0 
0 A Former New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament (MP) for Assin Central, Kennedy Agyapong, has called on political leaders to place national development above partisan considerations and work towards completing critical projects that serve the interests of the citizenry.
Speaking to journalists in Accra last Tuesday, the two-time flag bearer hopeful of the NPP cited the prolonged delay in completing the Afari Military Hospital project in Sewua in the Ashanti Region to buttress his point.
This was after the businessman presented a vehicle and other items to the Ghana Police Service as he marked his 66th birthday.
He said the delayed hospital project should serve as a lesson on the need for continuity in governance and greater commitment to national development, irrespective of which political party was in power.
Mr Agyapong, who is also a former Chairman of Parliament’s Defence and Interior Committee, said the country’s development agenda would suffer if governments continued to approach national projects from partisan perspectives.
“We should love our nation and stop playing politics with everything and do the right thing for the country,” he stated.
He stressed that the country’s progress depended on the collective commitment of successive governments to complete projects initiated by their predecessors.
National development
Mr Agyapong observed that both the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) had a responsibility to ensure the completion of projects that were critical to national development.
He said assigning blame would not address the country’s developmental challenges.
“We will criticise NDC. We will criticise NPP.
That’s the only way to go,” he said, adding that accountability should apply to all governments regardless of political affiliation.
He explained that while the Afari Military Hospital project was initiated under the NDC administration, the succeeding NPP government had the opportunity to complete it in its eight-year reign.
“NDC started this.
Why didn’t you complete it?
You were there for eight years.
You didn’t complete it,” he said in reference to the need for continuity in governance.
Patriotism
Mr Agyapong urged political actors and citizens alike to adopt a more patriotic approach to national issues.
He said development projects should be viewed as investments for the benefit of all Ghanaians and not as achievements belonging to particular political parties.
The former Assin Central MP further stressed that the country’s development would be accelerated if governments focused on delivering results rather than engaging in partisan disputes over projects.
He noted that an honest assessment of national challenges was necessary to improve governance and ensure value for public investments.
Oversight concerns
Drawing from his experience as former Chairman of Parliament’s Defence and Interior Committee, Mr Agyapong said effective oversight remained essential to ensuring the timely completion of public projects.
He disclosed that during his tenure, attempts by the committee to inspect the facility did not materialise.
“When we decided to go and inspect Afari, they stopped us.
We didn’t go,” he said.
He therefore called for stronger institutional mechanisms to monitor the implementation of major public infrastructure projects.
