EDITORIAL: We Are Making Progress

Sunday, 19 February 2012 13:50

Written by Myjoyonline.com

In his fourth State of the Nation Address to Parliament Thursday, President J. E. A. Mills outlined the progress that the country had made under his watch in the last three years.

While conceding that there still remained a lot of work to be done, the President stated that the economy was not only full of promise but also the country was making substantial progress in terms of development.

Apart from recording a high growth rate of nearly 14 per cent and the rate of inflation at 8.55 per cent as of the end of 2011, the lowest in the annals of the country since 1970, the budget deficit was two per cent of Gross Domestic Product as of September 2011, compared to 14.5 per cent in 2008.

There have also been considerable successes in the educational sector, especially the schools under trees project.

There is also progress in all sectors of the national economy, be it infrastructure development, capacity building, the provision of water, rural electrification, among other areas.

We cannot say we have reached the ultimate in national development and the President was honest in admitting that fact. We still have a long way to go in all sectors of the economy, especially education, where, after more than 50 years of independence, we still have classes being held under trees and sheds.

But we believe that as one people with a common destiny, we either swim or sink together in our desire to put our country in its proper place.

This is where we expect our political leaders and politicians in general, as well as their supporters, to particularly watch the way they do their politics. This year being an election year, our politicians and their supporters must watch their utterances and statements in the heat of the electioneering in order not to inflame passions.

The role of the media and the Judiciary in the success of this year’s elections was well spelt out by the President.

One thing that should gladden the hearts of the media is the President’s expression of confidence in them to deliver to safeguard our democracy, in spite of the perceived polarisation.

As the media play their watchdog role over public office bearers and the elections, the media must remember that irresponsibility on their part can destroy the gains we have made under constitutional democracy.

We urge the media to up their game and not allow themselves to be used by anybody to achieve his or her personal and parochial interest at the peril of the common good.

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