Arthur Kobina Kennedy burst onto the Ghanaian political scene as a young student leader during the 1980s economic crisis, when he had run-ins with Rawlings' PNDC military junta.
He was forced into exile in the United States, where he completed his medical studies.
Kennedy became the first politician to preach reconciliation between parties in the interest of nation-building. He has identified four areas of impact for the first four years of his administration:
1) Making Government work for the People
Dr Kennedy wants to lead a nation where working people are given voice through Metropolitan authorities and District Assemblies. Kennedy wants every DA to have total control over education and primary health care in their area of jurisdiction.
He hopes to give DAs control of transport management, thus reducing needless traffic fatalities, and local employment opportunities.
Kennedy wants central government to be cut down to a manageable size and to transfer some Ministries to the regions. This will enable fair distribution of government employment.
Kennedy recognises that without an educated workforce no nation can prosper. As someone who used education to escape poverty, Kennedy understands that the only way Ghana can become a middle income country by the year 2015 is to make education accessible to all, regardless of status or region.
Kennedy acknowledges the role Dr Nkrumah's free education policies played in the educational attainment of the nation soon after independence, calling the denial of any African child educational opportunities insane and criminal.
On gender issues, Kennedy wants every Ghanaian girl to have the opportunity to attend school or vocational training.
He has spoken passionately about the need to abolish the servant system whereby young girls are sent to distant relatives or total strangers to work as house girls.
2) Putting People to Work.
Kennedy attributes the departure of Ghanaian post-secondary graduates to international waters to the bleak job prospects facing them at home.
Kennedy believes that decentralisation will enable DAs to work together with traditional authorities to implement policies that generate employment for local youth.
3) Making a place at the national table for Diasporans
Kennedy recognises the enormous contributions of the 5 million Ghanaians and dependents living abroad to the development of their motherland.
It is estimated that remittances from the Diaspora are now the third largest foreign exchange earner. Kennedy wants to enhance the working relationship between the leadership at home and in the Diaspora, including among educational and research institutions, which can enhance knowledge transfer.
Ghanaian medical professionals, lecturers, teachers, ex servicemen and women, and ex police offers in the UK are keen to help their colleagues in Ghana. Kennedy has stated that every sector that fails to deliver should be held accountable via its Minister and the President.
4) Revamping our healthcare
Dr Kennedy’s plan for DA’s taking ownership of primary healthcare includes hiring the best nurses and doctors and ensuring that they are given the necessary tools and facilities.
Kennedy also wants Diaspora doctors, nurses and others to serve their district health centres to close the gap between patients and doctors.
Due to the 1980s structural policies, all the gains that Ghana made eroded, according to Dr Kennedy.
He cited the introduction of user fees into health care and education as policies that the PNDC/NDC administrations should have rejected outright.
As a distinguished physician, Kennedy recognises how better healthcare affects working men and women.
Kennedy wants to facilitate a cordial working relationship between the Ghana Medical Council, Ghanaian Doctors and Dentists Association of United Kingdom and Ireland, their sister association in the US, and the nation’s medical schools. These linkages will enable knowledge transfer and teaching to benefit the nation.
Time Will Tell
With his youthfulness, dynamism and motivation to achieve rapid economic growth, the election of Kennedy as the NPP flag bearer and Ghana’s next President will change politics in Africa forever.
As the first politician to openly call for the prosecution of any public official abusing office, Kennedy sets a clear example to the corrupt politicians in Africa. Kennedy has stated that those who want to serve in his administration must declare their assets before and after office.
Dr Kennedy wants Government to work in partnership with the private sector to create more employment opportunities for the Ghanaian people.
On research and development, he is the first candidate to openly argue for funding for researchers in stem cell technology and nanotechnology.
Kennedy recognises that as the world gets smaller, Ghana and indeed Africa must be able to find vaccines for the numerous tropical diseases that kill millions of Africans each year, and find a cure for malaria.
To this end, he will encourage universities in Europe and the United States to partner with Ghanaian medical schools in their research programmes.
Kennedy is also focused on poverty. Having seen many Ghanaian children with no home or hope, Kennedy wants the social services to be well-funded. He has said that opting out of the education/job programmes for the so called "Street Children” is not an option.
Ghana deserves good leadership. Is Dr Arthur Ebo Kobina Kennedy the one to take Ghana to the take-off phase? Time will tell.
