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A former Chief Justice, Justice Sophia Akuffo, has called on the government to prioritise continuity in national development by completing projects and sustaining policies initiated by previous administrations.
She stressed that nation-building was not a competition between successive governments but rather a continuous process that required building on past efforts for the benefit of all.
"Nation-building is a continuous process, not a competition.
Every government has a duty to honour and complete projects initiated by its predecessors, for true progress is measured not by who starts, but by what is sustained and completed for the benefit of all," she stated.
She added that a practice whereby successive governments often abandoned projects initiated by their predecessors in an attempt to assert political superiority hindered sustainable development.
Justice Akuffo was speaking at the opening of the 19th edition of the Harmattan School organised by the Institute for Interdisciplinary Research (IIR) of the University for Development Studies (UDS) in Tamale.
The two-day event which was on the theme: "Changes in Governments and National Development: Discontinuity in Continuity," served as a platform for engaging discussions on governance and development.
It brought together academics, security personnel, policymakers, the public, civil society organisations and students to deliberate on the impact of inconsistent governance on national progress.
Beyond governance, Justice Akuffo also touched on pressing national concerns, including corruption, education and the justice system.
She expressed concern over the increasing incidents of corruption and called for effective enforcement of laws to fight corruption in the country.
"Our fight against corruption must go beyond rhetoric.
There must be real consequences for those who misuse public resources, and institutions responsible for oversight must be empowered to act without fear or favour," she noted.
Also, the former Chief Justice called for a renewed commitment to quality education, infrastructure development and equitable access to learning opportunities, particularly in rural areas.
"The foundation of every nation is its education system. If we fail to invest in quality education, we are failing our future generations," she added.
On the justice system, Ms Akuffo emphasised the need for judicial reforms to ensure timely and fair dispensation of justice.
For his part, the Vice-Chancellor of UDS, Prof. Seidu Al-Hassan, intimated that while sustaining good policies was crucial, initiating bad policies could be detrimental to national development.
"Even our public holidays have suffered from discontinuity. So where are we as a nation? Are we continuing or discontinuing?" he questioned.
Prof. Alhassan also highlighted the lack of accountability as a major factor contributing to project abandonment and called on the government to complete all unfinished projects to fulfil their intended purpose.
He underscored the need for a long-term vision, such as a 40-year development plan, to ensure policy consistency and sustainable development across successive governments.
