Majority Leader Ayariga Calls for Reflection on Ghana’s Unfinished Agricultural and Industrial Vision

The Majority Leader, Hon. Osaman Mahama Ayariga, has urged the nation to reflect deeply on its longstanding development goals, particularly those set as far back as 1963 by Ghana’s first President, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah.

Speaking on the floor of Parliament, Hon. Ayariga recalled that Dr. Nkrumah’s Seven-Year Development Plan included the construction of the Akosombo Dam for two key purposes: the generation of hydroelectric power and the promotion of agro-based industrialization. Nkrumah envisioned that the vast waters of the Volta Lake would be used for irrigation to boost food production, which would in turn supply raw materials for local industries and support national industrialization.

Hon. Ayariga questioned why, from 1963 to the present, Ghana has still not achieved this fundamental objective. He wondered aloud how leaders of that era appeared more forward-thinking and effective than today’s generation, emphasizing that the country's inability to realize Nkrumah’s vision represents a collective failure.

He stressed that this generation must “sit up” and manage the country more effectively. As Ghana marks National Farmers’ Day, he said the occasion should serve as a reminder of the nation’s shortcomings and a call to correct them.

Report by PKB