent is at least liberated politically.
“Our forebears believed and took pride in our culture, our traditions, and in our history as well as the force and energy our unity could create and hence the development of the agenda calling Africa to unite in pursuit of the development and enhancement of the African personality”.
“Over the years, Ghana has pursued many and varied social-economic policy decisions that have sharpened the lives of her people. These decisions have translated into the gains the country has made in the last 62 years. In the coming years, Ghana looks forward to consolidating and deepening the achievements made so far. It is against this background that the theme for this year’s independence celebration, “Consolidating our Gains, 63 years is derived,” he narrated.
Commenting on the economy, the Ambassador said, Inflation rate dropped from 12.4 in 2017 to 9.3 in 2019 and is expected at 9.2 in 2020.
The growth rate in 2017 was 8.1 and at 7.0 in 2019. It is expected 6.8 in 2020 being one of the fastest growing economics in Africa and the world as a whole.
“Our policy of Ghana is beyond aid and is gaining good traction. The Ghanaian economy has continued to show strong resilience, as evidenced by the performance of some key macroeconomic indicators.”
“In addition to sustaining the gains made on macroeconomic stabilization and maintaining the growth momentum, Ghana successfully completed, and brought to closure, the IMF’s Extended Credit Facility (ECF) programme started in 2015.
“On the fiscal performance of the country, the government of Ghana remains committed to safeguarding the Macro-fiscal gains that have been achieved over the last three years in the management of the nation’s public finances.
“The government has initiated various policy reforms and has completed several other institutional and structural reforms to strengthen fiscal discipline and ensure irreversibility of such policies through the enactment of the necessary laws.”
“These reforms include digitalization of the economy to improve administrative systems and increase transparency. Currently, there is a digitalization of the National ID Cards, which forms the basis for an integrated data base with tax Identification Numbers, Social Security, Drivers’ Licenses and Passports; the digitalization of the Registrar General’s Department and property addressing system; implementation of mobile money payment interoperability as well as the deployment of the medical drone delivery service, among others.”
“Government has initiated the following programmes to spearhead the country’s transformation agenda: livelihood Empowerment Against poverty (LEAD) and School Feeding Programme; the Free Senior High School; planting for food and jobs; one District, one Factory; Nation Builders Corps and infrastructure for poverty Eradication programme (IPSP); among others,” Ghana Ambassador boasted of Ghana economy.
However, E-B. Asare-Asiedu applauded government of Liberia and the good people of Liberia on the peaceful manner in which the planned 30 December 2019 and the 6th January 2020 mass protests, organized by the Council of Patriots was managed.
He said Ghana appreciates the traditional friendships with Liberia and affirms its readiness to work with the Government of Liberia to advance the march of Liberia towards establishing its name in the credentials of democratic nations as a respecter of the rule of law, fundamental human rights of its people and accountable in governance.
The security cooperation between the two sisterly countries that allow officers of the AFL, the LNP and the Immigration to train in Ghanaian institutions will continue.
“Our contingent with the ECOWAS training team will continue as well. It is gratifying that the two pilots of the AFL have been accepted for attachment with the Ghana Air Force. It is our further wish to see the required cooperation between the Coast Guard and the Ghana Navy. It is our view that such cooperation will strengthen our regional security,” he concluded.